Quantum Sources

While previous quantum technologies were mostly focused on collective particle phenomena, today technologies are being developed and optimized with which single photons and quantum states can be specifically generated, manipulated and used for applications.

Fraunhofer ILT is developing single and paired photon sources with high signal-to-noise ratios that, among other things, can be used with previously unused wavelengths in quantum imaging. In addition, the institute is also focusing on adapted laser beam sources to produce quantum system components or to excite and switch processes at the atomic level in quantum computing.

For quantum imaging applications, Fraunhofer ILT develops parametric photon sources in the MIR range, for example. Among other things, it uses periodically poled crystals pumped with semiconductor disk lasers to generate measurement wavelengths in the range of a few micrometers and additionally easily detectable signal wavelengths. These photon sources can be used in interferometers as imaging systems. In addition to the sources themselves, the institute is developing methods for image acquisition with optimized imaging quality, methods that can expand imaging in biology, semiconductors or metrology, for example. In addition, they open up completely new possibilities in medical technology, among other areas, thanks to the low intensities used.

In the Fraunhofer Cluster of Excellence Advanced Photon Sources CAPS, Fraunhofer ILT is working on high-performance ultrafast lasers for producing components for quantum technologies 2.0. By means of ultrafast laser pulses, for example, nitrogen vacancy centers (NV centers) can be generated in the lattice structure of diamond crystals and then used to measure magnetic fields with particularly high sensitivity in the field of quantum sensors. In addition, NV centers generated in this way are also potentially suitable as qubits for solid-state-based quantum computers.

The institute is also conducting research in simulation – here, modeled physical processes in semiconductor structures are transferred to the field of quantum technology applications in order to better understand and use semiconductor spin qubits in the future, for example.