In this project, we intend to develop theoretically and demonstrate experimentally a novel platform for analog quantum computation with polaritonic qubits.

Exciton-polaritons are hybrid light-matter quasiparticles resulting from the strong coupling of semiconductor excitons and microcavity photons. In our system, a condensate of exciton-polaritons is confined by a spatially-patterned pump laser in an annular trap that supports counter-circulating vortex state of the polariton superfluid. The vortex states are coupled by the trap potential ellipticity and external control laser beam, and the qubit basis states correspond to the two orthogonal eigenstates of the system. By engineering the potential and control laser pulses, we will tune the energies of the qubit basis states, initialize the qubit in the desired state, and perform arbitrary single qubit operations.

We will next construct two- or more qubits on the same substrate and realize controllable interactions between such qubits to implement quantum gates and algorithms analogous to quantum computation with standard qubits. We will finally demonstrate scalability of this system to a larger number of qubits and characterize their coherences and controllability.  

The project will be implemented by a very capable and dedicated team of senior and young researchers, while the results of the project will have significant scientific impact, attracting broad interest of academic community, as well as technological impact, advancing the development of quantum technologies and the accompanying instrumentation for precision control and sensitive measurements.