Advanced Single-Photon Sources Based on On-Chip Hybrid Plasmon-Emitter Coupled Metasurfaces

Single-photon sources are crucial for many quantum information technologies, including quantum communications, computation, sensing and metrology. Typical stand-alone quantum emitters (QEs), such as quantum dots and defects in diamonds, feature low emission rates, nondirectional emissions, and poorly defined polarization properties, which prevents QEs from being directly used as single-photon sources in practical applications. Various micro/nano structures have been developed in recent years to enhance QE emission rates by making use of the Purcell effect via engineering their immediate dielectric environment, but the control of polarization, direction, and wavefront of the emitted photons has still been rarely addressed.The main objective of the project is to develop a general design approach for high-performance single-photon sources and demonstrate its use by designing and fabricating a series of advanced single-photon nanodevices with different functionalities. First, the underlying physics of QE coupling to surface nanostructures will be thoroughly investigated. We will then develop a novel holography implementation, vectorial scattering (computer-generated) holography, generating directly profiles of hybrid plasmon-QE coupled metasurfaces. Finally, based on the developed design approach, a series of nanodevices will be demonstrated, on-chip realizing photon emission with desirable polarization and phase profiles, including those of vector vortex beams. This project will enable the realization of single-photon sources with radiation channels that have distinct directional and polarization characteristics, extending thereby possibilities for designing complex photonic systems for quantum information processing. Furthermore, this project will facilitate knowledge exchange via dissemination activities along with researcher training in transferable skills, being fully committed to open science principles and chronicling the whole project in an open online logbook.