“How SiC quantum photonics can help us explore new Hamiltonians in cavity QED”

Photon-mediated interaction of multiple integrated quantum emitters is a prerequisite for many quantum applications envisioned for optically-addressable solid-state defects. Their narrow, atom-like optical transitions are possible because of the concept of the “semiconductor vacuum” – that in a perfect semiconductor, atom-like electron states can exist by virtue of the Bloch theorem. But the semiconductor vacuum is not perfect in many ways: it is a wonderous environment full of crystal defects, strain, and phonons. Optically-addressable defects have brought tremendous advances to spin physics as the sensors and manipulators of this environment. An unfortunate side effect of the imperfect semiconductor vacuum for cavity QED is that the optical transitions of defects are quite sensitive to the imperfections: The otherwise atom-like transitions broaden, jitter, or go entirely dark. This makes it challenging to pursue multi-emitter cavity QED experiments of complexity on par with what is done with atoms trapped in true vacuum. However, by leveraging their unique, solid-state features, defects in resonators are now beginning to make contributions to cavity QED physics

In this seminar I will discuss recent efforts on multi-emitter cavity QED Hamiltonians using silicon vacancy color centers integrated into high-Q whispering gallery mode resonators fabricated in 4H-SiC-on-Insulator photonics. The talk will include observations of indistinguishable emission from a small ensemble of ~10 emitters; descriptions of the multi-mode phase-sensitive Hamiltonians that the system realizes; the effects of disorder on photon correlations, which reveal under certain conditions the emergence of steady-state chirality in the otherwise achiral system; and the first realization of a cavity QED system in a parametrically driven optical resonator, using the strong Kerr nonlinearity of silicon carbide 

.Finally, I will discuss the potential for integrated Titanium Sapphire lasers for scaling optical quantum technologies such as SiC quantum photonics