Quantum Information and Communication

Project 3:

The promises of quantum computation and quantum communication have spurred a flurry of research activities worldwide. We take a broad approach to tackling the challenges involved and to exploring the opportunities offered.

Project leaders: Hugo Zbinden, Andreas Wallraff, Richard J. Warburton

Members: Nicolas Brunner, Andreas Fuhrer, Jonathan P. Home, Renato Renner, Philipp Treutlein, Andreas Wallraff, Richard J. Warburton, Stefan Wolf, Hugo Zbinden

Quantum mechanics provides a basis for encoding, processing and transferring information in ways that are fundamentally different from their classical counterparts. Bringing these new concepts into practice can lead, for example, to unprecedentedly secure communication devices and to computing machines that solve problems in quantum physics, materials design and chemistry that remain beyond the reach of even the most powerful conventional computers.

In this project, we develop, test and apply small-scale quantum systems that provide the basis for future quantum devices. In the area of quantum computation, we focus on the design of scalable architectures and the development of physical qubits, which are the building blocks of these devices. Quantum communication has already achieved commercial success, and our focus here is on further improving the performance and robustness of these systems, on exploring ideas for simplifying set-ups, and on transferring technology that we have established in the first two phases of NCCR QSIT into the market place.

In pursuing this programme, we continue covering a wide spectrum of topics — from basic science to real-world applications — and of technological platforms, from trapped ions and Josephson junctions, through to hybrid architectures interfacing solid-state systems with photons, atoms or ions, to novel single-photon detectors. The experimental efforts are complemented by theoretical work on fundamental aspects of quantum mechanics and on novel approaches to computation and communication.