arXiv subjects

Barak Dayan

Publications and source records attributed to Barak Dayan.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Blueprint for a fault-tolerant compound photon-atom quantum architecture

Fault-tolerant quantum computing requires architectures that simultaneously address scalability, connectivity, and error correction under realistic noise constraints. We present a compound photonic-atomic quantum computing platform that uses cavity QED to realize near-deterministic entangling operations between flying photonic qubits and stationary atomic qubits. Photons provide long-range connectivity and scalability via measurement-based quantum computing (MBQC), while atoms supply reusable, near-deterministic resources for photon generation and entanglement, overcoming the inefficiency of purely photonic platforms. The core primitive is a symmetrized Duan-Kimble photon-atom controlled-phase (CZ) gate, robust to experimental imperfections and high-fidelity. Using single $^{87}$Rb atoms coupled to optical cavities, we give protocols for state preparation, measurement, photon generation, and entangling gates on tens-of-nanosecond timescales, and show how large-scale cluster states with effectively unrestricted connectivity and reduced overhead can be generated through atomic reuse. We analyze fault tolerance on the Raussendorf-Harrington-Goyal (RHG) lattice with a hardware-aware noise model capturing asymmetric loss and correlated photonic-atomic errors. Logical memory simulations yield a photon-loss threshold near $2.6\%$ per physical gate ($\sim$15\% total per trajectory). The full Clifford set -- Hadamard, phase, CNOT -- is implementable transversally or fold-transversally at thresholds matching the identity channel, and we propose two non-Clifford resource-state routes (code teleportation and magic state cultivation) within the foliated cluster-state architecture.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2026

Single-atom trapping in the evanescent field of an integrated photonic resonator

Strong atom-photon interactions on scalable photonic platforms hold significant potential for both atomic and photonic quantum information platforms. In particular, trapping of a single atom on a planar photonic integrated resonator at the subwavelength distances required for strong coupling to the guided modes has remained an outstanding challenge. Here we demonstrate efficient trapping of a single ultracold rubidium atom within the evanescent field of an integrated silicon-nitride microring resonator, at distances of 150-200 nm from the chip surface. Efficient, single-stroke loading process is achieved using an evanescent-field mechanism related to Sisyphus cooling, in which a single scattering event dissipates the atom's kinetic energy and transfers it into a near-surface trap. We observe logarithmic scaling of trapping durations spanning from sub-millisecond timescales up to 1 second, without continuous cooling. The trapped atom couples efficiently to the resonator, enabling on-chip photon collection, photon antibunching, and Purcell-enhanced spontaneous emission with single-atom cooperativity exceeding unity. Our results establish the potential of CMOS-compatible chip-based atom-photon interfaces for scalable quantum photonic circuits.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Temporal quantum eraser: Fusion gates with distinguishable photons

Linear-optics gates, the enabling tool of photonic quantum information processing, depend on indistinguishable photons, as they harness quantum interference to achieve nonlinear operations. Traditionally, meeting this criterion involves generating pure identical photons, a task that remains a significant challenge in the field. Yet, the required indistinguishability is linked to the spatial exchange symmetry of the multiphoton wavefunction and does not strictly necessitate identical photons. Here, we show that the ideal operation of two-photon gates, particularly fusion gates, can be recovered from distinguishable photons by ensuring the exchange symmetry of the input photonic state. To this end, we introduce a temporal quantum eraser between a pair of modally-impure single-photon sources, which heralds the symmetry of the generated two-photon state. We demonstrate this mechanism in two relevant platforms: parametric photon pair generation and single-photon extraction by a single quantum emitter. The ability to lift the requirement for identical photons bears considerable potential in linear-optics quantum information processing.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Atom-mediated deterministic generation and stitching of photonic graph states

Highly-entangled multi-photon graph states are a crucial resource in photonic quantum computation and communication. Yet, the lack of photon-photon interactions makes the construction of such graph states especially challenging. Typically, these states are produced through probabilistic single-photon sources and linear-optics entangling operations that require indistinguishable photons. The resulting inefficiency of these methods necessitates a large overhead in the number of sources and operations, creating a major bottleneck in the photonic approach. Here, we show how harnessing single-atom-based photonic operations can enable deterministic generation of photonic graph states, while also lifting the requirement for photon indistinguishability. To this end, we introduce a multi-gate quantum node comprised of a single atom in a W-type level scheme coupled to an optical resonator. This configuration provides a versatile toolbox for generating graph states, allowing the operation of both the controlled-Z and SWAP photon-atom gates, as well as the deterministic generation of single photons. Furthermore, the ability to deterministically entangle photonic qubits enables expanding the generated state by stitching graphs from different devices. We investigate the implementation of this gate-based approach using $^{87}$Rb atoms and evaluate its performance through numerical simulations.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

Design and Fabrication of Ultrahigh Q Chip-Based Silica WGM Micro-resonators for Single-Atom Cavity-QED

Of the many applications of whispering-gallery mode (WGM) microresonators, Single-atom cavity-QED poses the most extreme demands on mode-volume and quality factor. Here we present a model-based procedure for the fabrication of small mode-volume ultrahigh Q silica WGM microresonators of varying geometries, from toroidal to micro-spheres. We experimentally demonstrate WGM resonators with ultra-high qualities as high as $1.7\times 10^8$ at 780nm. We present a theoretical model that allows tailoring the recipe to attain the desired geometry of the fabricated WGM microresonators.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2024

Inertial geometric quantum logic gates

We present rapid and robust protocols for STIRAP and quantum logic gates. Our gates are based on geometric phases acquired by instantaneous eigenstates of a slowly accelerating inertial Hamiltonian. To begin, we establish the criteria for inertial evolution and subsequently engineer pulse shapes that fulfill these conditions. These tailored pulses are then used to optimize geometric logic gates. We analyze a realization of our protocols with $^{87}$Rb atoms, resulting in gate fidelity that approaches the current state-of-the-art, with marked improvements in robustness.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2024

How single-photon nonlinearity is quenched with multiple quantum emitters: Quantum Zeno effect in collective interactions with $Λ$-level atoms

Single-photon nonlinearity, namely the change in the response of the system as the result of the interaction with a single photon, is generally considered an inherent property of a single quantum emitter. Understanding the dependence of the nonlinearity on the number of emitters is important both fundamentally and practically, as strong light-matter coupling is more readily achieved through collective interactions than with a single emitter. Here, we theoretically consider a system that explores the transition from a single to multiple emitters with a $Λ$-level scheme. We show that the single-photon nonlinearity indeed vanishes with the number of emitters. Interestingly, the mechanism behind this behavior is the quantum Zeno effect, manifested in the slowdown of the photon-controlled dynamics.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2022

Nanofibers coated with Rare-Earth complexes

Crystals and fibers doped with Rare Earth (RE) ions provide the basis to most of today's solid-state optical systems, from lasers and telecom devices to emerging potential quantum applications such as quantum memories and optical to microwave conversion. The two platforms, doped crystals and doped fibers, seem mutually exclusive, each having its own strengths and limitations- the former providing high homogeneity and coherence, and the latter offering the advantages of robust optical waveguides. Here we present a hybrid platform that does not rely on doping but rather on coating the waveguide - a tapered silica optical fiber - with a monolayer of complexes, each containing a single RE ion. The complexes offer an identical, tailored environment to each ion, thus minimizing inhomogeneity and allowing tuning of their properties to the desired application. Specifically, we use highly luminescent Yb$^{+3}$[Zn(II)$_{MC}$(QXA)] complexes, which isolate the RE ion from the environment and suppress non-radiative decay channels. We demonstrate that the beneficial optical transitions of the Yb$^{+3}$ are retained after deposition on the tapered fiber, and observe an excited-state lifetime of over 0.9 ms, on par with state-of-the-art Yb doped inorganic crystals.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2022

Quantum state transfer between a frequency-encoded photonic qubit and a quantum dot spin in a nanophotonic waveguide

We propose a deterministic yet fully passive scheme to transfer the quantum state from a frequency-encoded photon to the spin of a quantum-dot mediated by a nanophotonic waveguide. We assess the quality of the state transfer by studying the effects of all relevant experimental imperfections on the state-transfer fidelity. We show that a transfer fidelity exceeding 95% is achievable for experimentally realistic parameters. Our work sets the stage for deterministic solid-state quantum networks tailored to frequency-encoded photonic qubits.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2021

Boosting photonic quantum computation with moderate nonlinearity

Photonic measurement-based quantum computation (MBQC) is a promising route towards fault-tolerant universal quantum computing. A central challenge in this effort is the huge overhead in the resources required for the construction of large photonic clusters using probabilistic linear-optics gates. Although strong single-photon nonlinearity ideally enables deterministic construction of such clusters, it is challenging to realise in a scalable way. Here we explore the prospects of using moderate nonlinearity (with conditional phase shifts smaller than $π$) to boost photonic quantum computing and significantly reduce its resources overhead. The key element in our scheme is a nonlinear router that preferentially directs photonic wavepackets to different output ports depending on their intensity. As a relevant example, we analyze the nonlinearity provided by Rydberg blockade in atomic ensembles, in which the trade-off between the nonlinearity and the accompanying loss is well understood. We present protocols for efficient Bell measurement and GHZ-state preparation -- both key elements in the construction of cluster states, as well as for the CNOT gate and quantum factorization. Given the large number of entangling operations involved in fault-tolerant MBQC, the increase in success probability provided by our protocols already at moderate nonlinearity can result in a dramatic reduction in the required resources.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2020

Super-extended nanofiber-guided field for coherent interaction with hot atoms

We fabricate an extremely thin optical fiber that supports a super-extended mode with a diameter as large as 13 times the optical wavelength, residing almost entirely outside the fiber and guided over thousands of wavelengths (5 mm), in order to couple guided light to warm atomic vapor. This unique configuration balances between strong confinement, as evident by saturation powers as low as tens of nW, and long interaction times with the thermal atoms, thereby enabling fast and coherent interactions. We demonstrate narrow coherent resonances (tens of MHz) of electromagnetically induced transparency for signals at the single-photon level and long relaxation times (10 ns) of atoms excited by the guided mode. The dimensions of the guided mode's evanescent field are compatible with the Rydberg blockade mechanism, making this platform particularly suitable for observing quantum non-linear optics phenomena.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2020

Efficient ion-photon qubit SWAP gate in realistic ion cavity-QED systems without strong coupling

We present a scheme for deterministic ion-photon qubit exchange, namely a SWAP gate, based on realistic cavity-QED systems with 171Yb+, 40Ca+ and 138Ba+ ions. The gate can also serve as a single-photon quantum memory, in which an outgoing photon heralds the successful arrival of the incoming photonic qubit. Although strong coupling, namely having the single-photon Rabi frequency be the fastest rate in the system, is often assumed essential, this gate (similarly to the Duan-Kimble C-phase gate) requires only Purcell enhancement, i.e. high single-atom cooperativity. Accordingly, it does not require small mode volume cavities, which are challenging to incorporate with ions due to the difficulty of trapping them close to dielectric surfaces. Instead, larger cavities, potentially more compatible with the trap apparatus, are sufficient, as long as their numerical aperture is high enough to maintain small mode area at the ion's position. We define the optimal parameters for the gate's operation and simulate the expected fidelities and efficiencies, demonstrating that efficient photon-ion qubit exchange, a valuable building block for scalable quantum computation, is practically attainable with current experimental capabilities.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2019

Generation of optical Fock and W states with single-atom-based bright quantum scissors

We introduce a multi-step protocol for optical quantum state engineering that performs as deterministic "bright quantum scissors" (BQS), namely truncates an arbitrary input quantum state to have at least a certain number of photons. The protocol exploits single-photon pulses and is based on the effect of single-photon Raman interaction, which is implemented with a single three-level $Λ$ system (e.g. a single atom) Purcell-enhanced by a single-sided cavity. A single step of the protocol realises the inverse of the bosonic annihilation operator. Multiple iterations of the protocol can be used to deterministically generate a chain of single-photons in a W state. Alternatively, upon appropriate heralding, the protocol can be used to generate Fock-state optical pulses. This protocol could serve as a useful and versatile building block for the generation of advanced optical quantum states that are vital for quantum communication, distributed quantum information processing, and all-optical quantum computing.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2017

Demonstration of a passive photon-atom swap gate

Deterministic quantum interactions between single photons and single quantum emitters are a vital building block towards the distribution of quantum information between remote systems. Deterministic photon-atom state transfer has been demonstrated by using protocols that include active feedback or synchronized control pulses. Here we demonstrate a completely passive swap gate between the states of a single photon and a single atom. The underlying mechanism is single-photon Raman interaction (SPRINT) - an interference-based effect in which a photonic qubit deterministically controls the state of a material qubit encoded in the two ground states of a Λ system, and vice versa. Using a nanofiber-coupled microsphere resonator coupled to single Rb atoms we swap a photonic qubit into the atom and back, demonstrating nonclassical fidelities in both directions. Requiring no control fields or feedback protocol, the gate takes place automatically at the timescale of the atom's cavity- enhanced spontaneous emission time. Applicable to any waveguide-coupled Λ system, this scheme provides a versatile building block for the modular scaling up of quantum information processing systems.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Analysis of Photonic Quantum Nodes Based on Single Photon Raman Interaction

The long-standing goal of deterministically controlling a single photon using another was recently realized in various experimental settings. Among these, a particularly attractive demonstration relied on single-photon Raman interaction (SPRINT) in a three-level Lambda-system coupled to a single-mode waveguide. Beyond the ability to control the direction of propagation of one photon by the direction of another photon, this scheme has the potential to perform as a passive quantum memory and a universal quantum gate. Relying on interference, this all-optical, coherent scheme requires no additional control fields, and can therefore form the basis for scalable quantum networks composed of passive quantum nodes that interact with each other only with single photon pulses. Here we present an analytical and numerical study of SPRINT, and characterise its limitations and the parameters for optimal operation. Specifically, we study the effect of losses and the presence of multiple excited states. In both cases we discuss strategies for restoring the high fidelity of the device's operation.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Extraction of a single photon from an optical pulse

Removing a single photon from a pulse is one of the most elementary operations that can be performed on light, having both fundamental significance and practical applications in quantum communication and computation. So far, photon subtraction, in which the removed photon is detected and therefore irreversibly lost, has been implemented in a probabilistic manner with inherently low success rates using low-reflectivity beam splitters. Here we demonstrate a scheme for the deterministic extraction of a single photon from an incoming pulse. The removed photon is diverted to a different mode, enabling its use for other purposes, such as a photon number-splitting attack on quantum key distribution protocols. Our implementation makes use of single-photon Raman interaction (SPRINT) with a single atom near a nanofibre-coupled microresonator. The single-photon extraction probability in our current realization is limited mostly by linear loss, yet probabilities close to unity should be attainable with realistic experimental parameters.

quant-ph↗

arXiv2015

Cavity ring-up spectroscopy for ultrafast sensing with optical microresonators

Spectroscopy of whispering-gallery mode (WGM) microresonators has become a powerful scientific tool, enabling detection of single viruses, nanoparticles, and even single molecules. Yet the demonstrated timescale of these schemes has been limited so far to milliseconds or more. Here we introduce a novel scheme that is orders of magnitude faster, capable of capturing complete spectral snapshots of WGM resonances at nanosecond timescales: cavity ring-up spectroscopy (CRUS). Based on sharply-rising detuned probe pulses, CRUS combines the sensitivity of heterodyne measurements with the highest possible, transform-limited acquisition rate. As a demonstration we capture spectra of microtoroid resonators at time intervals as short as 16 ns, directly monitoring sub-microsecond dynamics of their optomechanical vibrations, thermorefractive response and Kerr nonlinearity. CRUS holds promise for the study of fast biological processes such as enzyme kinetics, protein folding and light harvesting, with applications in other fields such as cavity QED and pulsed optomechanics.

physics.optics↗

arXiv2014

All-Optical Routing of Single Photons by a One-Atom Switch Controlled by a Single Photon

The prospect of quantum networks, in which quantum information is carried by single photons in photonic circuits, has long been the driving force behind the effort to achieve all-optical routing of single photons. Here we realize the most basic unit of such a photonic circuit: a single-photon activated switch, capable of routing a photon from any of its two inputs to any of its two outputs. Our device is based on a single 87Rb atom coupled to a fiber-coupled, chip-based microresonator, and is completely all-optical, requiring no other fields beside the in-fiber single-photon pulses. Nonclassical statistics of the control pulse confirm that a single reflected photon toggles the switch from high reflection (65%) to high transmission (90%), with average of ~1.5 control photons per switching event (~3 including linear losses). The fact that the control and target photons are both in-fiber and practically identical makes this scheme compatible with scalable architectures for quantum information processing.

quant-ph↗