Managing coupling of optical modes with quantum state emission elements

A method for interacting with a plurality of quantum states over a respective series of time intervals in a scanning period, the method comprising:

• providing, from at least one optical fiber interface, a fiber-coupled optical mode that controls optical coupling to and/or from an optical fiber, where at least a portion of the optical fiber extends outside of an interior of a housing comprising the at least one optical fiber interface;
• providing a quantum state from each quantum state emission element in an array of quantum state emission elements housed on or inside the housing;
• providing, from each of multiple portions of one or more directional structures, a preferential direction for an associated element-coupled optical mode that controls optical coupling to and from a different respective subset of one or more of the quantum state emission elements;
• and
• scanning a scanning structure housed on or inside the housing to change an overlap between the fiber-coupled optical mode and a different respective one of the element-coupled optical modes over each time interval of the series of time intervals;
• wherein scanning the scanning structure comprises, over each time interval of the series of time intervals, actuating a steering mechanism to scan the fiber-coupled optical mode along a scanning path that intersects with different respective element-coupled optical modes associated with the quantum state emission elements arranged over a two-dimensional surface.

An apparatus for interacting with a plurality of quantum states over a respective series of time intervals in a scanning period, the apparatus comprising:

• a housing comprising at least one optical fiber interface configured to provide a plurality of fiber-coupled optical modes that control optical coupling to and/or from an optical fiber, where at least a portion of the optical fiber extends outside of an interior of the housing;
• an array of quantum state emission elements configured to be housed on or inside the housing, each quantum state emission element configured to provide a quantum state;
• one or more directional structures, where each of multiple portions of the one or more directional structures is configured to provide a preferential direction for an associated element-coupled optical mode that controls optical coupling to and from a different respective subset of one or more of the quantum state emission elements;
• and
• a scanning structure configured to be housed on or inside the housing and configured to change an overlap between the fiber-coupled optical mode and a different respective one of the element-coupled optical modes over each time interval of the series of time intervals;
• wherein the scanning structure is configured to, over each time interval of the series of time intervals, scan different fiber-coupled optical modes of the plurality of fiber-coupled optical modes along different respective scanning paths that each intersect with different respective element-coupled optical modes associated with the quantum state emission elements arranged over a two-dimensional surface.

A method for interacting with a plurality of quantum states over a respective series of time intervals in a scanning period, the method comprising:

• providing, from at least one optical fiber interface, a plurality of fiber-coupled optical modes that control optical coupling to and/or from an optical fiber, where at least a portion of the optical fiber extends outside of an interior of a housing comprising the at least one optical fiber interface;
• providing a quantum state from each quantum state emission element in an array of quantum state emission elements housed on or inside the housing;
• providing, from each of multiple portions of one or more directional structures, a preferential direction for an associated element-coupled optical mode that controls optical coupling to and from a different respective subset of one or more of the quantum state emission elements;
• and
• scanning a scanning structure housed on or inside the housing to change an overlap between the fiber-coupled optical mode and a different respective one of the element-coupled optical modes over each time interval of the series of time intervals;
• wherein scanning the scanning structure comprises, over each time interval of the series of time intervals, scanning different fiber-coupled optical modes of the plurality of fiber-coupled optical modes along different respective scanning paths that each intersect with different respective element-coupled optical modes associated with the quantum state emission elements arranged over a two-dimensional surface.