Erbium quantum memory platform with long optical coherence via back-end-of-line deposition on foundry-fabricated photonics
Phys. Rev. Applied 24, 054037 – Published 13 November, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/xj8y-b6sl
Abstract
Realizing scalable quantum interconnects necessitates the integration of solid-state quantum memories with foundry photonics processes. While prior photonic integration efforts have relied upon specialized, laboratory-scale fabrication techniques, this work demonstrates the monolithic integration of a quantum memory platform with low-loss foundry photonic circuits via back-end-of-line deposition. We deposited thin films of titanium dioxide () doped with erbium () onto silicon nitride nanophotonic waveguides and studied optical coherence at subkelvin temperatures with photon echo techniques. We suppressed optical dephasing through ex-situ oxygen annealing and optimized measurement conditions, which yielded an optical coherence time of (a 5-kHz homogeneous linewidth) and slow spectral diffusion of 27 kHz over 4 ms, results that are comparable to state-of-the-art nanophotonic devices. Combined with second-long electron spin lifetimes and demonstrated electrical control of emission, our findings establish : on foundry photonics as a manufacturable platform for ensemble and single-ion quantum memories.