Scientists Zhang Jiaxiang and Ou Xin, both researchers at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology (SIMIT), part of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, have teamed up with Professor Liu Jin from Sun Yat-sen University and the research group led by Professor Huo Yongheng at the University of Science and Technology of China. Their collaborative efforts have culminated in the publication of their groundbreaking research in Nature Materials, titled "On-Chip Quantum Networking Enabled by Large-Scale Quantum Dot-Lithium Niobate Hybrid Integrated Photonic Circuits."

Through innovative material functionalities and pioneering advances in hybrid chip architecture, this study marks the first-ever achievement of on-chip quantum interference interconnection between spatially distinct quantum dot single-photon sources on a hybrid integrated optical quantum chip. The research team introduced a novel mechanism for stress manipulation in lithium niobate thin films and devised an on-chip technique for localized stress adjustment, facilitating precise spectral tuning of quantum dot single-photon sources.

Furthermore, they pioneered a hybrid integration technology with hundred-nanometer-level precision, leveraging the "micro-transfer printing" technique. This enabled the simultaneous on-chip integration and spectral fine-tuning of up to 20 deterministic quantum dot single-photon sources. This breakthrough lays a crucial foundation for the development of scalable on-chip quantum networks.