Two-dimensional materials have been in the spotlight since the discovery of the technique that allowed to exfoliate graphene in 2004, a feat that has been recognized with the Nobel Prize in physics. Graphene has enabled a new range of applications within the optoelectronics world through the development of novel devices using the family of 2-D materials, materials of only one-atom thick, which, so far, summon over more than 20 different types and that present many different properties among each other.
Because of their diverse properties, scientists have discovered that by stacking these one-atom layered materials into a sandwich configuration, the assembled device offers an amazingly broad range of optical properties, which extends from ultra-sensitive light reflectors, transmitters to absorbers depending mainly on the way they are stacked. In addition, these materials have proven to be ideal for the miniaturization of electronic-based circuits beyond the physical limitations of existing technologies and are now showing unique potential for their further integration into quantum photonic circuits in which single photon emission and detection is at the heart of this technology's success.
In parallel to the discovery of this new family of materials, the scalable integration of quantum devices into integrated quantum networks has so far showed major caveats and proven to be rather challenging due to the incompatibility of materials, growth processes, miniaturization, as well as integration of various quantum components on existing mature Si, SiN and CMOS platforms, key ingredients in our current technologies.
Thus, the new European project 2D·SIPC intends to bring a solution to this problem by developing 2-D material on-chip quantum components (single photon emitters, single photon detectors, photonic switches) for their scalable and successful integration into integrated quantum networks used in quantum computing, communications, sensing and metrology, among other fields.
Selected as one of the 20 projects to give commencement to the Quantum Flagship, an ambitious 1b€ initiative supported by the European Commission for the next 10 years, 2D·SIPC has marked an ambitious goal of developing devices capable of creating, processing, storing, routing and detecting single photons. During its 3-year lifetime, 2D·SIPC will span different research fields ranging from experimental and theoretical condensed matter physics, to photonics, as well as quantum optics and advanced photo-detection applications.
Thus, to do this and achieve its goals, it will rely on a unique combination of different experts to pave the way to unprecedented possibilities in quantum integrated photonics. In particular, it will count with renowned consortium members of academia and industry who have shown to be worldwide experts in their respective scientific and technological fields. Each consortium member will focus on a particular field: while ICFO will focus on single photon detection and nano-imaging, the University of Manchester will do so on theory and fabrication processes of 2-D materials and stacking techniques for the heterostructures, University of Cambridge on quantum optics and spectroscopy, CNIT on on-chip photonic circuits, and Single Quantum (SQ) on commercial single photon detection, single photon emission and packaging.
Coordinated by ICFO, Prof. at ICFO Dmitri Efetov comments "I am thrilled that our project 2D-SIPC has been accepted by the EU from so many proposals. 2D materials, such as graphene, are not the most obvious materials for quantum applications, however recent progress in the creation of single photon emitters and detectors, paired with ease of integration onto photonic chips, open up entirely new, disruptive possibilities for the build-up of scalable quantum networks, a key milestone in the development of the quantum internet. This basic science project will allow us to push the boundaries of this approach and I am looking forward to seeing breakthrough applications develop from our efforts."
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About the Quantum Flagship
The Quantum Flagship was launched in 2018 as one of the largest and most ambitious research initiatives of the European Union. With a budget of €1 billion and a duration of 10 years, the flagship brings together research institutions, academia, industry, enterprises, and policy makers, in a joint and collaborative initiative on an unprecedented scale. The main objective of the Flagship is to consolidate and expand European scientific leadership and excellence in this research area as well as to transfer quantum physics research from the lab to the market by means of commercial applications and disruptive technologies. With over 5000 researchers from academia and industry involved in this initiative throughout its lifetime, it aims to create the next generation of disruptive technologies that will impact Europe's society, placing the region as a worldwide knowledge-based industry and technological leader in this field.