Academic Lead – Almut Beige (Leeds)
It is now widely known that quantum information (QI) offers huge potential for future technologies and services to support the Digital Economy. Examples include quantum computers that could outperform any conventional computers, quantum communication protocols that guarantee unbreakable security and quantum sensors that offer unprecedented sensitivity.
This project is to optimise quantum devices and quantum protocols for future quantum technologies and services. The research will be carried out in three overlapping and complementary theoretical research areas. We are very fortunate within the White Rose collaboration to have internationally recognised QI activities at all three network nodes. The two researchers in Sheffield (Whittaker, Kok) belong to one of the world-leading research groups for quantum control of nanoscale systems. The network further includes the Head of the Leeds QI group (Spiller), recognised for his quantum technology expertise and industrial experience, a leading expert on quantum optics (Beige) and two recognised experts on quantum processes and protocols at York (Busch, Weigert).
The three groups in this proposal have been strategically selected to have the necessary diversity and range of skills to address the following question at both fundamental and practical levels: How to best turn theoretical QI devices and concepts into new technologies and services? Achieving this goal requires a close collaboration with experimental groups (at Sheffield and Leeds). The device focus of two of the proposed projects links directly to these experimental activities. The QI process and protocol research will be based on the expertise at all three network nodes, with focus provided from the industrial experience of Spiller at Leeds, previously Head of QI research and commercialisation at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories.
Over the last years, much progress has been made towards demonstrating the feasibility of novel quantum technologies and services. However, further strategic research is needed. Quantum communication devices are already commercially viable but would benefit significantly from improved photon sources and new protocols, to significantly increase the possible distance between sender and receiver, for example. In the quantum processing arena, devices based on modest numbers of quantum bits, such as sensors and simulators, require research to focus on their implementation and the degrading issue of decoherence. Based on this, our device research is focused on quantum dots which provide one of the most promising routes for quantum processors, quantum sensors and enhanced sources of photons. Our proposed process and protocol research is focused on areas to support quantum communication and quantum information processing.
Network Projects
Modelling single quantum dot experiments for applications in quantum metrology and quantum cryptography
Principal Supervisor – Almut Beige (Leeds)
Decoherence Mechanisms in Semiconductor Quantum Dots
Principal Supervisor – David M Whittaker (Sheffield)
Structural Aspects of Qudit Systems: Approximate Joint Measurements, Approximate Cloning and
Implications for the Security of Information Processing and Storage
Principal Supervisor – Paul Busch (York)