Bidirectional and tunable single-photons multi-channel quantum router between microwave and optical light

TL;DR

This paper proposes a tunable multi-channel quantum router capable of directing single photons between microwave and optical frequencies using photon-phonon interactions, with potential applications in quantum networks.

Contribution

It introduces the first theory and experimental proposal for routing single photons between microwave and optical light in a hybrid system, tunable by microwave power.

Findings

Single-photon routing into three output ports demonstrated.

Routing tunable by adjusting microwave power.

Noise effects are negligible at 20 mK temperature.

Abstract

Routing of photon play a key role in optical communication and quantum networks. Although the quantum routing of signals has been investigated in various systems both in theory and experiment. However, no current theory can route quantum signals between microwave and optical light. Here, we propose an experimentally accessible tunable multi-channel quantum routing proposal using photon-phonon translation in a hybrid opto-electromechanical system. It is the first demonstration that the single-photon of optical frequency can be routed into three different output ports by adjusting microwave power. More important, the two output signals can be selected according to microwave power. Meanwhile, we also demonstrate the vacuum and thermal noise will be insignificant for the optical performance of the single-photon router at temperature of the order of 20 mK. Our proposal may have paved a new avenue towards multi-channel router and quantum network.