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Galan Moody

Publications and source records attributed to Galan Moody.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

A Wafer-Scale Heterogeneous III-V-on-Silicon Nitride Quantum Photonic Platform

Heterogeneous integration of gain and strongly nonlinear materials with ultra-low-loss silicon nitride (SiN) photonics offers a route to scalable quantum circuits, but concurrent wafer-scale manufacturability, low interlayer loss, and high performance have been challenging to realize. Here we demonstrate a wafer-scale III-V-on-SiN quantum photonic platform that directly integrates III-V layers to foundry-fabricated SiN circuits. The SiN layer provides 200-300 nm thick waveguides with $<1$ dB/m loss and a mature passive photonics ecosystem, while III-V materials provide large $\chi^{\left(2\right)}$ and $\chi^{\left(3\right)}$ nonlinearities for parametric gain, frequency conversion and quantum light generation. Adiabatic interlayer couplers yield $<25$ mdB loss to InGaP waveguides and resonators with intrinsic quality factors exceeding $10^6$, enabling $15\times$ brighter entanglement sources and efficient nonlinear conversion on SiN. Integrated components--including low-loss beam splitters, waveguide crossers, and tunable interferometers--are complemented by III-V lasers and InP photodetectors with amplifiers achieving up to $99^{+1}_{-12}\%$ quantum efficiency and $3$ GHz bandwidth. This architecture unites ultra-efficient sources, nonlinear elements and detectors on a wafer-scale, low-loss platform, establishing a path toward large-scale, low-noise quantum photonic systems.

physics.optics

High-Efficiency InGaP-on-Insulator Microresonator Nonlinear Conversion and Entanglement Generation

InGaP-on-insulator (InGaP-OI), with its intrinsically high $\chi^{\left(2\right)}$ optical nonlinearity, has emerged as an efficient and bright integrated photonic platform for frequency conversion and on-chip entanglement generation, but high waveguide propagation loss in the visible wavelength range has limited its overall performance. Here, we identify the dominant loss mechanism through mode-profile analysis and effectively mitigate the loss using a surface treatment method. Statistical analysis of the resonator quality factor and propagation loss reveals the optimal ring radius that maintains a strong nonlinear interaction while suppressing significant bending related loss, resulting in loss as low as 0.49 dB/cm (4.31 dB/cm) at 1560 nm (780 nm). The method provides a 3.5--4$\times$ quality factor enhancement at 780 nm, enabling a second-harmonic generation efficiency of $3.01\times10^{5}$ \,\%/\textrm{W} and a degenerate photon-pair generation rate of $4.27\,\textrm{MHz}/\mu\textrm{W}$ and coincidence-to-accidental ratio as high as 10,000. The quasi-phase matching condition is experimentally verified, and nonlinear conversion is systematically characterized across the entire parameter space. This work establishes a scalable pathway for classical and quantum photonics in a low-loss, highly nonlinear, and wafer-scale integration platform.

physics.app-ph

Electronic and Photonic Integration of Single Quantum Emitters in 2D Materials

Single-photon sources that are bright, pure, and interference-ready are essential for quantum communication and photonic quantum information processing, but many solid-state platforms still rely on bulky optical excitation, careful alignment, and post-selection to achieve useful linewidth, stability, and brightness. Scalable quantum photonics instead requires turnkey quantum-light engines that can be triggered on demand, stabilized against environmental noise, and efficiently interfaced with fibers or photonic circuits. This review surveys recent progress in electronic and photonic integration of single quantum emitters in two-dimensional materials, focusing on localized excitonic emitters in transition metal dichalcogenides and defect-based color centers in hexagonal boron nitride. On the electronic side, we discuss electrical injection, fast modulation, electrostatic stabilization, and Stark tunability as routes to suppress blinking, spectral wandering, and charge-noise-induced broadening. On the photonic side, we review waveguide and resonator platforms that funnel emission into well-defined optical modes and, in some cases, enhance radiative rates through the Purcell effect. We connect these integration strategies to key source metrics, including single-photon purity, brightness, spectral stability, and photon indistinguishability. We conclude that the next stage of progress will depend on co-designed electronic and photonic architectures that jointly optimize on-demand operation, stabilization, tunability, and packaging-compatible optical interfacing.

quant-ph

A Universal Quantum Information Preserving Photonic Switch for Scalable Quantum Networks

Quantum networks are a keystone of the quantum internet. However, existing implementations remain largely confined to static point-to-point links due to the absence of a switching paradigm capable of dynamically routing fragile quantum entanglement without introducing decoherence. Here, we propose the Universal Quantum Switch, a foundational building block allowing on-demand, non-blocking, and encoding-agnostic routing of quantum information, as well as seamless modality conversion between disparate quantum platforms. We develop a prototype in thin-film lithium niobate and experimentally demonstrate robust switching with $\le 4\%$ decoherence via thermo-optic modulation and high-speed electro-optic switching of arbitrary entangled states at 1 MHz. Moreover, we show that our platform can support reconfiguration speeds up to 1 GHz. To our knowledge, this work represents the first demonstration of multi-node dynamic entanglement distribution at these speeds. Complementing these experimental results, we project the architecture's scalability, showing dimension-independent decoherence, and provide a scalable, interoperable building block for heterogeneous quantum network fabrics.

quant-ph

High-Performance Near-Infrared Quantum Emission from Color Centers in hBN

Color centers hosted in hexagonal boron nitride have emerged as a highly promising platform for single-photon emission and spin-photon technologies relevant to quantum communication and quantum networking. As a wide-bandgap van der Waals material, hBN can host optically active quantum defects across a broad spectral range. Here, we demonstrate a simple and scalable oxygen-plasma process that reproducibly creates single quantum emitters in hBN with blinking-free zero-phonon lines spanning the near-infrared from 700 up to 971 nm. These emitters combine MHz-level brightness, single-photon purity up to 99.9\%, and ultranarrow cryogenic linewidths down to 2.7~GHz under quasi-resonant excitation, placing them in a particularly attractive regime for quantum photonics. Photostability measurements further reveal resistance to photobleaching, sub-nm spectral stability over long timescales, and near-shot-noise-limited intensity fluctuations. Analysis of the phonon sidebands shows weak vibronic coupling and ZPL-dominated emission, with Debye--Waller factors approaching 50\%. Control experiments together with EDS elemental mapping support oxygen incorporation as a necessary ingredient in activating the NIR emitter population, while first-principles calculations identify O$_N$V$_N$ and O$_N$V$_N$H as the leading defect candidates. These results establish a high-performance NIR quantum-emitter platform in hBN for free-space quantum networking and future integrated quantum-photonic architectures.

quant-ph

Integrated magneto-optic based magnetometer: classical and quantum limits

Magnetic field sensors with high sensitivity and spatial resolution have profoundly impacted diverse applications ranging from geo-positioning and navigation to medical imaging, materials science, and space exploration. However, the use of high-precision magnetometers is often limited due to their bulky size or low energy efficiency. In this work, we present the design, modeling and an experimental demonstration of an all-optical magnetometer based on silicon integrated photonics heterogeneously integrated with a magneto-optic thin film. By bonding a thin cerium-yttrium iron garnet layer onto an integrated silicon photonic interferometer, small magnetic field fluctuations can be detected through the non-reciprocal phase shift in the sensor. This strategy enables more than 80 dB of dynamic range with better than 40~pT/$\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$ sensitivity at room temperature. Importantly, by leveraging silicon photonics, the core platform is scalable through foundry manufacturing, and the ultra-low power requirements enable complete system integration with on-chip lasers, detectors, and quantum elements for enhanced sensitivity. This work provides a path to realizing a compact, scalable, room temperature magnetometer based on integrated photonic systems, opening new opportunities for ultra-sensitive and ultra-efficient magnetic field detectors.

physics.optics

Microscopic Theory of Squeezed Light in Quantum Dot Systems

We present a cavity-QED theory for generating squeezed light from semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) integrated in microcavities. We formulate equations of motion for an inhomogeneously broadened QD ensemble that is incoherently pumped and simultaneously driven by a coherent seed field, solve for steady states, and compute the output-field quadrature variances. The analysis identifies operating conditions that yield amplitude-quadrature squeezing, with photon-number fluctuations reduced below the coherent-state limit and squeezing levels as large as 5 dB attainable with presently accessible QD and cavity parameters using only ~ 1 uW pump power. We further show that quantum correlations originating from four-wave mixing play a dual role: they both shape the gain spectrum and generate squeezing. These correlations constitute the quantum counterpart of the mean-field (semiclassical) mechanisms responsible for self-mode-locking in QD lasers and the ultra-narrow lasing linewidths achieved under self-injection locking.

quant-ph

Increasing single-photon production with cavity-QED

A study was performed to determine the extent cavity enhancement may increase single-photon production while maintaining single-photon purity. It was found that certain combinations of cavity lifetime and light-matter coupling strength can lead to carrier-photon correlations that increase single-photon generation rate while maintaining low 2nd order photon correlation. This study provides guidance for future emitter-cavity design to achieve high purity and ultrafast single photon generation.

quant-ph

Characterization of Chromium Impurities in $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$

Chromium is a common transition-metal impurity that is easily incorporated during crystal growth. It is perhaps best known for giving rise to the 694.3 nm (1.786 eV) emission in Cr-doped Al$_2$O$_3$, exploited in ruby lasers. Chromium has also been found in monoclinic gallium oxide, a wide-bandgap semiconductor being pursued for power electronics. In this work, we thoroughly characterize the behavior of Cr in Ga$_2$O$_3$ through theoretical and experimental techniques. $\beta$-Ga$_2$O$_3$ samples are grown with the floating zone method and show evidence of a sharp photoluminescence signal, reminiscent of ruby. We calculate the energetics of formation of Cr from first principles, demonstrating that Cr preferentially incorporates as a neutral impurity on the octahedral site. Cr possesses a quartet ground-state spin and has an internal transition with a zero-phonon line near 1.8 eV. By comparing the calculated and experimentally measured luminescence lineshape function, we elucidate the role of coupling to phonons and uncover features beyond the Franck-Condon approximation. The combination of strong emission with a small Huang-Rhys factor of 0.05 and a technologically relevant host material render Cr in Ga$_2$O$_3$ attractive as a quantum defect.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

A Versatile Chip-Scale Platform for High-Rate Entanglement Generation using an AlGaAs Microresonator Array

Integrated photonic microresonators have become an essential resource for generating photonic qubits for quantum information processing, entanglement distribution and networking, and quantum communications. The pair generation rate is enhanced by reducing the microresonator radius, but this comes at the cost of increasing the frequency mode spacing and reducing the quantum information spectral density. Here, we circumvent this rate-density trade-off in an AlGaAs-on-insulator photonic device by multiplexing an array of 20 small-radius microresonators each producing a 650-GHz-spaced comb of time-energy entangled-photon pairs. The resonators can be independently tuned via integrated thermo-optic heaters, enabling control of the mode spacing from degeneracy up to a full free spectral range. We demonstrate simultaneous pumping of five resonators with up to $50$ GHz relative comb offsets, where each resonator produces pairs exhibiting time-energy entanglement visibilities up to 95$\%$, coincidence-to-accidental ratios exceeding 5,000, and an on-chip pair rate up to 2.6 GHz/mW$^2$ per comb line -- more than 40 times improvement over prior work. As a demonstration, we generate frequency-bin qubits in a maximally entangled two-qubit Bell state with fidelity exceeding 87$\%$ (90$\%$ with background correction) and detected frequency-bin entanglement rates up to 7 kHz ($\sim 70$ MHz on-chip pair rate) using $\sim 250$ $\mu$W pump power. Multiplexing small-radius microresonators combines the key capabilities required for programmable and dense photonic qubit encoding while retaining high pair-generation rates, heralded single-photon purity, and entanglement fidelity.

quant-ph

Photon pair generation via down-conversion in III-V semiconductor microrings: modal dispersion and quasi-phase matching

We explore how III-V semiconductor microring resonators can efficiently generate photon pairs and squeezed vacuum states via spontaneous parametric down-conversion by utilizing their built-in quasi phase matching and modal dispersion. We present an analytic expression for the biphoton wave function of photon pairs generated by weak pump pulses, and characterize the squeezed states that result under stronger pumping conditions. Our model includes loss, and captures the statistics of the scattered photons. A detailed sample calculation shows that for low pump powers conversion efficiencies of 10$^{-5}$, corresponding to a rate of $39$ MHz for a pump power of 1 $\mu$W, are attainable for rudimentary structures such as a simple microring coupled to a waveguide, in both the continuous wave and pulsed excitation regimes. Our results suggest that high levels of squeezing and pump depletion are attainable, possibly leading to the deterministic generation of non-Gaussian states.

quant-ph

Integrated Mode-Hop-Free Tunable Lasers at 780 nm for Chip-Scale Classical and Quantum Photonic Applications

In the last decade, remarkable advances in integrated photonic technologies have enabled table-top experiments and instrumentation to be scaled down to compact chips with significant reduction in size, weight, power consumption, and cost. Here, we demonstrate an integrated continuously tunable laser in a heterogeneous gallium arsenide-on-silicon nitride (GaAs-on-SiN) platform that emits in the far-red radiation spectrum near 780 nm, with 20 nm tuning range, <6 kHz intrinsic linewidth, and a >40 dB side-mode suppression ratio. The GaAs optical gain regions are heterogeneously integrated with low-loss SiN waveguides. The narrow linewidth lasing is achieved with an extended cavity consisting of a resonator-based Vernier mirror and a phase shifter. Utilizing synchronous tuning of the integrated heaters, we show mode-hop-free wavelength tuning over a range larger than 100 GHz (200 pm). To demonstrate the potential of the device, we investigate two illustrative applications: (i) the linear characterization of a silicon nitride microresonator designed for entangled-photon pair generation, and (ii) the absorption spectroscopy and locking to the D1 and D2 transition lines of 87-Rb. The performance of the proposed integrated laser holds promise for a broader spectrum of both classical and quantum applications in the visible range, encompassing communication, control, sensing, and computing.

physics.optics

Broadband Entangled-Photon Pair Generation with Integrated Photonics: Guidelines and A Materials Comparison

Correlated photon-pair sources are key components for quantum computing, networking, and sensing applications. Integrated photonics has enabled chip-scale sources using nonlinear processes, producing high-rate entanglement with sub-100 microwatt power at telecom wavelengths. Many quantum systems operate in the visible or near-infrared ranges, necessitating broadband visible-telecom entangled-pair sources for connecting remote systems via entanglement swapping and teleportation. This study evaluates broadband entanglement generation through spontaneous four-wave mixing in various nonlinear integrated photonic materials, including silicon nitride, lithium niobate, aluminum gallium arsenide, indium gallium phosphide, and gallium nitride. We demonstrate how geometric dispersion engineering facilitates phase-matching for each platform and reveals unexpected results, such as robust designs to fabrication variations and a Type-1 cross-polarized phase-matching condition for III-V materials that expands the operational bandwidth. With experimentally attainable parameters, integrated photonic microresonators with optimized designs can achieve pair generation rates greater than ~1 THz/mW$^2$.

physics.optics

Wafer-Scale Fabrication of InGaP-on-Insulator for Nonlinear and Quantum Photonic Applications

The development of manufacturable and scalable integrated nonlinear photonic materials is driving key technologies in diverse areas such as high-speed communications, signal processing, sensing, and quantum information. Here, we demonstrate a novel nonlinear platform -- InGaP-on-insulator -- optimized for visible-to-telecommunication wavelength $\chi^{\left(2\right)}$ nonlinear optical processes. In this work, we detail our 100-mm wafer-scale InGaP-on-insulator fabrication process realized via wafer bonding, optical lithography, and dry-etching techniques. The resulting wafers yield 1000s of components in each fabrication cycle, with initial designs that include chip-to-fiber couplers, 12.5-cm-long nested spiral waveguides, and arrays of microring resonators with free-spectral ranges spanning 400-900 GHz. We demonstrate intrinsic resonator quality factors as high as 324,000 (440,000) for single-resonance (split-resonance) modes near 1550 nm corresponding to 1.56 dB cm$^{-1}$ (1.22 dB cm$^{-1}$) propagation loss. We analyze the loss versus waveguide width and resonator radius to establish the operating regime for optimal 775-to-1550 nm phase matching. By combining the high $\chi^{\left(2\right)}$ and $\chi^{\left(3\right)}$ optical nonlinearity of InGaP with wafer-scale fabrication and low propagation loss, these results open promising possibilities for entangled-photon, multi-photon, and squeezed light generation.

physics.optics

Rational Design of Efficient Defect-Based Quantum Emitters

Single-photon emitters are an essential component of quantum networks, and defects or impurities in semiconductors are a promising platform to realize such quantum emitters. Here we present a model that encapsulates the essential physics of coupling to phonons, which governs the behavior of real single-photon emitters, and critically evaluate several approximations that are commonly utilized. Emission in the telecom wavelength range is highly desirable, but our model shows that nonradiative processes are greatly enhanced at these low photon energies, leading to a decrease in efficiency. Our results suggest that reducing the phonon frequency is a fruitful avenue to enhance the efficiency.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Continuous Entanglement Distribution from an AlGaAs-on-Insulator Microcomb for Quantum Communications

Using an aluminum gallium arsenide microring resonator, we demonstrate a bright quantum optical microcomb with $>300$ nm bandwidth and more than 20 sets of time-energy entangled modes, enabling spectral demultiplexing with simple, off-the-shelf commercial telecom components. We report high-rate continuous entanglement distribution for two sets of entangled-photon pair frequency modes exhibiting up to $20$ GHz/mW$^2$ pair generation rate. As an illustrative example of entanglement distribution, we perform a continuous-wave time-bin quantum key distribution protocol with 8 kbps raw key rates while maintaining less than 10$\%$ error rate and sufficient two-photon visibility to ensure security of the channel. When the $>$20 frequency modes are multiplexed, we estimate $>$100 kbps entanglement-based key rates or the creation of a multi-user quantum communications network. The entire system requires less than 110 $μ$W of on-chip optical power, demonstrating an efficient source of entangled frequency modes for quantum communications. As a proof of principle, a quantum key is distributed across 12 km of deployed fiber on the UCSB campus and used to transmit a 21 kB image with $<9\%$ error.

quant-ph

Heterogeneous integration of superconducting thin films and epitaxial semiconductor heterostructures with Lithium Niobate

We report on scalable heterointegration of superconducting electrodes and epitaxial semiconductor quantum dots on strong piezoelectric and optically nonlinear lithium niobate. The implemented processes combine the sputter-deposited thin film superconductor niobium nitride and III-V compound semiconductor membranes onto the host substrate. The superconducting thin film is employed as a zero-resistivity electrode material for a surface acoustic wave resonator with internal quality factors $Q \approx 17000$ representing a three-fold enhancement compared to identical devices with normal conducting electrodes. Superconducting operation of $\approx 400\,\mathrm{MHz}$ resonators is achieved to temperatures $T>7\,\mathrm{K}$ and electrical radio frequency powers $P_{\mathrm{rf}}>+9\,\mathrm{dBm}$. Heterogeneously integrated single quantum dots couple to the resonant phononic field of the surface acoustic wave resonator operated in the superconducting regime. Position and frequency selective coupling mediated by deformation potential coupling is validated using time-integrated and time-resolved optical spectroscopy. Furthermore, acoustoelectric charge state control is achieved in a modified device geometry harnessing large piezoelectric fields inside the resonator. The hybrid quantum dot - surface acoustic wave resonator can be scaled to higher operation frequencies and smaller mode volumes for quantum phase modulation and transduction between photons and phonons via the quantum dot. Finally, the employed materials allow for the realization of other types of optoelectronic devices, including superconducting single photon detectors and integrated photonic and phononic circuits.

physics.app-ph

Surface Acoustic Wave Cavity Optomechanics with WSe$_2$ Single Photon Emitters

Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) are a versatile tool for coherently interfacing with a variety of solid-state quantum systems spanning microwave to optical frequencies, including superconducting qubits, spins, and quantum emitters. Here, we demonstrate SAW cavity optomechanics with quantum emitters in 2D materials, specifically monolayer WSe$_2$, on a planar lithium niobate SAW resonator driven by superconducting electronics. Using steady-state photoluminescence spectroscopy and time-resolved single-photon counting, we map the temporal dynamics of modulated 2D emitters under coupling to different SAW cavity modes, showing energy-level splitting consistent with deformation potential coupling of 30 meV/%. We leverage the large anisotropic strain from the SAW to modulate the excitonic fine-structure splitting on a nanosecond timescale, which may find applications for on-demand entangled photon-pair generation from 2D materials. Cavity optomechanics with SAWs and 2D quantum emitters provides opportunities for compact sensors and quantum electro-optomechanics in a multi-functional integrated platform that combines phononic, optical, and superconducting electronic quantum systems.

quant-ph