- Accepted Paper
Efficient integrated quantum memory based on a waveguide cavity
Phys. Rev. Lett. - Accepted 30 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/28st-q915
Phys. Rev. Lett. - Accepted 30 September, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/28st-q915
Efficient integrated quantum memories are a key enabling technology for scalable quantum networks and photonic quantum processors, yet their efficiencies have remained below the critical threshold of 90% required for demanding applications. Here we demonstrate an integrated photonic quantum memory with a storage-and-retrieval efficiency of 90.2(4)% for single-photon-level weak coherent pulses and a storage fidelity of 99.3(1)% for time-bin qubits, using a waveguide cavity fabricated in Pr:. This performance is enabled by the high absorption-to-loss ratio of Pr ions in a low-loss waveguide cavity, combined with a time-reversal technique to overcome the dispersion-limited cavity linewidth and a novel spectral preparation scheme that creates a clean transparency window while utilizing a single class of ions that is compatible for spin-wave storage. Our results establish the first integrated photonic memory beyond the 90% efficiency threshold, representing an important step toward applications that demand the highest performance, such as scalable quantum repeaters, photonic quantum computing and device-independent quantum key distribution.
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