Chip-Compatible Quantum Plasmonic Launcher

Integrated on-demand single-photon sources are critical for the implementation of photonic quantum information processing systems. To enable practical quantum photonic devices, the emission rates of solid-state quantum emitters need to be substantially enhanced and the emitted signal must be directly coupled to an on-chip circuitry. The photon emission rate speed-up is best achieved via coupling to plasmonic antennas, while on-chip integration can be realized by directly coupling emitters to photonic waveguides. The realization of practical devices requires that both the emission speed-up and efficient out-coupling are achieved in a single architecture. Here, a novel architecture is proposed that combines chip compatibility with high radiative emission rates—a quantum plasmonic launcher. The proposed launchers contain single nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in nanodiamonds as quantum emitters that offer record-high average fluorescence lifetime shortening factors of about 7000 times. Nanodiamonds with single NVs are sandwiched between two silver films that couple more than half of the emission into in-plane propagating surface plasmon polaritons. This simple, compact, and scalable architecture represents a crucial step toward the practical realization of high-speed on-chip quantum networks.