Quantum dots and nanofibers for quantum Internet

TOKYO, JAPAN: The December 2014 issue of the University of Electro-Communications e-Bulletin includes research highlights on quantum light sources integrated with nanofibers for the quantum internet; magnetic vortices; propulsion of a soft robotic fish; brain-training for baseball robots; heating in electric circuits; eyes on the sky; the FoodCam; and the ultimate automatic door system.

“I had the idea for ‘nanofiber quantum photonics’ about 12 years ago,” says Kohzo Hakuta, director of the Center for Photonic Innovations at the University of Electro-Communications (UEC).

“I want to integrate single atoms as sources of light into specially designed nanofibers. This ‘fiber in-line technology’ holds the potential to revolutionize distributed quantum networks for secure, ultra-high speed communication. Namely, the birth of the ‘quantum internet.”

Fiber in-line technology is advantageous because light emitted from a source that is integrated into a nanofiber can be automatically coupled into the fiber to achieve the so-called ‘single mode transmission of the light’.

Now, Hakuta and his group at the Center for Photonic Innovations are addressing the following issues to develop fiber in-line technology to integrate atomic sources of light into optical nanofibers. Fabrication of high efficiency tapered glass nanofibers; development of reproducible methods for integrating single quantum dots with nanofibers; integration of cavity structures with nanofibers; and experimental demonstration of cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) with nanofibers.