Optical Quantum Information Processing in Photonic Crystals

Quantum mechanics predicts that quantum two-level systems - qubits - can provide fundamentally new modes of information processing due to possible existing in an arbitrary coherent superposition of quantum states. A practical realization of quantuminformation processing requires obviously isolated quantum systems that act as qubits.ALTAIR Center proposed a novel practically realizable physical system of an optical long-life qubit based on polarized states of atoms, molecules, or quantum dots embedded in photonic crystals that solves the decoherence problem, for long time consideredto be a major obstacle to building optical quantum information devices. We also studied quantum-statistical properties of light pulses propagating in nonlinear resonance media, and developed a novel physical concept of creation of twin-photonic Fock stateswith large (over 106) occupation numbers.Using results of Phase I theoretical studies, in Phase II of this project we will develop detailed designs, technology, and Prototypes of a generator of twin-photonic Fock states with large occupation numbers and a generator of light pulses entangled inpolarization. We will also demonstrate theoretically a technologically feasible optical fiber media and designs, which will preserve with high efficiency the quantum optical properties of squeezed light over a distance of at least 1 km.