Defects can provide highly homogeneous potentials for quantum particles (electrons and holes) in crystals, enabling atomic-like physics in a solid-state environment. The availability of high-purity crystals, in which either single defects can be resolved or ensembles of non-interacting identical defects can exist, has spurred significant interest in utilizing defects for quantum-enabled applications (e.g. information processing and sensing). In this talk I will first present the potential of combining solid-state defects and integrated photonics to realize quantum information processors, focusing on my own group’s research on the nitrogen-vacancy defect in diamond. In the second half, I present our work researching the fundamental properties of effective mass carriers and excitons bound to defects (0D, 1D, and 2D) in direct bandgap materials which may be promising alternatives to diamond-based platforms.

Bio: Kai-Mei Fu received her A.B. in Physics from Princeton University in 2000 and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Stanford University in 2003 and 2007, respectively. She worked as a research associate at HP Labs, Palo Alto from 2007-2011 before joining the faculty at the University of Washington with a joint position in Physics and Electrical Engineering. Her research focuses on understanding and engineering the quantum properties of point defects in crystals for quantum information and sensing applications. She is the recipient of the NSF CAREER Award, the Cottrell Scholar Award, and the UW College of Engineering Junior Faculty Award.