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H2020Doctoral network2021–2025

AppQInfo · Applications and Hardware for Photonic Quantum Information Processing

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2021-03-01 → 2025-02-28
EU contribution
€4,094,013
Participants
9
Scheme
MSCA-ITN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Applications and Hardware for Photonic Quantum Information Processing

AppQInfo addressed the critical challenge of developing Europe's quantum technology capabilities and workforce to compete in the global "second quantum revolution." Europe faced a shortage of highly skilled researchers capable of bridging fundamental quantum science with real-world implementations, while technical barriers hindered practical deployment of quantum information processing systems, including limited long-distance quantum communication protocols, inefficient multiphoton sources and detectors, and lack of integrated quantum photonic platforms. Quantum technologies promise revolutionary advances in information processing, offering unprecedented computational power, unbreakable communication security, and novel simulation capabilities for drug discovery and materials science. For European society, mastering these technologies is essential for digital sovereignty, cybersecurity, economic competitiveness, and technological leadership. The project directly supported the EU's Quantum Flagship initiative and Digital Decade goals, positioning Europe to compete with major quantum programs globally. AppQInfo successfully trained 15 Early Stage Researchers across a consortium of 9 beneficiaries and 6 partner organizations in photonic quantum information processing. Research objectives focused on: (1) distributed multiphoton quantum protocols for secure communication, (2) quantum-enhanced processing units using integrated photonics, and (3) next-generation quantum applications and hardware. Project Achievements: The project exceeded its goals, producing 54+ high-impact publications and breakthrough demonstrations in quantum communication, simulation, and computing. Key achievements included daylight quantum key distribution over tens of kilometers, advanced photon-number-resolving detectors, integrated quantum photonic circuits for machine learning, and polariton-based quantum simulators. The innovative training program combined world-class research with intersectoral secondments and entrepreneurship workshops, creating a new generation of quantum technology leaders. All 15 ESRs completed doctoral training and now hold leading positions across European academia and industry.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

AppQInfo will provide a world class training in photonic Quantum Information Processing (pQIP), and prepare an excellent cohort of Early Stage Researchers (ESRs) to become the future R&D staff of Europe’s emerging markets in this area. Quantum Information Processing (QIP) is a key ingredient in Europe’s future Quantum Communication Infrastructure; it underpins quantum communications and quantum simulations, the first two pillars of the H2020 Quantum Flagship. QIP will revolutionise information technology, providing higher quality, speed and unconditional security, not possible with classical technologies. AppQInfo focusses on QIP in state-of-the-art integrated photonics, one of five Key Enabling Technologies for European Industry. Integrated photonics permits the creation, manipulation and readout of photonic quantum states in a highly controlled manner, with high speeds and low losses. The broad objectives of AppQInfo are: to create an excellent training of ESRs in the field of pQIP that is both interdisciplinary and intersectoral; to develop innovative, entrepreneurial ESRs with great career prospects; to maximise the exploitation and dissemination of our research; to engage the public through several outreach activities; to consolidate a wide expertise in the field of pQIP; to create a long-lasting collaboration network of top-class research units and industrial entities. Together, our 15 interdisciplinary research projects will work towards feasible long-distance quantum communications from urban-scale networks to satellite-based systems using various data encoding; study quantum photonic circuits towards their quantum transport properties and quantum transforms they implement; exploit these platforms for machine learning applications, such as building all-optical artificial neural networks, and applying them for quantum simulations; develop enabling technologies of sources and detectors of multiphoton quantum states and polaritonic logic gates.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIWERSYTET WARSZAWSKI · WarszawaCoordinatorPoland
  • IBM RESEARCH GMBH · RUESCHLIKONSwitzerland
  • ID QUANTIQUE SA · CarougeSwitzerland
  • IMPERIAL COLLEGE OF SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY AND MEDICINE · LondonUnited Kingdom
  • SORBONNE UNIVERSITE · ParisFrance
  • THE CHANCELLOR, MASTERS AND SCHOLARS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD · OxfordUnited Kingdom
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI PADOVA · PadovaItaly
  • UNIVERSITAT WIEN · WienAustria
  • UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLES · Bruxelles / BrusselBelgium

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union