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September 11 (UPI) – Scientists have developed a new silicon chip capable of generating a continuous supply of unique photons, a perfect source of quantum light.
"Almost all the light we encounter in our daily lives is filled with photons," said Elizabeth Goldschmidt, researcher at the Joint Quantum Institute, in a press release. "But unlike a light bulb, some sources actually emit light, one photon at a time, and that can only be described by quantum physics."
Current communication technologies are primarily powered by non-quantum light, but many believe that quantum light will fuel the next generation of computing and communication technologies.
As such, scientists continue to look for ways to reliably produce quantum light, in order to isolate and manipulate its quantum properties.
To develop a coherent source of quantum light, Goldschmidt and its research partners turned to silicon. When they pass through a silicon layer, the infrared laser light is converted into two different colored photons.
For the new chip, the researchers used a network of tiny silicon loops. When infrared light passes through the chip, it runs several thousand times before jumping to the next loop. The design effectively extends the path of light through silicon, allowing the tiny chip to produce many pairs of photons.
Scientists have deployed similar technologies for photon production. Often, tiny defects in silicon materials vary the color of photons emitted from one chip to the other, from one device to the other. Consistency can even be a problem in the light conversion material of a single chip.
Goldschmidt and his colleagues solved this problem by isolating the silicon loops along the edge of the chip. The design minimized the impact of material defects, allowing the production of identical pairs of single photons.
"We first thought we needed to be more careful with the design and that the photons would be more sensitive to the process of making our chip," said Sunil Mittal, a postdoctoral researcher at JQI. "But, surprisingly, the photons generated in these shielded edge channels are still almost identical, regardless of the quality of the chips."
The researchers described their state-of-the-art technology in the journal Nature this week.
In addition to producing immaculate unique photons. The technology also works at room temperature. The new chip could inspire a new generation of quantum devices.
"Physicists have only recently realized that armored channels fundamentally alter how photons interact with matter," said Mittal. "This could have implications in various areas where the interactions between light and matter play a role, including the science of quantum information and optoelectronic technology."
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