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Industry-ready spin-photon interfaces for hybrid photonic quantum computing
Authors:
Hêlio Huet,
Hubert Lam,
Thibaut Pollet,
Petr Steindl,
Alice Bernard,
Albert Adiyatullin,
Petr Stepanov,
William Hease,
Victor Guilloux,
Nico Margaria,
Joris Verstraten,
Raksha Singla,
Samuel T. Mister,
Anton Pishchagin,
Lara Couronné,
Samuel Huber,
David Sebastian,
Duc Duy Tran,
Thi Hao Nhi Nguyen,
Thi Phuong Do,
Joseph Sulpizio,
Yann Portella,
Kiarn T. Laverick,
Thinhinane Bennour,
Tomas Alexandre De Sousa
, et al. (23 additional authors not shown)
Abstract:
Hybrid photonic quantum computers, combining stationary matter qubits and flying photonic qubits, offer an intrinsically networked and resource-efficient route to large-scale, error-corrected quantum computation. Their core components are cavity-coupled matter qubits that act as light--matter interfaces, enabling: high-efficiency on-demand single-photon generation, stable near-unity photon indisti…
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Hybrid photonic quantum computers, combining stationary matter qubits and flying photonic qubits, offer an intrinsically networked and resource-efficient route to large-scale, error-corrected quantum computation. Their core components are cavity-coupled matter qubits that act as light--matter interfaces, enabling: high-efficiency on-demand single-photon generation, stable near-unity photon indistinguishability and spin--multi-photon entanglement. Semiconductor quantum dots in microcavities are a leading platform for realizing such devices. Yet reaching the performance, reproducibility and spin-coherence thresholds for large-scale error correction remains a major challenge requiring industrial fabrication and control. Here we report thousands of monolithic semiconductor quantum-dot devices fabricated using a III--V pilot production-line process compatible with large-scale deployment. Systematic control of source parameters yields state-of-the-art efficiency and supports a path to optical losses below fault-tolerance thresholds. Using field-quadrature state reconstruction as a stringent joint test of efficiency and indistinguishability, we observe near-unity photon quantum purity stable over tens of minutes and a record single-photon Wigner-function negativity. We further demonstrate seven-partite spin--multi-photon entanglement and spin coherence extendable to microsecond timescales in the low-magnetic-field regime. Finally, photons from distant sources are as indistinguishable as photons emitted successively by a single source. These results establish foundry-compatible III--V quantum dots as a scalable platform for hybrid photonic quantum computing.
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Submitted 14 July, 2026; v1 submitted 26 June, 2026;
originally announced June 2026.
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The impact of hole $g$-factor anisotropy on spin-photon entanglement generation with InGaAs quantum dots
Authors:
P. R. Ramesh,
E. Annoni,
N. Margaria,
D. A. Fioretto,
A. Pishchagin,
M. Morassi,
A. Lemaître,
M. F. Doty,
P. Senellart,
L. Lanco,
N. Belabas,
S. C. Wein,
O. Krebs
Abstract:
Self-assembled InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) are of particular importance for the deterministic generation of spin-photon entanglement. One promising scheme relies on the Larmor precession of a spin in a transverse magnetic field, which is governed by the in-plane $g$-factors of the electron and valence band heavy-hole. We probe the origin of heavy-hole $g$-factor anisotropy with respect to the i…
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Self-assembled InGaAs/GaAs quantum dots (QDs) are of particular importance for the deterministic generation of spin-photon entanglement. One promising scheme relies on the Larmor precession of a spin in a transverse magnetic field, which is governed by the in-plane $g$-factors of the electron and valence band heavy-hole. We probe the origin of heavy-hole $g$-factor anisotropy with respect to the in-plane magnetic field direction and uncover how it impacts the entanglement generated between the spin and the photon polarization. First, using polarization-resolved photoluminescence measurements on a single QD, we determine that the impact of valence-band mixing dominates over effects due to a confinement-renormalized cubic Luttinger $q$ parameter. From this, we construct a comprehensive hole $g$-tensor model. We then use this model to simulate the concurrence and fidelity of spin-photon entanglement generation with anisotropic hole $g$-factors, which can be tuned via magnetic field angle and excitation polarization. The results demonstrate that post-growth control of the hole $g$-factor can be used to improve spin-photon cluster state generation.
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Submitted 9 June, 2025; v1 submitted 11 February, 2025;
originally announced February 2025.
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Towards Photon-Number-Encoded High-dimensional Entanglement from a Sequentially Excited Quantum Three-Level System
Authors:
Daniel A. Vajner,
Nils D. Kewitz,
Martin von Helversen,
Stephen C. Wein,
Yusuf Karli,
Florian Kappe,
Vikas Remesh,
Saimon F. Covre da Silva,
Armando Rastelli,
Gregor Weihs,
Carlos Anton-Solanas,
Tobias Heindel
Abstract:
The sequential resonant excitation of a 2-level quantum system results in the emission of a state of light showing time-entanglement encoded in the photon-number-basis - notions that can be extended to 3-level quantum systems as discussed in a recent proposal. Here, we report the experimental implementation of a sequential two-photon resonant excitation process of a solid-state 3-level system, con…
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The sequential resonant excitation of a 2-level quantum system results in the emission of a state of light showing time-entanglement encoded in the photon-number-basis - notions that can be extended to 3-level quantum systems as discussed in a recent proposal. Here, we report the experimental implementation of a sequential two-photon resonant excitation process of a solid-state 3-level system, constituted by the biexciton-, exciton-, and ground-state of a semiconductor quantum dot. The resulting light state exhibits entanglement in time and energy, encoded in the photon-number basis, which could be used in quantum information applications, e.g., dense information encoding or quantum communication protocols. Performing energy- and time-resolved correlation experiments in combination with extensive theoretical modelling, we are able to partially retrieve the entanglement structure of the generated state.
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Submitted 8 July, 2024;
originally announced July 2024.
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Solid-state single-photon sources: recent advances for novel quantum materials
Authors:
Martin Esmann,
Stephen C. Wein,
Carlos Antón-Solanas
Abstract:
In this review, we describe the current landscape of emergent quantum materials for quantum photonic applications. We focus on three specific solid-state platforms: single emitters in monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides, defects in hexagonal boron nitride, and colloidal quantum dots in perovskites. These platforms share a unique technological accessibility, enabling the rapid implementa…
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In this review, we describe the current landscape of emergent quantum materials for quantum photonic applications. We focus on three specific solid-state platforms: single emitters in monolayers of transition metal dichalcogenides, defects in hexagonal boron nitride, and colloidal quantum dots in perovskites. These platforms share a unique technological accessibility, enabling the rapid implementation of testbed quantum applications, all while being on the verge of becoming technologically mature enough for a first generation of real-world quantum applications.
The review begins with a comprehensive overview of the current state-of-the-art for relevant single-photon sources in the solid-state, introducing the most important performance criteria and experimental characterization techniques along the way. We then benchmark progress for each of the three novel materials against more established (yet complex) platforms, highlighting performance, material-specific advantages, and giving an outlook on quantum applications. This review will thus provide the reader with a snapshot on latest developments in the fast-paced field of emergent single-photon sources in the solid-state, including all the required concepts and experiments relevant to this technology.
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Submitted 14 December, 2023;
originally announced December 2023.
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A first-principles calculation of electron-phonon interactions for the $\text{C}_2\text{C}_\text{N}$ and $\text{V}_\text{N}\text{N}_\text{B}$ defects in hexagonal boron nitride
Authors:
Kenneth Sharman,
Omid Golami,
Stephen Wein,
Hadi Zadeh-Haghighi,
Claudia Gomes da Rocha,
Alexander Kubanek,
Christoph Simon
Abstract:
Quantum emitters in two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) have generated significant interest due to observations of ultra-bright emission made at room temperature. The expectation that solid-state emitters exhibit broad zero-phonon lines at elevated temperatures has been put in question by recent observations of Fourier transform (FT) limited photons emitted from h-BN flakes at room temp…
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Quantum emitters in two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) have generated significant interest due to observations of ultra-bright emission made at room temperature. The expectation that solid-state emitters exhibit broad zero-phonon lines at elevated temperatures has been put in question by recent observations of Fourier transform (FT) limited photons emitted from h-BN flakes at room temperature. The mechanism responsible for the narrow lines has been suggested to be a mechanical decoupling from in-plane phonons due to an out-of-plane distortion of the emitter's orbitals. All decoupled emitters produce photons that are directed in-plane, suggesting that the dipoles are oriented perpendicular to the h-BN plane. Motivated by the promise of an efficient and scalable source of indistinguishable photons that can operate at room temperature, we have developed an approach using density functional theory (DFT) to determine the electron-phonon coupling for defects that have in- and out-of-plane transition dipole moments. Our DFT calculations reveal that the $\text{C}_2 \text{C}_\text{N}$ defect has an in-plane transition dipole moment, and that of the $\text{V}_\text{N} \text{N}_\text{B}$ defect is perpendicular to the plane. We exploit the two-dimensional framework recently implemented in \texttt{QUANTUM ESPRESSO} to determine both the phonon density of states and the electron-phonon matrix elements associated with the h-BN defective structures. We find no indication that an out-of-plane transition dipole is sufficient to obtain FT-limited photons at room temperature. Our work also provides direction to future DFT software developments and adds to the growing list of calculations relevant to researchers in the field of solid-state quantum information processing.
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Submitted 28 July, 2022;
originally announced July 2022.
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The Franz-Parisi Criterion and Computational Trade-offs in High Dimensional Statistics
Authors:
Afonso S. Bandeira,
Ahmed El Alaoui,
Samuel B. Hopkins,
Tselil Schramm,
Alexander S. Wein,
Ilias Zadik
Abstract:
Many high-dimensional statistical inference problems are believed to possess inherent computational hardness. Various frameworks have been proposed to give rigorous evidence for such hardness, including lower bounds against restricted models of computation (such as low-degree functions), as well as methods rooted in statistical physics that are based on free energy landscapes. This paper aims to m…
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Many high-dimensional statistical inference problems are believed to possess inherent computational hardness. Various frameworks have been proposed to give rigorous evidence for such hardness, including lower bounds against restricted models of computation (such as low-degree functions), as well as methods rooted in statistical physics that are based on free energy landscapes. This paper aims to make a rigorous connection between the seemingly different low-degree and free-energy based approaches. We define a free-energy based criterion for hardness and formally connect it to the well-established notion of low-degree hardness for a broad class of statistical problems, namely all Gaussian additive models and certain models with a sparse planted signal. By leveraging these rigorous connections we are able to: establish that for Gaussian additive models the "algebraic" notion of low-degree hardness implies failure of "geometric" local MCMC algorithms, and provide new low-degree lower bounds for sparse linear regression which seem difficult to prove directly. These results provide both conceptual insights into the connections between different notions of hardness, as well as concrete technical tools such as new methods for proving low-degree lower bounds.
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Submitted 13 October, 2022; v1 submitted 19 May, 2022;
originally announced May 2022.
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$\textit{Ab initio}$ and group theoretical study of properties of the $\text{C}_\text{2}\text{C}_\text{N}$ carbon trimer defect in h-BN
Authors:
Omid Golami,
Kenneth Sharman,
Roohollah Ghobadi,
Stephen C. Wein,
Hadi Zadeh-Haghighi,
Claudia Gomes da Rocha,
Dennis R. Salahub,
Christoph Simon
Abstract:
Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a promising platform for quantum information processing due to its potential to host optically active defects with attractive optical and spin properties. Recent studies suggest that carbon trimers might be the defect responsible for single-photon emission in the visible spectral range in h-BN. In this theoretical study, we combine group theory together with densi…
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Hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) is a promising platform for quantum information processing due to its potential to host optically active defects with attractive optical and spin properties. Recent studies suggest that carbon trimers might be the defect responsible for single-photon emission in the visible spectral range in h-BN. In this theoretical study, we combine group theory together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations to predict the properties of the neutral $\text{C}_\text{2}\text{C}_\text{N}$ carbon trimer defect. We find the multi-electron states of this defect along with possible radiative and non-radiative transitions assisted by the spin-orbit and the spin-spin interactions. We also investigate the Hamiltonian for external magnetic field and ground-state hyperfine interactions. Lastly, we use the results of our investigation in a Lindblad master equation model to predict an optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) signal and the $g^2(τ)$ correlation function. Our findings can have important outcomes in quantum information applications such as quantum repeaters used in quantum networks and quantum sensing.
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Submitted 18 October, 2021;
originally announced October 2021.
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Reproducibility of high-performance quantum dot single-photon sources
Authors:
Hélène Ollivier,
Ilse Maillette de Buy Wenniger,
Sarah Thomas,
Stephen Wein,
Guillaume Coppola,
Abdelmounaim Harouri,
Paul Hilaire,
Clément Millet,
Aristide Lemaître,
Isabelle Sagnes,
Olivier Krebs,
Loïc Lanco,
Juan Carlos Loredo,
Carlos Antón,
Niccolo Somaschi,
Pascale Senellart
Abstract:
Single-photon sources based on semiconductor quantum dots have emerged as an excellent platform for high efficiency quantum light generation. However, scalability remains a challenge since quantum dots generally present inhomogeneous characteristics. Here we benchmark the performance of fifteen deterministically fabricated single-photon sources. They display an average indistinguishability of 90.6…
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Single-photon sources based on semiconductor quantum dots have emerged as an excellent platform for high efficiency quantum light generation. However, scalability remains a challenge since quantum dots generally present inhomogeneous characteristics. Here we benchmark the performance of fifteen deterministically fabricated single-photon sources. They display an average indistinguishability of 90.6 +/- 2.8 % with a single-photon purity of 95.4 +/- 1.5 % and high homogeneity in operation wavelength and temporal profile. Each source also has state-of-the-art brightness with an average first lens brightness value of 13.6 +/- 4.4 %. Whilst the highest brightness is obtained with a charged quantum dot, the highest quantum purity is obtained with neutral ones. We also introduce various techniques to identify the nature of the emitting state. Our study sets the groundwork for large-scale fabrication of identical sources by identifying the remaining challenges and outlining solutions.
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Submitted 19 October, 2019;
originally announced October 2019.
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The Kikuchi Hierarchy and Tensor PCA
Authors:
Alexander S. Wein,
Ahmed El Alaoui,
Cristopher Moore
Abstract:
For the tensor PCA (principal component analysis) problem, we propose a new hierarchy of increasingly powerful algorithms with increasing runtime. Our hierarchy is analogous to the sum-of-squares (SOS) hierarchy but is instead inspired by statistical physics and related algorithms such as belief propagation and AMP (approximate message passing). Our level-$\ell$ algorithm can be thought of as a li…
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For the tensor PCA (principal component analysis) problem, we propose a new hierarchy of increasingly powerful algorithms with increasing runtime. Our hierarchy is analogous to the sum-of-squares (SOS) hierarchy but is instead inspired by statistical physics and related algorithms such as belief propagation and AMP (approximate message passing). Our level-$\ell$ algorithm can be thought of as a linearized message-passing algorithm that keeps track of $\ell$-wise dependencies among the hidden variables. Specifically, our algorithms are spectral methods based on the Kikuchi Hessian, which generalizes the well-studied Bethe Hessian to the higher-order Kikuchi free energies.
It is known that AMP, the flagship algorithm of statistical physics, has substantially worse performance than SOS for tensor PCA. In this work we 'redeem' the statistical physics approach by showing that our hierarchy gives a polynomial-time algorithm matching the performance of SOS. Our hierarchy also yields a continuum of subexponential-time algorithms, and we prove that these achieve the same (conjecturally optimal) tradeoff between runtime and statistical power as SOS. Our proofs are much simpler than prior work, and also apply to the related problem of refuting random $k$-XOR formulas. The results we present here apply to tensor PCA for tensors of all orders, and to $k$-XOR when $k$ is even.
Our methods suggest a new avenue for systematically obtaining optimal algorithms for Bayesian inference problems, and our results constitute a step toward unifying the statistical physics and sum-of-squares approaches to algorithm design.
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Submitted 19 August, 2025; v1 submitted 8 April, 2019;
originally announced April 2019.
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Quantum repeaters with individual rare-earth ions at telecommunication wavelengths
Authors:
F. Kimiaee Asadi,
N. Lauk,
S. Wein,
N. Sinclair,
C. O'Brien,
C. Simon
Abstract:
We present a quantum repeater scheme that is based on individual erbium and europium ions. Erbium ions are attractive because they emit photons at telecommunication wavelength, while europium ions offer exceptional spin coherence for long-term storage. Entanglement between distant erbium ions is created by photon detection. The photon emission rate of each erbium ion is enhanced by a microcavity w…
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We present a quantum repeater scheme that is based on individual erbium and europium ions. Erbium ions are attractive because they emit photons at telecommunication wavelength, while europium ions offer exceptional spin coherence for long-term storage. Entanglement between distant erbium ions is created by photon detection. The photon emission rate of each erbium ion is enhanced by a microcavity with high Purcell factor, as has recently been demonstrated. Entanglement is then transferred to nearby europium ions for storage. Gate operations between nearby ions are performed using dynamically controlled electric-dipole coupling. These gate operations allow entanglement swapping to be employed in order to extend the distance over which entanglement is distributed. The deterministic character of the gate operations allows improved entanglement distribution rates in comparison to atomic ensemble-based protocols. We also propose an approach that utilizes multiplexing in order to enhance the entanglement distribution rate.
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Submitted 29 August, 2018; v1 submitted 14 December, 2017;
originally announced December 2017.
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Towards a Room-Temperature Spin-Photon Interface based on Nitrogen-Vacancy centers and Optomechanics
Authors:
Roohollah Ghobadi,
Stephen Wein,
Hamidreza Kaviani,
Paul Barclay,
Christoph Simon
Abstract:
The implementation of quantum networks involving quantum memories and photonic channels without the need for cryogenics would be a major technological breakthrough. Nitrogen-vacancy centers have excellent spin properties even at room temperature, but phonon-induced broadening makes it challenging to interface these spins with photons at non-cryogenic temperatures. Inspired by recent progress in ac…
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The implementation of quantum networks involving quantum memories and photonic channels without the need for cryogenics would be a major technological breakthrough. Nitrogen-vacancy centers have excellent spin properties even at room temperature, but phonon-induced broadening makes it challenging to interface these spins with photons at non-cryogenic temperatures. Inspired by recent progress in achieving ultra-high mechanical quality factors, we propose that this challenge can be overcome by spin-opto-mechanical transduction. We quantify the coherence of the interface by calculating the indistinguishability of the emitted photons and describe promising paths towards experimental implementation.
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Submitted 3 February, 2019; v1 submitted 6 November, 2017;
originally announced November 2017.
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Feasibility of efficient room-temperature solid-state sources of indistinguishable single photons using ultrasmall mode volume cavities
Authors:
Stephen Wein,
Nikolai Lauk,
Roohollah Ghobadi,
Christoph Simon
Abstract:
Highly efficient sources of indistinguishable single photons that can operate at room temperature would be very beneficial for many applications in quantum technology. We show that the implementation of such sources is a realistic goal using solid-state emitters and ultrasmall mode volume cavities. We derive and analyze an expression for photon indistinguishability that accounts for relevant detri…
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Highly efficient sources of indistinguishable single photons that can operate at room temperature would be very beneficial for many applications in quantum technology. We show that the implementation of such sources is a realistic goal using solid-state emitters and ultrasmall mode volume cavities. We derive and analyze an expression for photon indistinguishability that accounts for relevant detrimental effects, such as plasmon-induced quenching and pure-dephasing. We then provide the general cavity and emitter conditions required to achieve efficient indistinguishable photon emission, and also discuss constraints due to phonon sideband emission. Using these conditions, we propose that a nanodiamond negatively charged silicon-vacancy center combined with a plasmonic-Fabry-Perot hybrid cavity is an excellent candidate system.
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Submitted 16 May, 2018; v1 submitted 10 October, 2017;
originally announced October 2017.