Programmable photonic processing
First Claim
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1. A photonic device comprising:
- a semiconductor substrate;
a plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters, fabricated in the semiconductor substrate, configured to perform an arbitrary unitary optical transformation on at least one optical mode, the plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters having a plurality of input waveguides configured to receive the at least one optical mode and a plurality of output waveguides configured to output the at least one optical mode after the arbitrary unitary optical transformation;
a plurality of detectors, in optical communication with the plurality of output waveguides, configured to measure the at least one optical mode after the arbitrary unitary optical transformation; and
control circuitry, operably coupled to the plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters and to the plurality of detectors, configured to determine a density distribution of the at least one optical mode at the plurality of output waveguides and configured to adjust at least one setting of at least one variable beam splitter in the plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters so as to change the density distribution of the at least one optical mode at the plurality of output waveguides.
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Abstract
A programmable photonic integrated circuit implements arbitrary linear optics transformations in the spatial mode basis with high fidelity. Under a realistic fabrication model, we analyze programmed implementations of the CNOT gate, CPHASE gate, iterative phase estimation algorithm, state preparation, and quantum random walks. We find that programmability dramatically improves device tolerance to fabrication imperfections and enables a single device to implement a broad range of both quantum and classical linear optics experiments. Our results suggest that existing fabrication processes are sufficient to build such a device in the silicon photonics platform.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A photonic device comprising:
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a semiconductor substrate; a plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters, fabricated in the semiconductor substrate, configured to perform an arbitrary unitary optical transformation on at least one optical mode, the plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters having a plurality of input waveguides configured to receive the at least one optical mode and a plurality of output waveguides configured to output the at least one optical mode after the arbitrary unitary optical transformation; a plurality of detectors, in optical communication with the plurality of output waveguides, configured to measure the at least one optical mode after the arbitrary unitary optical transformation; and control circuitry, operably coupled to the plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters and to the plurality of detectors, configured to determine a density distribution of the at least one optical mode at the plurality of output waveguides and configured to adjust at least one setting of at least one variable beam splitter in the plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters so as to change the density distribution of the at least one optical mode at the plurality of output waveguides. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of performing optical processing, the method comprising:
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(A) coupling at least one optical mode into a plurality of input waveguides of a plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters fabricated in a semiconductor substrate so as to perform an arbitrary unitary optical transformation on the at least one optical mode; (B) detecting the at least one optical mode at a plurality of output waveguides of the plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters after the arbitrary unitary optical transformation; and (C) determining a measurement result from (B); (D) adjusting at least one setting of at least one variable beam splitter in the plurality of interconnected variable beam splitters so as to change the arbitrary unitary optical transformation. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification