CAREER: Integrated-photonics Spatial Light Modulators: Enabling Next Generation Quantum Control Hardware

Nontechnical description: Manipulating electromagnetic waves in space and time is a foundational capability of modern science and engineering. At visible and near-infrared wavelengths, electromagnetic fields interact strongly with atoms and molecules, enabling scalable control in quantum hardware as well as advanced techniques in molecular and neural imaging. This CAREER proposal aims to develop new integrated-photonic hardware—specifically, large-scale, high-speed spatial light modulators—that will enable next generation quantum control hardware and advanced imaging platforms. Beyond quantum and imaging applications, the photonic subsystems developed in this effort will contribute to emerging photonic interconnects that support large-scale machine learning across geographically distributed data centers—a growing national priority as AI models and datasets increase in scale. Through partnerships with industry, the PI will accelerate translation of these photonics technologies into practical systems. Students in the project will receive interdisciplinary training at the intersection of photonics, quantum engineering, and computational design, and the team will engage in mentoring and outreach activities for K–12 students in Cambridge and Boston public schools. Technical description: This research program aims to redefine spatial light modulator architectures through the direct integration and co-design of a solid-state gain laser array, high-speed electro-optic modulators, a two-dimensional beam-emitter array, and flat metasurface lenses. The resulting integrated-photonics platform will generate and modulate large arrays of optical beams in free space, with each beam individually controlled by on-chip modulators and an injection-locked laser array. Extending the operational wavelength of this system from the telecom band into the visible—and potentially ultraviolet—regions will enable scalable optical interfaces for atom-based quantum hardware and high-resolution imaging modalities in neuroscience. In addition to quantum and imaging applications, the development of the underlying photonic subsystems (integrated lasers, modulators, and beam-emitter arrays) will directly advance next-generation photonic interconnects for large-scale machine learning, particularly in distributed, multi-data-center training environments. Together, these innovations establish a unified photonic architecture that supports high-speed, large-scale optical control across quantum science, AI hardware, and biomedical imaging This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria. NSF Award ID: 2441600 | Program: 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT | Principal Investigator: Kiyoul Yang | Institution: Harvard University, CAMBRIDGE, MA | Award Amount: $550,000 View on NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/show-award/?AWD_ID=2441600 View on Research.gov: https://www.research.gov/awardapi-service/v1/awards/2441600.html