INTEGRATED AND PACKAGED ELECTRO-OPTO-MECHANICAL SYSTEMS TOWARDS QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES (IGNATIUS)

IGNATIUS project (InteGrated aNd pAckaged elecTro-opto-mechanIcal systems towards qUantum technologieS.) aims to develop a new multifunctional capability to integrate and characterize high-Q optomechanical (OM) cavities for quantum photonics applications without the need for cryogenic temperatures. First, we will create a packaged system with multiple excitation modes and all-optical readout of nanocavities’ performance with varying environmental conditions. Nanodrums and Optomechanical Crystal Cavities will be utilized as platforms to explore the red detuning regime for cooling the resonant cavities demonstrating their potential for achieving quantum effects near room temperature (RT).

Finally, we will integrate innovative advanced materials (IAM) as Spin Crossover (SCO) nanomaterials to fabricate tunable Q-enhanced OM cavities for exploring quantum phenomena towards the development of integrated quantum photonics (IQP) devices of low power consuption. The initial hypothesis of IGNATIUS is that developing practical quantum photonic processing devices requires high-Q OM cavities operating near RT. We propose achieving this through precise strain engineering with the integration of IAM, such as molecular SCO nanomaterials, allowing us to control cavity performance under variable ambient conditions without the need for ultra-low temperatures.

The challenge then is twofold: On the one hand to fabricate OM systems with enhanced Q factors to unlock their full potential for quantum applications, and on the other hand to achieve this high Q-enhancement near RT only feasible with the integration of the proposed advanced nanomaterials. With the aim to overcome the technical challenges associated with cryogenic requirements for maintaining the quantum domain of the OM cavity performance, this project offers a unique platform, featuring reconfigurability, power efficiency, and innovation in the field of quantum cavity optomechanics that has become a hot topic in recent years, pushing the limits of signal processing, quantum computing and communication, and sensing applications for the development of ultra-light and compact devices.