Author:

Keywords:

Science & Technology, Physical Sciences, Optics, Physics, Applied, Physics, RARE-EARTH-ION, SPONTANEOUS EMISSION, SILICON-NITRIDE, WAVE-GUIDES, CRYSTAL, FIBER, ENHANCEMENT, MICROCAVITY, CAVITIES, STORAGE, 01 Mathematical Sciences, 02 Physical Sciences, Optoelectronics & Photonics, 49 Mathematical sciences, 51 Physical sciences

Abstract:

© 2016 Macmillan Publishers Limited. Rare-earth ions in solids are of particular interest for quantum information storage and processing because of the long coherence times of the 4f states. In the past few years, substantial progress has been made by using ensembles of ions and single ions. However, the weak optical transitions within the 4f manifold pose a great challenge to the optical interaction with a single rare-earth ion on a single-photon level. Here, we demonstrate a ninefold enhanced ion-light interaction (Purcell effect) in an integrated-optics-based, fibre-coupled silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4) ring resonator with implanted ytterbium ions (Yb 3+). We unveil the one-, two- and three-dimensional contributions to the Purcell factor as well as the temperature-dependent decoherence and depolarization of the ions. The results indicate that this cavity quantum electrodynamics (QED) system has the potential of interfacing single rare-earth ions with single photons on a chip.