IQIM Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Seminar

Abstract: At the end of the 20th century, our ability to control and manipulate individual quantum systems ranging from atoms, ions, spins to superconducting structures have opened the door to the "second quantum revolution" and thus to quantum technologies [1]. However, many fundamental and technical challenges need to be overcome, from atomic-scale material selection to complex system integration, before a quantum enabled device can be used.
One of the most promising routes toward quantum technologies is photonics. In the past decade, photonics has seen monumental growth due to advances in nanofabrication tools, novel materials synthesis techniques, and dramatic increase in our computing power. These advances have enabled fabrication of new concept nanodevices and development of "artificial materials", also known as metamaterials, with optical properties unlike those of natural materials [2]. However, progress in photonics quantum technologies has been constrained due to lack of suitable materials with desired optical, electrical and mechanical properties, and difficulty in achieving coherent interaction of light with matter at the quantum level.
In this talk, I will present a new approach to engineer quantum light-matter interactions with single emitters interfaced with nanoengineered materials. I will show how the quantum optical properties of single emitters ranging from trapped atoms and ions to excitons and color centers in atomically thin semiconductors, can be manipulated over macroscopic distances with two-dimensional metamaterials also known as metasurfaces. Such interfaces have enabled quantum interference among decay channels in atomic emitters [3], spontaneous inter-valley coherence in molybdenum disulfide monolayers [4], topologically reconfigurable ultracold atomic quantum metamaterials [5], etc. However, the potential of this approach is far from being fully explored and I will conclude with my future vision for these interfaces.    

[1] J. P. Dowling and G. J. Milburn, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. Lond. A 361, 1655 (2003).
[2] C. M. Soukoulis and M. Wegener, Nature Photon. 5, 523 (2011).
[3] P. K. Jha, X. Ni, C. Wu, Y. Wang, and X. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 025501 (2015).
[4] P. K. Jha, N. Shitrit, X. Ren, Y. Wang, and X. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 116102 (2018).
[5] P. K. Jha, M. Mrejen, J. Kim, C. Wu, Y. Wang, Y. V. Rostovtsev, and X. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 165502 (2016).