Photonics for Quantum and Net Zero

Join the London Institute for Advanced Light Technologies and the London Centre for Nanotechnology for a symposium to celebrate the International Day of Light.

'Photonics for Quantum and Net Zero' will feature two world-leading optics researchers to King's College London. All are welcome to attend this event.

Vladimir M. Shalaev - Purdue University

Scalable Quantum Photonics with Single-Photon Emitters in Silicon Nitride –

Recently, we discovered intrinsic quantum emitters in silicon nitride (SiN), which provide bright and high-purity single-photon emission at room temperature and the capability of seamless integration with SiN photonic waveguides. We established methods of creation of these quantum emitters and performed foundational photophysical studies at room and cryogenic temperatures. We explore the possibility of generating indistinguishable photons at high repetition rates at cryo-temperatures as well as at room temperature, with the use of plasmonic metamaterials, which may enable broader applications of SiN quantum emitters. Plasmonic speed-up of spontaneous emission rate beyond the rate of quantum decoherence processes may enable the generation of indistinguishable photons that could enable important quantum photonics applications, including quantum communication and quantum computing.

Alexandra Boltasseva -Purdue University

Plasmonics for Sustainable Technologies and Green Energy: From Materials to Machine-Learning Assisted Designs 

The Quantum Science Center (QSC), a National Quantum Information Science Research Center of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Oak Ridge, TN 37931, USA

The recent advent of robust, refractory (having a high melting point and chemical stability at temperatures above 2000°C) photonic materials such as plasmonic ceramics, specifically, transition metal nitrides (TMNs), MXenes and transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) is currently driving the development of durable, compact, chip-compatible devices for sustainable energy, harsh-environment sensing, information technology, aerospace, chemical and oil & gas industries. These materials offer high-temperature and chemical stability, great tailorability of their optical properties, strong plasmonic behavior, optical nonlinearities, and high photothermal conversion efficiencies. In this lecture, I discuss advanced machine-learning-assisted photonic designs, materials optimization, and fabrication approaches for the development of efficient thermophotovoltaic (TPV) systems, lightsail spacecrafts, and high-T sensors utilizing TMN metasurfaces. We also explore the potential of TMNs (titanium nitride, zirconium nitride) and TCOs for switchable photonics, high-harmonic-based XUV generation, refractory metasurfaces for energy conversion, high-power applications, photodynamic therapy and photocatalysis. The development of environmentally-friendly, large-scale fabrication techniques will be discussed, and the emphasis will be put on novel machine-learning-driven design frameworks that leverage the emerging quantum solvers for meta-device optimization and bridge the areas of materials engineering, photonic design, and quantum technologies.