Researchers Launch Project For Scalable Quantum Technology

Imagine a future where impossibly complex calculations are solved in moments, and communication is entirely secure—this vision is inching closer to reality with a new European research collaboration focused on harnessing the power of light. Scientists from the University of Copenhagen, the University of Basel, and Ruhr University Bochum have joined forces in a groundbreaking project to build scalable quantum technology using photons, the fundamental particles of light. By developing exquisitely precise quantum dots—tiny structures that emit single photons—researchers aim to create powerful, modular quantum processors and communication networks, potentially revolutionizing fields from medicine to materials science and ushering in a new era of computation.

New ERC Synergy Project Details

A new ERC Synergy project is uniting researchers from the University of Copenhagen, the University of Basel, and Ruhr University Bochum to advance scalable photonic quantum technology. The collaborative effort, spearheaded in part by Professors Anders Søndberg Sørensen and Peter Lodahl of the Niels Bohr Institute, focuses on developing quantum dots – tiny semiconductor structures capable of emitting single photons – with unprecedented precision. By carefully controlling these quantum dots with laser fields and integrating them with advanced nanostructures, the team aims to generate entangled photons on demand, a crucial element for future quantum computers and communication systems. Notably, the project’s modular and scalable approach allows for expansion by simply adding more photon sources, paving the way for increasingly complex quantum information systems capable of generating up to ten entangled photons. This ambitious undertaking promises to establish a foundation for a new era of quantum technology utilizing light for information processing.

Quantum Dot Technology and Scalability

A key challenge in advancing quantum computing is scalability, and a new ERC Synergy project led by researchers at the University of Copenhagen, University of Basel, and Ruhr University Bochum directly addresses this through quantum dot technology. These tiny semiconductor structures, capable of emitting single photons, are being refined with “unprecedented precision and quality” to create robust and expandable quantum hardware. Unlike some quantum approaches, this project focuses on a modular design; the system’s capacity can be increased simply by adding more high-quality photon sources, paving the way for larger, more powerful quantum processors. The researchers aim to generate entangled states with up to ten photons, serving as building blocks for complex systems, and importantly, will demonstrate practical methods for scaling up this technology—a crucial step toward realizing fully functional quantum computers and communication networks.

Currently, a significant research focus at the Niels Bohr Institute centers on developing scalable photonic quantum technology, as evidenced by a new, multi-university project funded by the European Research Council’s Synergy program. Led by researchers including Professors Anders Søndberg Sørensen and Peter Lodahl, the initiative aims to harness light – specifically entangled photons – for advanced computation and communication. The core of this work involves utilizing quantum dots, tiny semiconductor structures capable of emitting single photons with unprecedented precision, combined with advanced optical nanostructures. This modular approach allows for scalability, potentially enabling the creation of larger quantum processors through the simple addition of more high-quality photon sources, and ultimately paving the way for quantum computers and communication systems capable of solving currently intractable problems.