Solid-State Color Centers for Single-Photon Generation

Abstract

Single-photon sources are important for integrated photonics and quantum technologies, and can be used in quantum key distribution, quantum computing, and sensing. Color centers in the solid state are a promising candidate for the development of the next generation of single-photon sources integrated in quantum photonics devices. They are point defects in a crystal lattice that absorb and emit light at given wavelengths and can emit single photons with high efficiency. The landscape of color centers has changed abruptly in recent years, with the identification of a wider set of color centers and the emergence of new solid-state platforms for room-temperature single-photon generation. This review discusses the emerging material platforms hosting single-photon-emitting color centers, with an emphasis on their potential for the development of integrated optical circuits for quantum photonics.

Integrated Photonic Passive Building Blocks on Silicon-on-Insulator Platform

“…However, by leveraging concepts from solid-state physics and engineering principles, promising avenues emerge for overcoming these fabrication obstacles [6]. One promising approach is to directly integrate single-photon-emitting color centers [7] and single-photon detectors onto the chip [8].…”

Hybrid Integrated Silicon Photonics Based on Nanomaterials

“…Indeed, integrated silicon photonic platforms, which leverage their robust expertise in device fabrication through the CMOS technological platform [21,22], have not only proven their validity in providing high-efficiency photonics devices able to route optical signals over complex geometries with the realization of bend multi-mode waveguides [23], or over long distances with low losses [24], but also in being an effective platform to boost quantum technologies [25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33]. Indeed, quantum information can be encoded in photons propagating in multiple paths fabricated in silicon waveguides, and operations can be performed on by employing, for instance, directional couplers [34,35], opening the path to the realization of quantum processors [36].…”