Most quantum technologies rely on homogeneous, long lived qubits which are efficiently optically interconnected. To achieve this goal, we have been studying color centers in diamond and silicon carbide, in combination with novel fabrication techniques, and our photonics inverse design approach.
LIGO has recently made revolutionary discoveries in astrophysics with the first detections of gravitational waves. In this talk, I will focus on the optical technologies behind the Advanced LIGO detectors as well as present challenges we face for improving those detectors in the future.