We propose a device architecture capable of direct quantum electro-optical conversion of microwave to optical photons. The hybrid system consists of a planar superconducting microwave circuit coupled to an integrated whispering-gallery-mode microresonator made from an electro-optical material. We show that electro-optical (vacuum) coupling rates g0 as large as∼2πO(10−100) kHz are achievable with currently available technology, due to the small mode volume of the planar microwave resonator. Operating at millikelvin temperatures, such a converter would enable high-efficiency conversion of microwave to optical photons. We analyze the added noise, and show that maximum conversion efficiency is achieved for a multi-photon cooperativity of unity which can be reached with optical power as low as O(1)mW.
@article{arxiv.1512.06442,
title = {On-chip microwave-to-optical quantum coherent converter based on a superconducting resonator coupled to an electro-optic microresonator},
author = {Clément Javerzac-Galy and Kirill Plekhanov and Nathan Bernier and Laszlo D. Toth and Alexey K. Feofanov and Tobias J. Kippenberg},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1512.06442},
year = {2016}
}