ABQ Times

Sandia National Laboratories and Arizona State University have joined forces to explore the potential of light in carrying quantum information. This partnership aims to transform large-scale optical systems into compact integrated microsystems.

Nils Otterstrom, a physicist at Sandia specializing in integrated photonics, is leading efforts to scale down optical systems to chip size. "Integrated photonics takes optical systems that are macroscale and makes them microscale," Otterstrom explained. He emphasized the role of Sandia's Microsystems Engineering, Sciences and Applications complex (MESA) in advancing this field.

The collaboration with Arizona State University is led by Joe Lukens, Senior Director of Quantum Networking. Lukens focuses on using light frequency for quantum computing and networking. "The inspiration for the Quantum Collaborative is the recognition that the future is quantum," Lukens stated. The Quantum Collaborative, funded by the state of Arizona and managed by Arizona State University, unites various institutions to advance quantum technology research.

Lukens' previous work involved fiber-optic systems for frequency-bin quantum information processing. "In the frequency approach, your qubit is a photon that can possess two different wavelengths," he said. However, these systems were bulky and inefficient. Sandia's resources for integrated photonics offer a solution.

"Sandia has one of the most flexible foundries in the world," Lukens noted. The MESA complex can fabricate small photonic integrated circuits capable of performing like large optical tables.

Sandia physicist Nils Otterstrom works on aligning an integrated photonics chip at their lab as part of ongoing work with Arizona State University. This collaboration recently received $17 million from Sandia's Laboratory Directed Research program under a Grand Challenge called Error-Corrected Photonic Integrated Qubits (EPIQ).

Paul Davids, principal investigator on the project, credited the partnership with enabling this funding: "Without the partnership between Sandia and Arizona State University, we would probably not have the EPIQ Grand Challenge in its current shape and form."