Scientists Develop Full-Cycle Photonic Chip for Quantum Systems

Monash University team develops a nanoscale photonic circuit for quantum systems.

A team from Monash University in Australia has developed a nanoscale photonic circuit that integrates the generation, routing, and reading of light signals on a single chip.

The device is constructed using ultrathin materials just a few atoms thick. Engineers have integrated these with specially designed nanostructures (metasurfaces), allowing them to control light at the level of individual quantum states.

The key distinction is its operation at room temperature. Most quantum platforms still require cryogenic cooling.

The development is related to valleytronics, a field where the valley degree of freedom of electrons in a crystal is used for data encoding. This quantum property enables the formation of stable optical signals that can be directed and converted into an electrical response.

According to the researchers, the team has, for the first time, managed to assemble a complete cycle in a compact photonic circuit: from generating ‘valley’ signals to processing and reading them. Previously, such elements existed separately.

As a demonstration, the chip simultaneously encoded and processed two different images, showcasing the ability to work with multiple data streams in parallel.

Scientists view the technology as a potential foundation for scalable quantum computers, energy-efficient AI systems, and high-speed optical communications.

In May, Oracle and Classiq simulated a 36-qubit quantum circuit in the cloud.