Quantum-enabled interface between microwave and telecom light

Abstract

Photons at telecom wavelength are the ideal choice for high density interconnects while solid state qubits in the microwave domain offer strong interactions for fast quantum logic. Here we present a general purpose, quantum-enabled interface between itinerant microwave and optical light. We use a pulsed electro-optic transducer at millikelvin temperatures to demonstrate nanosecond timescale control of the converted complex mode amplitude with an input added noise of $N^{oe}_\textrm{in} = 0.16^{+0.02}_{-0.01}$ ($N^{eo}_\textrm{in} = 1.11^{+0.15}_{-0.07}$) quanta for the microwave-to-optics (reverse) direction. Operating with up to unity cooperativity, this work enters the regime of strong coupling cavity quantum electro-optics characterized by unity internal efficiency and nonlinear effects such as the observed laser cooling of a superconducting cavity mode. The high quantum cooperativity of $C_q>10$ forms the basis for deterministic entanglement generation between superconducting circuits and light.