Steering of quantum signals along coupled paths of arbitrary curvature

Quantum engineering, as a field of research, is currently attracting a huge scientific, funding, and commercial interest. A generic operation behind most of the related device setups is the efficient steering of quantum signals, by channeling or coupling them with specified intensities, to various spatial sections. This work provides several alternative material combinations for a planar guiding configuration, able to squeeze matter waves into tiny apertures while being maximally apt to evanescently couple them. It is also shown that the proposed designs can work under arbitrary curvature by supporting proper resonances, resulting in propagating or standing-wave patterns around them. The signal interaction between straight semiconducting wires and circular rings is demonstrated in layouts that can be used in a variety of components: from beam splitters and quantum memory elements to matter-wave transformers and quantum circuits. (C) 2020 Optical Society of America