Routing single photons with quantum emitters coupled to nanostructures
Abstract
Quantum emitters coupled to nanophotonic structures are an excellent platform for controllable single-photon scattering. The tunable light-matter interaction enables the construction of a single-photon switch -- a device that can route a single photon from an input port to a selected output port. Such single-photon switching devices can be integrated into reconfigurable photonic circuits to actively control the photon propagation direction in a quantum network. Ideally, a single-photon switch should operate with high speed, efficiency, and fidelity, preserving the state of the input photon in the routing process. This review brings together key input-output methods from quantum optics, theoretical proposals of emitter-based single-photon routing mechanisms, and experimental demonstrations of single-photon switching devices across different physical platforms, including semiconductor quantum dots, neutral atoms, superconducting qubits, and color centers. We highlight the need for reporting the key figures of merit (speed/efficiency/fidelity) in future single-photon switch demonstrations to support further developments in the field.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2511.02698,
title = {Routing single photons with quantum emitters coupled to nanostructures},
author = {Mateusz Duda and Nicholas J. Martin and Eve O. Mills and Luke R. Wilson and Pieter Kok},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2511.02698},
year = {2026}
}
Comments
49 pages, 22 figures, version accepted by Applied Physics Reviews