Feasibility of chipscale integration of single-photon switched digital loop buffer

Abstract

A strategy for realizing a microchip-scale single-photon digital loop buffer controlled by low-voltage electronic signals is studied in the context of integrated photonics. A potential implementation for bridging a gap between other technologies uses a recirculating loop architecture based on advances in low-loss passive waveguides and a fast electro-optic add-drop switch. Though the requirements of single-photon buffers are demanding, our analysis suggests that a voltage-controlled, room-temperature catch-and-store short-term quantum memory for light on a chip may be feasible in certain regimes.