Dynamic Quantum Operations at Elevated Temperatures Using Hot-Spot Nanoheating of Color Centers.

Temperature fluctuations in materials used for quantum networks can give rise to lattice vibrations that detune, dephase, and decrease the lifetimes of embedded quantum defects that function as qubits. Most experiments demonstrating quantum operations have been performed at cryogenic temperatures ranging from milli- to a few kelvin, thereby reducing these adverse effects. However, encouraged by the relatively long lifetimes recently discovered for group IV color centers, we aim to show that subdiffracted heating, i.

Room-temperature quantum nanoplasmonic coherent perfect absorption.

Light-matter superposition states obtained via strong coupling play a decisive role in quantum information processing, but the deleterious effects of material dissipation and environment-induced decoherence inevitably destroy coherent light-matter polaritons over time. Here, we propose the use of coherent perfect absorption under near-field driving to prepare and protect the polaritonic states of a single quantum emitter interacting with a plasmonic nanocavity at room temperature. Our scheme of quantum nanoplasmonic coherent perfect absorption leverages an inherent frequency specificity to selectively initialize the coupled system in a chosen plasmon-emitter dressed state, while the coherent, unidirectional and non-perturbing near-field energy transfer from a proximal plasmonic waveguide can in principle render the dressed state robust against dynamic dissipation under ambient conditions.

Electrochemically Switchable Multimode Strong Coupling in Plasmonic Nanocavities.

The strong-coupling interaction between quantum emitters and cavities provides the archetypical platform for fundamental quantum electrodynamics. Here we show that methylene blue (MB) molecules interact coherently with subwavelength plasmonic nanocavity modes at room temperature. Experimental results show that the strong coupling can be switched on and off reversibly when MB molecules undergo redox reactions which transform them to leuco-methylene blue molecules.

Nanoscale Gap-Plasmon-Enhanced Superconducting Photon Detectors at Single-Photon Level.

With a growing demand for detecting light at the single-photon level in various fields, researchers are focused on optimizing the performance of superconducting single-photon detectors (SSPDs) by using multiple approaches. However, input light coupling for visible light has remained a challenge in the development of efficient SSPDs. To overcome these limitations, we developed a novel system that integrates NbN superconducting microwire photon detectors (SMPDs) with gap-plasmon resonators to improve the photon detection efficiency to 98% while preserving all detector performance features, such as polarization insensitivity.

Resolving Ultrafast Spin-Orbit Dynamics in Heavy Many-Electron Atoms.

We use R-matrix with time-dependence theory, with spin-orbit effects included, to study krypton irradiated by two time-delayed extreme ultraviolet ultrashort pulses. The first pulse excites the atom to 4s^{2}4p^{5}5s. The second pulse then excites 4s4p^{6}5s autoionizing levels, whose population can be observed through their subsequent decay.