Quantum computing has the potential to solve problems beyond the capabilities of conventional supercomputers. It could revolutionize the advancement of several fields, including biochemistry, finance, logistics, and artificial intelligence. Building a quantum computer using integrated silicon photonics provides the advantage of a scalable platform based on silicon manufacturing.
The NSERC CREATE Quantum BC program and CMC Microsystems bring to you a workshop on the design, fabrication, and testing of quantum silicon photonic circuits used in quantum computer hardware.
The workshop will teach participants how to design, simulate, fabricate, and test their own quantum silicon photonic circuits. Students will gain an understanding of the fundamentals of quantum optics and how photonics can be used for quantum computing, and the types of problems that can be solved on photonic-based processors. During the workshop, students will practice creating a design and layout of a quantum silicon photonic circuit. Students will brainstorm and pitch their circuit ideas to researchers at leading universities and industries. After the workshop, students will have several months to complete their design and submit their circuits for fabrication by a foundry facilitated by CMC. Participants will test their chips using equipment at their own university or by their own arrangements, such as via a collaboration with the workshop instructors and/or visits to their facilities.
Content
The following topics, but not limited, will be covered in the workshop:
- Introduction to silicon quantum photonics, quantum optics theory, and non-linear optics
- Introduction to quantum optical computing, quantum sensing, and quantum communication.
- Introduction to silicon photonic components
- Photonic devices including waveguides using Si and SiN, single photon and photon pair sources, single photon detectors, interferometers, etc.
- Quantum gates
- Photonic quantum circuit algorithms and circuit simulation
- Quantum photonics fabrication processes
- Physical implementation of quantum photonic devices
- Process design kit and layout-centric photonics design flow
- Test methods, equipment, facilities, design for test rules
- Photonic quantum computing approaches discrete variable, continuous variable, etc.
- Applications of photonics-based quantum computing.
