# Quantum acousto-optic control of light-matter interactions in nanophotonic networks

## TL;DR

This paper explores how propagating acoustic waves can dynamically control light-matter interactions in nanophotonic waveguides, enabling high-fidelity photon exchange and quantum networking functionalities.

## Contribution

It introduces a method to modulate photonic density of states using acoustic waves, allowing complete dynamical control of photon emission, absorption, and routing in nanophotonic systems.

## Key findings

- Acoustic waves significantly alter photon emission characteristics.
- High-fidelity directional photon exchange is achievable.
- Potential applications in quantum networking and entanglement distribution.

## Abstract

We analyze the coupling of atoms or atom-like emitters to nanophotonic waveguides in the presence of propagating acoustic waves. Specifically, we show that strong index modulations induced by such waves can drastically modify the effective photonic density of states and thereby influence the strength, the directionality, as well as the overall characteristics of photon emission and absorption processes. These effects enable a complete dynamical control of light-matter interactions in waveguide structures, which even in a two dimensional system can be used to efficiently exchange individual photons along selected directions and with a very high fidelity. Such a quantum acousto-optical control provides a versatile tool for various quantum networking applications ranging from the distribution of entanglement via directional emitter-emitter interactions to the routing of individual photonic quantum states via acoustic conveyor belts.