ARTICLES

Japanese

Print

Integrating the core of quantum teleportation on a chip Entanglement generation and detection in optical circuit

May 8, 2015

© 2015 Furusawa LaboratoryThe photonic chip (lower left) contains the core circuits of quantum teleportation (upper), which conventionally requires a large optical table with hundreds of instruments (lower right).

The photonic chip (lower left) contains the core circuits of quantum teleportation (upper), which conventionally requires a large optical table with hundreds of instruments (lower right).
© 2015 Furusawa Laboratory

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have successfully integrated the core circuits of quantum teleportation, which generate and detect quantum entanglement, into silica-optical-waveguide circuits on a silicon photonic chip measuring 0.0001 square meters.

While there has been significant progress in current technology of information processing, its performance is said to be reaching the fundamental limit of classical physics. On the other hand, application of the principles of quantum mechanics is predicted to enable high-capacity communication (quantum communication) and ultra-high-speed computers (quantum computers) exceeding the limits of current technologies. One of the most important tasks for enabling such new applications is to establish the technology of quantum teleportation, which enables the transfer of quantum bits of information carried by photons from a sender to a receiver at a distance.

However, conventional quantum teleportation devices require a large optical table with hundreds of optical instruments and had reached the limits of scalability.

The research group of Professor Akira Furusawa at the Graduate School of Engineering, working with Professor Jeremy O’Brien at the University of Bristol, UK, Dr. Alberto Politi at the University of Southampton, UK, and NTT Device Technology Laboratories, have successfully integrated the heart of a quantum teleportation device that generates and detects quantum entanglement in a single integrated circuit. The photonic chip contains an optical circuit microfabricated in glass on a silicon substrate measuring 26 millimeters by 4 millimeters (0.0001 square meters), replacing the very large number of optical elements arranged over an area of about 1 m2 for the generation and detection of quantum entanglement. This is a reduction in size of over 10,000 times. This breakthrough achievement resolves scalability issues in one fell swoop, enabling the realization of high-capacity quantum communication and ultra-high-speed quantum computers.

This research was supported in part by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Creation of Innovation Centers for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research Areas Program.

Press release

Paper

Genta Masada, Kazunori Miyata, Alberto Politi, Toshikazu Hashimoto, Jeremy L. O'Brien and Akira Furusawa, "Continuous-variable entanglement on a chip", Nature Photonics Online Edition: 2015/03/30 (Japan time), doi: 10.1038/nphoton.2015.42.
Article link (Publication)

Links

Graduate School of Engineering

Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering

Furusawa Laboratory, Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering

Centre for Quantum Photonics, School of Physics, University of Bristol

NTT Device Technology Laboratories

Access Map
Close
Kashiwa Campus
Close
Hongo Campus
Close
Komaba Campus
Close