Quantum-correlated photon pairs generated in a commercial 45nm complementary metal-oxide semiconductor microelectronics chip

Abstract

Correlated photon pairs are a fundamental building block of quantum photonic systems. While pair sources have previously been integrated on silicon chips built using customized photonics manufacturing processes, these often take advantage of only a small fraction of the established techniques for microelectronics fabrication and have yet to be integrated in a process which also supports electronics. Here we report the first demonstration of quantum-correlated photon pair generation in a device fabricated in an unmodified advanced (sub-100nm) complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) process, alongside millions of working transistors. The microring resonator photon pair source is formed in the transistor layer structure, with the resonator core formed by the silicon layer typically used for the transistor body. With ultra-low continuous-wave on-chip pump powers ranging from 5 $\mu$W to 400 $\mu$W, we demonstrate pair generation rates between 165 Hz and 332 kHz using >80% efficient WSi superconducting nanowire single photon detectors. Coincidences-to-accidentals ratios consistently exceeding 40 were measured with a maximum of 55. In the process of characterizing this source we also accurately predict pair generation rates from the results of classical four-wave mixing measurements. This proof-of-principle device demonstrates the potential of commercial CMOS microelectronics as an advanced quantum photonics platform with capability of large volume, pristine process control, and where state-of-the-art high-speed digital circuits could interact with quantum photonic circuits.