Quantum Photonics in One-Dimensional Waveguides
Summary
Quantum photonics in one-dimensional waveguides explores the interaction of individual photons with quantum emitters confined to linear dielectric or superconducting structures. The extreme spatial confinement of guided modes enhances light–matter coupling, giving rise to pronounced Purcell enhancement, reversible photon scattering and strong nonlinearities at the single-photon level. Such systems support phenomena including chiral emission—where emitter spin or polarisation dictates propagation direction—collective super- and subradiant states, and the emergence of photon bound states with number-dependent dispersion. By engineering the dispersion relation of the waveguide and the spatial arrangement of emitters, researchers can tailor photon transport, coherence times and mode selectivity. Platforms range from semiconductor quantum dots in photonic-crystal waveguides to superconducting qubits coupled to microwave transmission lines and laser-trapped atoms alongside nanofibres. The integrated nature of these architectures paves the way for on-chip single-photon sources, quantum logic gates, scalable networks and precision sensors, underscoring their global significance in quantum information processing and secure communication.
Research from Nature Portfolio
Recent studies have demonstrated dynamic control of photon directionality by coupling pairs of superconducting qubits to a microwave transmission line. Modulating the relative phase of qubit drives enables an in situ switchable mirror that routes microwave photons forwards or backwards on demand, offering a versatile building block for reconfigurable quantum processors. Another major advance is the direct observation of photon-number-dependent bound-state dynamics in a semiconductor quantum-dot–cavity system. Time-resolved scattering measurements revealed distinct time delays for single-, two- and three-photon bound states, confirming their unique dispersion profiles and highlighting their potential for photon-based logic and stimulated-emission processes.
Quantum Photonics in One-Dimensional Waveguides publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in quantum photonics in one-dimensional waveguides across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Purcell enhancement: Increase in an emitter’s spontaneous emission rate due to coupling with a resonant optical or microwave mode.
Waveguide QED: Study of quantum electrodynamics phenomena when emitters interact with photons confined to a one-dimensional waveguide.
Chiral coupling: Direction-dependent emitter–photon interaction arising from the transverse spin of guided modes.
Photon bound state: Correlated quasiparticle of two or more photons that propagate together with number-dependent group velocity.
Subradiance: Collective suppression of spontaneous emission in an ensemble of emitters due to destructive interference.
Two-level system: Simplest quantum emitter model comprising a ground and an excited state for resonant light–matter interaction.
References
- Tunable directional photon scattering from a pair of superconducting qubits. Nature Communications (2023).
- Photon bound state dynamics from a single artificial atom. Nature Physics (2023).
- Observation of large spontaneous emission rate enhancement of quantum dots in a broken-symmetry slow-light waveguide. npj Quantum Information (2023).
- Subradiant states of quantum bits coupled to a one-dimensional waveguide. New Journal of Physics (2019).
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