Reconfigurable quantum photonics with on-chip detectors

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates low-power reconfigurable integrated photonic circuits with superconducting detectors, enabling high-extinction routing, high-dynamic range detection, and stabilization for scalable quantum photonics.

Contribution

It introduces a heat-load free reconfiguration platform combining microelectromechanical systems with superconducting detectors on a single chip.

Findings

Achieved 28 dB high-extinction routing of light.

Demonstrated 90 dB high-dynamic range single-photon detection.

Stabilized optical excitation over 12 dB power variation.

Abstract

Integrated quantum photonics offers a promising path to scale up quantum optics experiments by miniaturizing and stabilizing complex laboratory setups. Central elements of quantum integrated photonics are quantum emitters, memories, detectors, and reconfigurable photonic circuits. In particular, integrated detectors not only offer optical readout but, when interfaced with reconfigurable circuits, allow feedback and adaptive control, crucial for deterministic quantum teleportation, training of neural networks, and stabilization of complex circuits. However, the heat generated by thermally reconfigurable photonics is incompatible with heat-sensitive superconducting single-photon detectors, and thus their on-chip co-integration remains elusive. Here we show low-power microelectromechanical reconfiguration of integrated photonic circuits interfaced with superconducting single-photon detectors on the same chip. We demonstrate three key functionalities for photonic quantum technologies: 28 dB high-extinction routing of classical and quantum light, 90 dB high-dynamic range single-photon detection, and stabilization of optical excitation over 12 dB power variation. Our platform enables heat-load free reconfigurable linear optics and adaptive control, critical for quantum state preparation and quantum logic in large-scale quantum photonics applications.