Topologically protected valley-dependent quantum photonic circuits

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates on-chip valley-dependent quantum photonic circuits using topological photonics, achieving high-visibility quantum interference and path-entangled state generation, paving the way for robust quantum information processing.

Contribution

It introduces the first on-chip valley-dependent quantum photonic process using topological harpoon-shaped beam splitters with high interference visibility.

Findings

High-visibility Hong-Ou-Mandel interference (0.956) achieved.

Demonstrated a simple quantum photonic circuit with valley-dependent topological insulators.

Generated path-entangled states using cascaded topological beam splitters.

Abstract

Topological photonics has been introduced as a powerful platform for integrated optics, since it can deal with robust light transport, and be further extended to the quantum world. Strikingly, valley-contrasting physics in topological photonic structures contributes to valley-related edge states, their unidirectional coupling, and even valley-dependent wave-division in topological junctions. Here, we design and fabricate nanophotonic topological harpoon-shaped beam splitters (HSBSs) based on $120$-deg-bending interfaces and demonstrate the first on-chip valley-dependent quantum information process. Two-photon quantum interference, namely, HongOu-Mandel (HOM) interference with a high visibility of $0.956 \pm 0.006$, is realized with our 50/50 HSBS, which is constructed by two topologically distinct domain walls. Cascading this kind of HSBS together, we also demonstrate a simple quantum photonic circuit and generation of a path-entangled state. Our work shows that the photonic valley state can be used in quantum information processing, and it is possible to realize more complex quantum circuits with valley-dependent photonic topological insulators, which provides a novel method for on-chip quantum information processing.