Laboratoire de Physique is partner of an European Quantum Flagship project

Laboratoire de Physique is partner of an European Quantum Flagship project

Tue, 30/10/2018

News

Quantum networks and quantum radar from Einstein’s spooky action at a distance.

Quantum mechanics?
Most of us consider quantum mechanics as a demanding and hard-to-access mathematical toolbox required to understand the structure of atoms and condensed matter on a fundamental level.
Meanwhile, we know that this formalism has the potential to spawn seminal real-life applications in a not too far away future. Such quantum technologies include superior computers, bug-proof communication, and novel sensing methods.
European Quantum Flagship Program
In order to keep up with other big economies such as the USA, China, or Japan, the EU has recently set up a 10-year flagship program on research and development on this topic.
In the first, highly competitive call under this program, a grant has been awarded to a consortium in which Laboratoire de Physique (CNRS / ENS de Lyon / UCBL) is a partner.
The consortium gathers renowned research groups from Germany, Spain, Finland and Portugal as well as the cryotechnology company Oxford Instruments Nanotechnology Tools Ltd. from the UK and the Spanish microwave technology specialist TTI Norte S.L.
QMiCS

The project is entitled “Quantum Microwaves for Communication and Sensing” (QMiCS). As indicated by its name, QMiCS aims at creating the technological basis for quantum-enhanced communication and sensing.
The underlying idea is to exploit the fact that, close to absolute zero temperature, superconducting circuits emit microwave light with a particular quantum property called entanglement. Dubbed as “spooky action at a distance” by Albert Einstein, entanglement characterizes correlations stronger than any described by classical electrodynamics.
On this basis, the prototype of a quantum local area network capable to connect quantum computers and a proof-of-principle quantum radar with enhanced sensitivity will be demonstrated in the Quantum Circuit Group at ENS de Lyon.
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