High-efficiency vertical emission spin-photon interface for scalable quantum memories

Quantum 10, 2035 (2026).

https://doi.org/10.22331/q-2026-03-20-2035

We present an efficient spin-photon interface for free-space vertical emission coupling. Using a dipole model, we show that our design achieves a far-field collection efficiency of 96% at the numerical aperture of 0.7 with a 95% overlap to a Gaussian mode. Our approach is based on a dual perturbation layer design. The first perturbation layer extracts and redirects the resonant mode of a diamond microdisk resonator around the optical axis. The second perturbation layer suppresses side lobes and concentrates most of the light intensity near the center. This dual-layer design enhances control over the farfield pattern and also reduces alignment sensitivity. Additionally, the implemented dipole model performs calculations $3.2$${times}$$10^6$ times faster than full-wave FDTD simulations. These features make the design promising for quantum information applications.