ECO-Q

Quantum photonic devices are built from three elements: sources of quantum light, circuits that route and manipulate it, and detectors. ECO-Q works on the first two, using strategic quantum materials.

Sources. We develop room-temperature light–matter coupling platforms based on quantum emitters in hexagonal boron nitride coupled to open optical cavities, aiming at light states beyond simple single photons for quantum metrology and communications.

Circuits. In quantum fluids of light — exciton-polaritons, hybrid light–matter quasiparticles in semiconductor microcavities — we study how information encoded in light can be generated, controlled and routed. Our recent results show spin-momentum locking in the edge states of honeycomb polariton lattices: photons travelling in opposite directions carry opposite spins. Using optical spin injection, we selectively amplify and lase counter-propagating edge modes, so the flow of light along the lattice boundary is steered simply by the polarisation of the excitation, without magnetic fields. We also explore room-temperature polaritons in halide perovskites.