Programmable Photonic Nonlinearity for Quantum Simulation

Light-matter interaction at the quantum level provides a versatile interface driving photonic quantum technologies toward practical applications. We demonstrate multi-mode photonic circuits that enable precise programming of linear and nonlinear phase configurations at the single-photon level. The nonlinearity operation is realized using a solid-state quantum emitter, a self-assembled quantum dot, integrated into a nanophotonic device. The quantum dot interfaces with a temporal linear optical interferometer, creating a programmable nonlinear photonic platform that is necessary for implementing quantum protocols that require strong nonlinearities, such as the quantum simulation of anharmonic molecular dynamics.