Bridging quantum light and computation: a comprehensive review of photonic technologies for quantum information science

Quantum information science is rapidly advancing toward practical implementations, with photonic technologies emerging as a central enabler due to their unique advantages in scalability, low-loss transmission, and room-temperature operation. This review presents a comprehensive analysis of recent developments that bridge quantum light and computation, covering material platforms, device architectures, and application domains in photonic quantum computing. We systematically examine integrated photonic circuits, single-photon sources, quantum memories, and photonic logic gates, highlighting their roles in realizing robust and efficient quantum information processing. Emphasis is placed on state-of-the-art experimental demonstrations and theoretical frameworks that integrate quantum photonics with emerging computational paradigms, including machine learning and hybrid quantum–classical systems. The review further addresses challenges such as loss management, photon indistinguishability, and large-scale integration, while discussing potential breakthroughs through novel material systems, topological photonics, and quantum networking protocols. By synthesizing recent progress and identifying key bottlenecks, this work provides a forward-looking perspective on how photonic technologies can drive the next generation of quantum computing and communication systems.