The New Hybrid Quantum Photonics Chips Lab at the Faculty of Engineering

The Hybrid Quantum Photonics Chips Lab
The information age reshaped our world—turning room-sized computers into devices that fit in your pocket and enabling global communication. Today, we are on the edge of a new revolution: the quantum era. Quantum computers promise to solve problems beyond classical reach, quantum cryptography will redefine security, and quantum sensors will bring unprecedented precision.

Yet most quantum technologies remain trapped in labs, limited by bulky optics, cryogenic systems, and scalability challenges.
At the Hybrid Quantum Photonics Chips Lab, we aim to develop compact, chip-scale quantum devices that work outside the lab.

We focus on hybrid integration of quantum materials—hot atomic vapors and ions—with silicon nitride photonic circuits. Our goal is to implement all core quantum functionalities—photon generation, routing, logic, sensing, and detection—on a single chip.

A central challenge is maintaining quantum coherence without deep cooling. We explore how fast-moving atoms interact with nanophotonic structures and develop strategies to preserve coherence at room temperature.

We also design devices that bridge visible and telecom wavelengths, enabling efficient light conversion across these bands through strong atomic nonlinearities and photonic confinement. This is essential to link chip-scale quantum sources with fiber-based quantum networks.

Through cutting-edge research at the intersection of integrated photonics, atomic physics, and nonlinear optics, our lab lays the groundwork for scalable quantum technologies. Our vision includes quantum sensors, communication nodes, and even room-temperature processors—all on a chip.
 

Dr Roy Zektzer