Time-bin entanglement at telecom wavelengths from a hybrid photonic integrated circuit.

Mass-deployable implementations for quantum communication require compact, reliable, and low-cost hardware solutions for photon generation, control and analysis. We present a fiber-pigtailed hybrid photonic circuit comprising nonlinear waveguides for photon-pair generation and a polymer interposer reaching 68 dB of pump suppression and photon separation based on a polarizing beam splitter with > 25 dB polarization extinction ratio. The optical stability of the hybrid assembly enhances the quality of the entanglement, and the efficient background suppression and photon routing further reduce accidental coincidences. We thus achieve a 96 - 8 + 3 % concurrence and a 96 - 5 + 2 % fidelity to a Bell state. The generated telecom-wavelength, time-bin entangled photon pairs are ideally suited for distributing Bell pairs over fiber networks with low dispersion.

Polarization Dynamics of Solid-State Quantum Emitters.

Quantum emitters in solid-state crystals have recently attracted a great deal of attention due to their simple applicability in optical quantum technologies. The polarization of single photons generated by quantum emitters is one of the key parameters that plays a crucial role in various applications, such as quantum computation, which uses the indistinguishability of photons. However, the degree of single-photon polarization is typically quantified using the time-averaged photoluminescence intensity of single emitters, which provides limited information about the dipole properties in solids. In this work, we use single defects in hexagonal boron nitride and nanodiamond as efficient room-temperature single-photon sources to reveal the origin and temporal evolution of the dipole orientation in solid-state quantum emitters. The angles of the excitation and emission dipoles relative to the crystal axes were determined experimentally and then calculated using density functional theory, which resulted in characteristic angles for every specific defect that can be used as an efficient tool for defect identification and understanding their atomic structure. Moreover, the temporal polarization dynamics revealed a strongly modified linear polarization visibility that depends on the excited-state decay time of the individual excitation. This effect can potentially be traced back to the excitation of excess charges in the local crystal environment. Understanding such hidden time-dependent mechanisms can further improve the performance of polarization-sensitive experiments, particularly that for quantum communication with single-photon emitters.

Programmable high-dimensional Hamiltonian in a photonic waveguide array.

Waveguide lattices offer a compact and stable platform for a range of applications, including quantum walks, condensed matter system simulation, and classical and quantum information processing. However, to date, waveguide lattice devices have been static and designed for specific applications. We present a programmable waveguide array in which the Hamiltonian terms can be individually electro-optically tuned to implement various Hamiltonian continuous-time evolutions on a single device. We used a single array with 11 waveguides in lithium niobate, controlled via 22 electrodes, to perform a range of experiments that realized the Su-Schriffer-Heeger model, the Aubrey-Andre model, and Anderson localization, which is equivalent to over 2500 static devices. Our architecture's micron-scale local electric fields overcome the cross-talk limitations of thermo-optic phase shifters in other platforms such as silicon, silicon-nitride, and silica. Electro-optic control allows for ultra-fast and more precise reconfigurability with lower power consumption, and with quantum input states, our platform can enable the study of multiple condensed matter quantum dynamics with a single device.

Background-Free Near-Infrared Biphoton Emission from Single GaAs Nanowires.

The generation of photon pairs from nanoscale structures with high rates is still a challenge for the integration of quantum devices, as it suffers from parasitic signals from the substrate. In this work, we report type-0 spontaneous parametric down-conversion at 1550 nm from individual bottom-up grown zinc-blende GaAs nanowires with lengths of up to 5 µm and diameters of up to 450 nm. The nanowires were deposited on a transparent ITO substrate, and we measured a background-free coincidence rate of 0.05 Hz in a Hanbury-Brown-Twiss setup. Taking into account transmission losses, the pump fluence, and the nanowire volume, we achieved a biphoton generation of 60 GHz/Wm, which is at least 3 times higher than that of previously reported single nonlinear micro- and nanostructures. We also studied the correlations between the second-harmonic generation and the spontaneous parametric down-conversion intensities with respect to the pump polarization and in different individual nanowires.

High coupling efficiency grating couplers on lithium niobate on insulator.

We demonstrate monolithically defined grating couplers in Z-cut lithium niobate on insulator for efficient vertical coupling between an optical fiber and a single mode waveguide. The grating couplers exhibit ∼ 44.6%/coupler and ∼ 19.4%/coupler coupling efficiency for TE and TM polarized light respectively. Taperless grating couplers are investigated to realize a more compact design.

Quantum interference of topological states of light.

Topological insulators are materials that have a gapped bulk energy spectrum but contain protected in-gap states appearing at their surface. These states exhibit remarkable properties such as unidirectional propagation and robustness to noise that offer an opportunity to improve the performance and scalability of quantum technologies. For quantum applications, it is essential that the topological states are indistinguishable. We report high-visibility quantum interference of single-photon topological states in an integrated photonic circuit. Two topological boundary states, initially at opposite edges of a coupled waveguide array, are brought into proximity, where they interfere and undergo a beamsplitter operation. We observe Hong-Ou-Mandel interference with 93.1 ± 2.8% visibility, a hallmark nonclassical effect that is at the heart of linear optics-based quantum computation. Our work shows that it is feasible to generate and control highly indistinguishable single-photon topological states, opening pathways to enhanced photonic quantum technology with topological properties, and to study quantum effects in topological materials.

Experimental Demonstration of Self-Guided Quantum Tomography.

Traditional methods of quantum state characterization are impractical for systems of more than a few qubits due to exponentially expensive postprocessing and data storage and lack robustness against errors and noise. Here, we experimentally demonstrate self-guided quantum tomography performed on polarization photonic qubits. The quantum state is iteratively learned by optimizing a projection measurement without any data storage or postprocessing. We experimentally demonstrate robustness against statistical noise and measurement errors on single-qubit and entangled two-qubit states.

High-dimensional entanglement certification.

Quantum entanglement is the ability of joint quantum systems to possess global properties (correlation among systems) even when subsystems have no definite individual property. Whilst the 2-dimensional (qubit) case is well-understood, currently, tools to characterise entanglement in high dimensions are limited. We experimentally demonstrate a new procedure for entanglement certification that is suitable for large systems, based entirely on information-theoretics. It scales more efficiently than Bell's inequality and entanglement witness. The method we developed works for arbitrarily large system dimension d and employs only two local measurements of complementary properties. This procedure can also certify whether the system is maximally entangled. We illustrate the protocol for families of bipartite states of qudits with dimension up to 32 composed of polarisation-entangled photon pairs.

Experimental perfect state transfer of an entangled photonic qubit.

The transfer of data is a fundamental task in information systems. Microprocessors contain dedicated data buses that transmit bits across different locations and implement sophisticated routing protocols. Transferring quantum information with high fidelity is a challenging task, due to the intrinsic fragility of quantum states. Here we report on the implementation of the perfect state transfer protocol applied to a photonic qubit entangled with another qubit at a different location. On a single device we perform three routing procedures on entangled states, preserving the encoded quantum state with an average fidelity of 97.1%, measuring in the coincidence basis. Our protocol extends the regular perfect state transfer by maintaining quantum information encoded in the polarization state of the photonic qubit. Our results demonstrate the key principle of perfect state transfer, opening a route towards data transfer for quantum computing systems.

Consortium for oral health-related informatics: improving dental research, education, and treatment.

Advances in informatics, particularly the implementation of electronic health records (EHR), in dentistry have facilitated the exchange of information. The majority of dental schools in North America use the same EHR system, providing an unprecedented opportunity to integrate these data into a repository that can be used for oral health education and research. In 2007, fourteen dental schools formed the Consortium for Oral Health-Related Informatics (COHRI). Since its inception, COHRI has established structural and operational processes, governance and bylaws, and a number of work groups organized in two divisions: one focused on research (data standardization, integration, and analysis), and one focused on education (performance evaluations, virtual standardized patients, and objective structured clinical examinations). To date, COHRI (which now includes twenty dental schools) has been successful in developing a data repository, pilot-testing data integration, and sharing EHR enhancements among the group. This consortium has collaborated on standardizing medical and dental histories, developing diagnostic terminology, and promoting the utilization of informatics in dental education. The consortium is in the process of assembling the largest oral health database ever created. This will be an invaluable resource for research and provide a foundation for evidence-based dentistry for years to come.

Relative Production of IL-1ß and TNFα by Mononuclear Cells After Exposure to Dental Implants.

Interleukin-1 (also known as osteoclast activating factor, OAF) is a cytokine produced primarily by monocytes and macrophages and is thought to mediate many of the immunologic, metabolic, and endocrine alterations seen with microbial infection, tissue injury, inflammatory disease, and bone loss. Stimuli for IL-1 production include microorganisms, endotoxins (LPS), antigen-antibody complexes, clotting components, and other cytokines. The purpose of this study was to determine whether dental implants stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to produce IL-1ß (OAF) as well as tumor necrosis factor (TNFα). This production may lead to bone loss or failure of an implant. Three duplicates of five different implants were incubated with 2 × 106 PBMCs/ ml in 20% autologous serum; the esterase positive PBMCs amounted to 14.5%. Measured by radioimmunoassay techniques and compared to controls, all of the implants except one caused significant in vitro generation of IL-1ß and TNFα. The stimulation of IL1ß/TNFα production by these materials suggests that they are not physiologically inert and that the IL-1ß (OAF) production may contribute to a less favorable osseoadaptation. OAF has a physiologic (homeostatic) role in maintenance and alteration of osseous structures, but the level at which physiologic becomes pathologic is unknown. Although there were statistical differences between the cellular response to these implants, the clinical significance of the differences remains to be determined. J Periodontol 1992; 63:426-430.