The present disclosure relates to a quantum device and a method for manufacturing the quantum device.
In recent years, research and development of quantum computers have been energetically advanced. For example, a quantum computer using a level of an electron spin in a color center of diamond as a qubit is known. In such a quantum computer, electron spin information is converted into photon information, and optical reading is performed.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0309265, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2012/0161663, Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2015-529328, Japanese National Publication of International Patent Application No. 2007-526639, C. T. Nguyen et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 183602 (2019), A. Sipahigil et al., Science 354, 847 (2016), Ph. Tamarat et al., PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 97, 083002 (2006), L. D. Santis et al., PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS 127, 147402 (2021), J. Lisenfeld, npj Quantum Information (2019) are disclosed as related arts.
According to an aspect of the embodiments, a quantum device includes a waveguide that has a first surface, and extends in a first direction parallel to the first surface, a plurality of nanopillars coupled to the first surface and arranged in the first direction, color centers formed in each of the plurality of nanopillars, and electrode pairs provided for each of the color centers, wherein each of the plurality of nanopillars is inclined from the first direction, and extends in a second direction inclined from a normal direction of the first surface, and electric fields are applied to the color centers from the electrode pairs.
The object and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the claims.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are not restrictive of the invention.
The quantum computer includes a plurality of qubits. At the time of operation, in order to ensure indistinguishability of photons involved in forming entanglement between the plurality of qubits, it is desirable that emission wavelengths of color centers coincide with each other. However, the emission wavelengths of color centers are different in GHz order in terms of frequency due to a defect, distortion, or the like around the color centers. Conventionally, a technique for adjusting the emission wavelength of the color center has been proposed, but it is difficult to place a plurality of qubits with high degree of integration.
An object of the present disclosure is to provide a quantum device capable of improving the degree of integration of qubits and a method for manufacturing the quantum device.
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be specifically described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that, in the present description and the drawings, constituent elements having substantially the same functional configuration will be given the same reference sign, and redundant explanation will sometimes not be made. In the present disclosure, it is assumed that an X1-X2 direction, a Y1-Y2 direction, and a Z1-Z2 direction are directions orthogonal to each other. A plane including the X1-X2 direction and the Y1-Y2 direction is described as an XY plane, a plane including the Y1-Y2 direction and the Z1-Z2 direction is described as a YZ plane, and a plane including the Z1-Z2 direction and the X1-X2 direction is described as a ZX plane. Note that, for convenience, the Z1-Z2 direction is defined as a vertical direction, where a Z1 side is defined as an upper side, and a Z2 side is defined as a lower side. In addition, a planar view refers to viewing an object from the Z1 side, and a planar shape refers to a shape of an object viewed from the Z1 side.
A first embodiment will be described.
The quantum device 1 according to the first embodiment mainly includes a slab waveguide 10, a plurality of nanopillars 20, a plurality of electrode pairs 30, and an embedded member 40.
The slab waveguide 10 extends in the X1-X2 direction. The slab waveguide 10 has an upper surface 11 perpendicular to the Z1-Z2 direction. The shape of a cross section of the slab waveguide 10 perpendicular to the X1-X2 direction is a rectangular shape. The dimension (height) of this cross section in the Z1-Z2 direction is, for example, about 100 nm. The refractive index of the slab waveguide 10 is lower than the refractive index of diamond. For example, the slab waveguide 10 is made of sapphire, and the upper surface 11 is a c-plane of sapphire. The slab waveguide 10 is an example of a waveguide. The X1-X2 direction is an example of a first direction. The upper surface 11 is an example of a first surface.
The nanopillar 20 is made of diamond. The nanopillar 20 is provided over the upper surface 11 and coupled to the upper surface 11. The plurality of nanopillars 20 is arranged in the X1-X2 direction. The nanopillar 20 extends in a second direction inclined from the X1-X2 direction. For example, the second direction is a direction between the X1-X2 direction and the Z1-Z2 direction, and the nanopillar 20 is inclined toward the X2 side as it goes upward (Z1 side). The second direction is parallel to the direction of diamond. When viewed from a direction perpendicular to the upper surface 11, the second direction overlaps the X1-X2 direction. An angle θ1 formed by the upper surface 11 of the slab waveguide 10 and the second direction is 28.5°. The nanopillar 20 has an upper surface 22 parallel to the upper surface 11 of the slab waveguide 10. For example, the dimension of the upper surface 22 in the X1-X2 direction is about 100 nm, and the dimension of the upper surface 22 in the Y1-Y2 direction is about 200 nm. The distance between the upper surface 11 and the upper surface 22 is, for example, about 250 nm to 1000 nm. The upper surface 22 is the (110) plane of diamond. The shape of a cross section of the nanopillar 20 perpendicular to the second direction is a rectangular shape. This cross section has long sides parallel to the Y1-Y2 direction.
Each of the plurality of nanopillars 20 includes a color center 21. The color center 21 is located in the vicinity of the upper surface 22. For example, the distance from the upper surface 22 to the color center 21 is 100 nm or less. The color center 21 is, for example, a nitrogen-vacancy center (NV center) including a nitrogen atom and a vacancy. That is, the color center 21 is a complex defect of nitrogen atoms and vacancies. The direction in which nitrogen atoms and vacancies are arranged (hereinafter, will be sometimes referred to as a “defect axis direction”) is parallel to the direction of diamond. The nanopillars 20 including the color centers 21 can function as qubits.
The embedded member 40 is provided over the upper surface 11 of the slab waveguide 10 and fills a gap between the plurality of nanopillars 20. For example, an upper surface of the embedded member 40 is flush with the upper surfaces 22 of the nanopillars 20. The refractive index of the embedded member 40 is lower than the refractive index of diamond. For example, the embedded member 40 is made of silicon oxide (SiO2). Side surfaces of the nanopillars 20 are in direct contact with the embedded member 40. The nanopillars 20 are surrounded by the embedded member 40.
The electrode pairs 30 are provided for each of the nanopillars 20. The electrode pair 30 includes electrodes 31 and 32. For example, the electrodes 31 and 32 are provided over the embedded member 40. In planar view, the color center 21 is located between the electrodes 31 and 32. When viewed from the color center 21, the electrode 31 is located on the X1 side, and the electrode 32 is located on the X2 side. The material of the electrodes 31 and 32 is not particularly limited, but is preferably a material having less light absorption in a visible light region that is relevant to a signal wavelength. A material of the electrodes 31 and 32 is, for example, gold (Au), silver (Ag), or copper (Cu).
Next, a method for manufacturing the quantum device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.
First, as illustrated in
The diamond substrate 25 is then polished to make the thickness of the diamond substrate 25 coincident with the distance between the upper surfaces 22 of the nanopillars 20 and the upper surface 11 of the slab waveguide 10, as illustrated in
Thereafter, as illustrated in
Subsequently, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Thereafter, as illustrated in
Subsequently, as illustrated in
As illustrated in
Thereafter, as illustrated in
The quantum device 1 according to the first embodiment can be manufactured in this manner.
Note that the color center 21 may be a silicon-vacancy center (SiV center) including silicon and a vacancy, a germanium-vacancy center (GeV center) including germanium and a vacancy, a tin-vacancy center (SnV center) including tin and a vacancy, a lead-vacancy center (PbV center) including lead and a vacancy, or a boron-vacancy center (BV center) including boron and a vacancy.
Here, an example of a method for using the quantum device 1 according to the first embodiment will be described.
In this example, as illustrated in
The color center 21 emits light when irradiated with the laser beam 26. Since the nanopillar 20 is surrounded by the embedded member 40 having a refractive index lower than that of diamond, light generated at the color center 21 is confined in the nanopillar 20. Then, this light propagates through the nanopillar 20 as signal light 27 along the second direction (a direction parallel to the direction of diamond) in which the nanopillar 20 extends. At this time, the signal light 27 propagates through the nanopillar 20 in a single mode only with the transverse electric (TE) mode having an electric field amplitude component only in the direction (Y1-Y2 direction) parallel to the long sides of the cross section of the nanopillar 20 perpendicular to the second direction. That is, the signal light 27 undergoes single-mode propagation through the nanopillar 20 in the second direction.
In addition, in the present embodiment, the total reflection angle at an interface 50 between the diamond nanopillar 20 and the slab waveguide 10 made of sapphire is 46.8°, whereas the angle θ1 formed by the traveling direction of the signal light 27 in the nanopillar 20 and the interface 50 is 28.5°. That is, the angle θ1 is less than the total reflection angle. Therefore, the signal light 27 propagated to the interface 50 is guided to the slab waveguide 10 from the nanopillar 20 with high efficiency. Furthermore, the signal light 27 guided into the slab waveguide 10 propagates through the slab waveguide 10 while maintaining the single mode of the TE mode.
In addition, the electrode pairs 30 and the wiring are formed over the embedded member 40. Accordingly, compared with a case where the electrode pair 30 or the wiring made of metal is formed over the nanopillar 20, the signal light 27 is easily confined in the nanopillar 20, and the optical loss caused by metal may be reduced.
Here, control for the wavelength of the signal light 27 will be described. In the present embodiment, the electric field having the perpendicular component can be applied to the color center 21. When such an electric field is applied, the optical transition wavelength in the color center 21 changes due to the Stark effect. The change amount ΔE in the optical transition frequency is expressed by following formula (1) when the intensity of the perpendicular component of the electric field is assumed as F and the second-order term of F is inclusively considered.
In mathematical formula 1, Au denotes a change amount of dipole moment between the ground level and the excitation level, Aa denotes a change amount of polarizability tensor between the ground level and the excitation level, and ε denotes the relative permittivity of diamond.
In a case where the color center 21 is the NV center, there is a relationship illustrated in
In a case where the color center 21 is the SnV center, there is a relationship illustrated in
From these results, it may be said that the optical transition frequency of the color center 21 can be adjusted in a range of about 5 GHz by applying the electric field using the electrode pair 30. In other words, it may be said that the emission wavelength in the color center 21 can be adjusted.
In addition, in the present embodiment, since the plurality of nanopillars 20 and the slab waveguide 10 overlap in the Z1-Z2 direction, the degree of integration may be improved, as compared with a configuration in which a qubit and a waveguide are placed in one plane.
For example, it is assumed that the dimension of the upper surface 22 is 100 nm, the dimensions of the electrodes 31 and 32 are 30 nm, and the distance between the adjacent upper surfaces 22 is 200 nm in the X1-X2 direction, and the dimension of the upper surface 22 in the Y1-Y2 direction is 200 nm. In this case, in a plane including each upper surface 22, the dimension of a region for securing two qubits is 460 nm in the X1-X2 direction, the dimension thereof is 200 nm in the Y1-Y2 direction, and the area thereof is 0.092 μm2. Therefore, the occupied area per qubit is 0.046 μm2. On the other hand, the occupied area per qubit of the superconducting quantum computer described in Non-Patent Document 5 is 90,000 μm2. In other words, according to the present embodiment, the occupied area per qubit can be formed smaller by approximately seven digits.
As described above, in the present embodiment, since the nanopillars 20 partially overlap each other in the Z1-Z2 direction, the interval between the nanopillars 20 in a plane parallel to the upper surface 11 can be narrowed, and the degree of integration of qubits may be improved.
According to the present embodiment, both of adjustment of the emission wavelengths of the color centers 21 and improvement in the degree of integration of qubits may be achieved. By improving the degree of integration, the scale of an optical circuit including the color centers 21 may be increased.
The electrodes 31 and 32 included in the electrode pair 30 are preferably made of a material having less light absorption in the visible light region.
Note that the second direction does not have to be parallel to the direction of diamond. The angle θ1 is preferably less than the total reflection angle at the interface 50.
A second embodiment will be described.
The quantum operation device 2 according to the second embodiment includes quantum modules 70 and 80, a plurality of control systems 72 and 82, optical switches 73 and 83, and single-photon detectors 74 and 84. The quantum operation device 2 further includes a cooler 90, a control unit 91, an analog-to-digital (AD) converter 92, a beam splitter 93, and a comparator 94. The quantum modules 70 and 80, the control systems 72 and 82, the optical switches 73 and 83, the single-photon detectors 74 and 84, the AD converter 92, the beam splitter 93, and the comparator 94 are housed inside the cooler 90. The temperature inside the cooler 90 is 4 K or less.
The control unit 91 outputs an analog signal for control to the AD converter 92, the AD converter 92 converts the analog signal into a digital signal, and the digital signal is input to the control systems 72 and 82. The control unit 91 is, for example, a personal computer.
As the quantum modules 70 and 80, the quantum device 1 according to the first embodiment is used. The quantum module 70 includes a plurality of qubits 71, and the quantum module 80 includes as many qubits 81 as the qubits 71. The qubits 71 and 81 correspond to the nanopillars 20 including the color centers 21 in the quantum device 1. The control systems 72 are provided for each of the qubits 71, and the control systems 82 are provided for each of the qubits 81. The control systems 72 each control a magnetic field, an electric field, and a microwave applied to the corresponding qubit 71 and irradiates the corresponding qubit 71 with a laser beam. The control systems 82 each control a magnetic field, an electric field, and a microwave applied to the corresponding qubit 81 and irradiates the corresponding qubit 81 with a laser beam. The application of the magnetic field is used to form a state of the color center 21 in which the quantum manipulation is performed. The application of the microwave is used to control a state of the color center 21. The irradiation of the laser beam is used to read a state of the color center 21 (single photon generation). The application of the electric field is used to control the emission wavelength of the color center 21. In the control for the electric field, the electric field is controlled via the electrode pair 30.
The signal light (photon) generated by the quantum module 70 is input to the optical switch 73, and the optical switch 73 outputs the signal light to the single-photon detector 74 or the beam splitter 93. In addition, the signal light (photon) generated by the quantum module 80 is input to the optical switch 83, and the optical switch 83 outputs the signal light to the single-photon detector 84 or the beam splitter 93. The signal light input to the beam splitter 93 is output to the single-photon detectors 74 and 84. In this manner, the path of the signal light generated by the quantum module 70 is switched by the optical switch 73 between a path directly guided to the single-photon detector 74 and a path guided to the single-photon detector 74 by way of the beam splitter 93. Similarly, the path of the signal light generated by the quantum module 80 is switched by the optical switch 83 between a path directly guided to the single-photon detector 84 and a path guided to the single-photon detector 84 by way of the beam splitter 93.
For example, at the time of reading a state of a single qubit, the signal light is directly guided to the single-photon detector 74 or 84 from the quantum module 70 or 80 by the optical switch 73 or 83. For example, during an entanglement operation between spins of color centers corresponding to a multi-gate operation, the signal light is guided to the single-photon detector 74 or 84 from the quantum module 70 or 80 by way of the beam splitter 93 by the optical switch 73 or 83. At this time, the nanopillars 20 having identical optical path lengths from the beam splitter 93 are used between the quantum modules 70 and 80.
The comparator 94 is used at the time of an entanglement operation and compares detection signals for a single photon after being branched by the beam splitter 93 (which of the single-photon detector 74 or 84 detects the single photon in what order). The result of analyzing the output from the comparator 94 corresponds to the result of operation by the quantum operation device 2.
Note that a spectrometer is not used to adjust the emission wavelengths between the quantum modules 70 and 80, and the emission wavelengths are adjusted according to the electric fields applied using the electrode pairs 30 while monitoring quantum interference (Hong-Ou-Mandel (HOM) interference) between two photons. The HOM interference is a phenomenon in which, when photons are incident on a beam splitter separately from two ports, the photons are detected only by one detector any time.
According to the quantum operation device 2 configured as described above, since the quantum device 1 according to the first embodiment is used for the quantum modules 70 and 80, the degree of integration of qubits may be improved. In addition, a practical quantum operation device 2 with high reliability may be obtained.
Although the preferred embodiments and the like have been described in detail so far, the embodiments are not restricted to the above-described embodiments and the like, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the embodiments and the like described above, without departing from the scope disclosed in the claims.
All examples and conditional language provided herein are intended for the pedagogical purposes of aiding the reader in understanding the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventor to further the art, and are not to be construed as limitations to such specifically recited examples and conditions, nor does the organization of such examples in the specification relate to a showing of the superiority and inferiority of the invention. Although one or more embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, it should be understood that the various changes, substitutions, and alterations could be made hereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
This application is a continuation application of International Application PCT/JP2022/031682 filed on Aug. 23, 2022 and designated the U.S., the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | PCT/JP2022/031682 | Aug 2022 | WO |
Child | 19040672 | US |