Quantum Photonics Insights & Updates
Welcome to our News Page! Here, you will find the latest updates, breakthroughs, and features from the Consortium on Integrated Quantum Photonics with Ferroelectric Materials. Check back often to stay informed and be part of the journey as we push the boundaries of quantum photonics!
Robin Kim, MSc Student at the University of Alberta
Robin Kim is a MSc student in Integrated Photonics at the University of Alberta (U of A). Under the supervision of Professor Vien Van, Robin developed a fabrication process for edge-coupled monolithic barium titanate (BTO) waveguides, in collaboration with various groups from across the country as part of the consortium.
Using microring resonators, Robin has extracted BTO waveguide performances such as its propagation loss and group velocity dispersion. The latter term is crucial to accomplish phase-matching required for efficient light generation using nonlinear effects. Towards the goal of the quantum light source generation using strong Pockels coefficient of BTO, Robin has also demonstrated four-wave mixing (FWM) using the microring resonators. This opened up possibilities of collaboration with Dr. Shabir Barzanjeh’s group for entangled pair generation using spontaneous FWM on BTO platforms.
Currently at Dream Photonics, Robin and his colleagues are trying to solve the challenge of the optical interconnects that existed ever since the birth of integrated photonics.
Yupeng Chen, PhD Student at the University of British Columbia
Yupeng Chen is a PhD student in the Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) Lab at the Quantum Matter Institute, University of British Columbia (UBC). Working under the supervision of Dr. Bruce Davidson and Prof. Ke Zou, the lab focuses broadly on the synthesis and characterization of high-quality epitaxial thin films, enabling fundamental research and applications across a wide range of quantum materials.
The lab is equipped with two state-of-the-art molecular beam epitaxy systems from Veeco, dedicated to chalcogenide and oxide material growth, respectively. These systems enable the precise fabrication of high-quality epitaxial thin films. In addition, they have a high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD) system from Bruker, which allows for detailed structural characterization of both thin films and bulk crystals.
As part of the Consortium on Integrated Quantum Photonics with Ferroelectric Materials, Yupeng’s research focuses on the synthesis and microstructural engineering of barium titanate (BaTiO₃). By tailoring its microstructure, he aims to enhance its functionality for photonic waveguides and devices in integrated photonics platforms.
Using our advanced MBE capabilities, Yupeng has successfully synthesized BaTiO₃ films on various substrates, including strontium titanate (SrTiO₃), LSAT, and silicon (Si). High-resolution X-ray diffraction measurements confirm that these films exhibit excellent crystalline quality and distinct microstructures depending on the substrate.
The next phase of Yupeng’s research involves growing BaTiO₃ on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates for photonic measurements, as well as developing freestanding BaTiO₃ membranes, which will open new avenues for device integration and performance enhancement in quantum photonic systems.