Erbium quantum memory platform with long optical coherence via back-end-of-line deposition on foundry-fabricated photonics

Phys. Rev. Applied 24, 054037

Realizing scalable quantum interconnects necessitates the integration of solid-state quantum memories with foundry photonics processes. While prior photonic integration efforts have relied upon specialized, laboratory-scale fabrication techniques, this work demonstrates the monolithic integration of a quantum memory platform with low-loss foundry photonic circuits via back-end-of-line deposition. We deposited thin films of titanium dioxide (Ti⁢O2) doped with erbium (Er) onto silicon nitride nanophotonic waveguides and studied Er optical coherence at subkelvin temperatures with photon echo techniques. We suppressed optical dephasing through ex-situ oxygen annealing and optimized measurement conditions, which yielded an optical coherence time of 64 μ⁢s (a 5-kHz homogeneous linewidth) and slow spectral diffusion of 27 kHz over 4 ms, results that are comparable to state-of-the-art Er nanophotonic devices. Combined with second-long electron spin lifetimes and demonstrated electrical control of Er emission, our findings establish Er:Ti⁢O2 on foundry photonics as a manufacturable platform for ensemble and single-ion quantum memories.