Microwave-to-Optical Transduction Using Rare-Earth Ions

Citation

Rochman, Jake Herschel Lebi (2022) Microwave-to-Optical Transduction Using Rare-Earth Ions. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/4h2f-wj87. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:05152022-181826611

Abstract

Superconducting qubits that operate at microwave frequencies are one of the most promising platforms for quantum information processing. However, connecting distant processors with microwave photons is challenging since microwave photons suffer from thermal noise and large propagation losses in room temperature components.

Conversely, optical photons within the telecommunications band are known to have extremely low loss in optical fiber and the thermal noise is minuscule at room temperature. In order to interface superconducting qubits with room temperature optical photons, a quantum transducer is required that can convert photons between microwave and optical frequencies.

This thesis describes the development of a microwave-to-optical transducer using an ensemble of erbium ions, doped within a yttrium orthovanadate crystal, that are simultaneously coupled to a superconducting microwave resonator and a photonic crystal optical resonator. The erbium ions have spin transitions that couple to the microwave resonator and optical transitions at telecom wavelengths that couple to the optical resonator.

Thesis Files