Programmable recirculating bricks mesh architecture for quantum photonics

TL;DR

This paper explores the extension of programmable recirculating bricks mesh architecture to quantum photonics, demonstrating its versatility for boson sampling and photon indistinguishability tasks in quantum technologies.

Contribution

It introduces the application of recirculating bricks mesh architecture to quantum photonics, enabling multiple functionalities including boson sampling and photon indistinguishability testing.

Findings

Single optical system can perform various quantum functions.

The architecture can handle spatial and temporal modes.

Potential for quantum advantage in boson sampling.

Abstract

General-purpose programmable photonic processors offer a flexible foundation for integrating various functionalities within a single chip. A two-dimensional hexagonal waveguide mesh of Mach Zehnder interferometers has been shown to have great potential in the field of microwave photonics. Additionally, they are a promising platform for the creation of unitary linear transformations, which are key elements in photonic neural networks, In this article, we expand the portfolio of available applications for recirculating bricks mesh architecture to quantum technologies. We will show that a single programmable optical system is capable of performing various functions depending on the requirements. In particular, we will focus in this work on boson sampling, a task that best demonstrates quantum advantage, as well as on tasks that enable the determination of photon indistinguishability, which plays a key role in photonic quantum technologies. We will also show that, in addition to spatial modes, the same optical system can be equally well-suited for work on temporal modes through the implementation of an appropriate number of loops.