March 27
@
10:00 AM
–
11:00 AM
Microresonator-based quantum photonics
Yun Zhao
Abstract: As the only quantum information carrier at atmospheric pressure and temperature, photons play a versatile role in the quantum information ecosystem. Recent progress in fabricating high-quality-factor microresonators has enabled unprecedented control of photons through nonlinear optical interactions. Here, I will focus on optical squeezing, which is a foundational process in both photonic quantum metrology and computing. I will first discuss the generation of squeezed vacuum states on a CMOS-compatible platform. Then I will present a fundamentally new way of applying optical squeezing in optical frequency metrology, with applications in optical frequency division and narrow-linewidth lasers. Finally, I will briefly discuss other micro- resonator-based applications, including quantum frequency conversion and spatial light modulation.
Bio: Yun Zhao is currently a postdoc at Stanford University in the Applied Physics department, advised by Prof. Amir Safavi-Naeini. He earned his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Columbia University, advised by Prof. Alexander Gaeta. He has broad research interests in quantum and nonlinear photonics. His work spans optical squeezing, Kerr frequency comb, frequency conversion, optical frequency division, and spatial light modulation, etc. He served as the postdoctoral community chair for the DOE Codesign Center for Quantum Advantage in 2023 and 2024 and hosted a webinar series for the center’s graduate students and postdocs.