On the silicon-photonic route to quantum communication and computing

Indistinguishable single-photon sources at telecom wavelengths are the key photonic qubits for transmitting quantum information over long distances in standard optical fibers with minimal transmission losses and high fidelity. This enables secure quantum communication over the quantum internet and, in turn, a modular approach to quantum computing. The monolithic integration of single-photon sources with reconfigurable photonic elements and single-photon detectors in a silicon chip is a key enabling step toward demonstrating scalable quantum hardware such as quantum photonic integrated circuits (QPICs). Nowadays, nearly all the necessary components for QPICs are available such as superconducting single-photon detectors, low-loss photonic waveguides, delay lines, modulators, phase shifters, and low-latency electronics. Yet, the practical implementation of scalable quantum hardware has been largely hampered by the lack of on-chip single-photon emitters in silicon that can be created at desired locations on the nanoscale.
Here, we demonstrate two complementary wafer-level protocols for the creation of single telecom-wavelength color centers in silicon with a probability exceeding 50%. Both approaches are fully compatible with current silicon technology and enable the scalability of millions of single telecom quantum emitters that are created at desired nanoscale positions on a silicon chip. These results unlock a clear pathway for industrial-scale QPICs.