QuMeta · Space-time quantum metasurfaces with two-dimensional layered materials

Space-time quantum metasurfaces with two-dimensional layered materials

The project is positioned at the frontier of quantum photonics and metasurface engineering, addressing urgent global challenges in information and communication technologies. With the exponential growth of data traffic and the rise of 6G networks, artificial intelligence, and quantum information systems, there is an increasing demand for ultrafast, energy-efficient, and reconfigurable photonic devices. Existing platforms, however, face intrinsic limitations: electronic systems suffer from bandwidth and power bottlenecks, while current optical devices are typically narrowband and static, unable to adapt to dynamically evolving requirements. To overcome these constraints, the project set out to establish a new paradigm of space–time quantum metasurfaces based on graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials. These metasurfaces—engineered arrays of nanostructured and electrically gated elements—enable active, multidimensional control of light fields (amplitude, phase, frequency, and polarization), unlocking powerful capabilities to manipulate both classical and quantum states of light. In particular, they promise dynamic control of quantum entanglement, a key functionality for next-generation secure communication, advanced sensing, and quantum computing technologies. The specific objectives were defined as follows: • Objective 1 – Theoretical design: Develop algorithms and models for metasurfaces, enabling on-demand control of electromagnetic waves across multiple harmonics and modes. • Objective 2 – Fabrication: Realize graphene-based space–time metasurfaces through advanced nanofabrication, exploiting gate tunability to achieve atomically thin, reconfigurable platforms. • Objective 3 – Applications: Demonstrate proof-of-concept in quantum imaging and light manipulation, highlighting the distinctive functionalities of space–time metasurfaces beyond conventional optics. The pathway to impact was deliberately aligned with broader political and strategic priorities. The European Union’s digital and green transitions depend on cutting-edge photonic technologies to ensure secure communications, sustainable data processing, and energy-efficient infrastructures. By providing CMOS-compatible, ultrathin, and multifunctional devices, this project contributes directly to Europe’s ambition to lead globally in 6G, quantum communication, and advanced photonic sensing systems. The scale and significance of impact are considerable: • Scientific impact: A fundamentally new platform for nonlinear and non-Hermitian photonics, granting experimental access to phenomena such as exceptional points and singularity-enhanced sensing. • Technological impact: Concepts demonstrated here can evolve into compact, integrable devices for THz communication, quantum imaging, and on-chip photonic computing. • Societal impact: The technologies developed can strengthen future infrastructures for secure digital communication, healthcare monitoring, and intelligent sensing, thereby improving resilience and wellbeing in Europe and worldwide. In summary, the project has laid the foundation for a disruptive class of active quantum metasurfaces, bridging physics, materials science, and engineering. The outcomes are expected to shape the trajectory of quantum photonics and 6G technologies, positioning Europe at the forefront of scientific and technological innovation.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз