Low-loss fiber coupler

Introduction

This ERC Proof of Concept (PoC) project aims to demonstrate a low-loss fibre-to-chip coupler, a critical component for the PI’s ERC project QAMP (101042414).

Project Focus

While QAMP focuses on achieving unity electro-optical transduction to convert superconducting qubits to optical qubits, the realized product requires an efficient fibre-to-chip coupler to extract the optical qubits.

Innovation

Our patented innovation introduces a fibre-to-chip coupler with unprecedented low losses of 0.015 dB (0.35%), which is an order-of-magnitude lower than current state-of-the-art solutions.

Importance of Low-Loss Coupling

Achieving such low-loss coupling is vital for five out of the six major quantum computer contenders:

1. Superconducting qubits
2. Optical qubits
3. Neutral atom qubits
4. Ionic qubits
5. Colour centre qubits

This development is particularly crucial for the field of optical quantum computing, valued at over a billion dollars, which depends on efficient fibre-to-chip couplers to realize their basic computational functionality.

Impact on Quantum Information Processing

The successful implementation of this technology would enable the other qubit contenders to entangle and connect individual quantum processing units via a fibre network, thus addressing the current bottleneck in quantum information processing that requires millions of qubits working in unison.