Overview

• Harvard SEAS researchers, in collaboration with Rigetti Computing, University of Chicago, and MIT, have developed a photon router enabling control of superconducting qubits with optical signals.
• The device, a microwave-optical quantum transducer, is the first to demonstrate control of superconducting qubits solely with light, eliminating the need for bulky microwave cables.
• Constructed using lithium niobate, the router bridges the energy gap between microwave and optical photons, facilitating scalable quantum networks over existing fiber-optic infrastructure.
• The photon router is compact, measuring just 2 millimeters, and is mounted on a chip about 2 centimeters long, making it efficient and practical for integration into quantum systems.
• Future research will explore its potential for generating and distributing entanglement between qubits, a critical step toward modular, distributed quantum computing.