Quantum paraelectric electro-optics

Efficient modulation is the key capability that enables advances in classical and quantum photonics. For this purpose, electro-optic materials have permeated applications ranging from quantum transducers and frequency combs to interconnects in data centers. In this talk, I motivate that materials near phase transitions are exciting platforms that display a high dielectric constant linked to an enhanced electro-optic tunability. Specifically, the perovskite SrTiO3 (STO) displays a quantum paraelectric phase at low temperature, where the cryogenic dielectric constant becomes massive but remains stable to near zero temperature. As a result, we predict that STO should display an electro-optic coefficient orders of magnitude higher than leading systems. First, I will discuss our efforts in experimentally measuring the cryogenic electro-optic coefficient in this material. I will then describe the creation of thin films of STO for integrated quantum photonics, and patterning into monolithic and hybrid resonators. Finally, I'll overview the opportunities for this previously unexplored material for use in photonic quantum computing, microwave-to-optical transduction, and for scaling superconducting processors.