Hybrid Testbed for Quantum Computing: Bridging Deterministic Light Sources and Silicon Photonics

A single chip will generate and manipulate individual particles of light to perform calculations that classical computers cannot solve. Today’s quantum computers are fragile and error-prone. Most rely on superconducting circuits that must be cooled to near absolute zero, making them impractical to scale. This project tackles a different approach: using photons—particles of light—as quantum bits. The challenge is that reliable, identical single photons are hard to produce, and routing them through a chip without losing them is even harder. This testbed combines two technologies: a source that emits one photon at a time on demand, and a silicon photonic circuit that switches and detects those photons, all operating at telecom wavelengths compatible with existing fibre networks. If the hybrid architecture works, it could lead to quantum computers that run at room temperature and connect over standard optical fibres. That would make networked quantum computing—linking multiple small quantum processors—practical for the first time. The immediate impact is on fundamental science: demonstrating that deterministic photon sources and silicon photonics can work together at all. If successful, the testbed becomes a platform for exploring fault-tolerant quantum computing architectures, with eventual applications in secure communications, drug discovery, and materials design.