Quantum memristor with vacuum--one-photon qubits

Abstract

Quantum memristors represent a promising interface between quantum and neuromorphic computing, combining the nonlinear, memory-dependent behavior of classical memristors with the properties of quantum states. An optical quantum memristor can be realized with a vacuum--one-photon qubit entering a tunable beam splitter whose reflectivity is adapted according to the mean number of photons in the device. In this work, we report on the experimental implementation of a bulk quantum-optical memristor, working with single-rail coherent superposition states in the Fock basis, generated via a resonantly excited quantum dot single-photon source. We demonstrate that the coherence of the input state is preserved by the quantum memristor. Moreover, our modular platform allows investigating the nonlinear behavior arising from a cascade of two quantum memristors, a building block for larger networks of such devices towards the realization of complex neuromorphic quantum architectures.