QuIC-TAQS: A high-dimensional multi-access scalable testbed for the interconnected quantum network

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

Recent efforts have demonstrated remarkable interconnects between solid-state qubits, atomic qubits, quantum sensing platforms, and solid-state ensembles. This not only provides for the next-generation of scalable compact quantum microprocessors, but also lays the foundation towards a transformative interconnected quantum network for quantum state transfer, sensing, computation, and communications. Advancing from the recent quantum intra-chip interconnects and processors demonstrated by the community, this team leads and advances the interdisciplinary frontier for quantum communications and interconnects – that of distributed entanglement and interconnected quantum networks. This is enabled by the team’s experimental contributions in high-dimensional time-frequency qubits for quantum communications, spin-photon readout of rare-earth ion-based quantum memories towards repeaters in network links, unique error correction algorithms and coding, and fundamental theoretical bounds and numerical computations. The interdisciplinary effort spans across Applied Physics, Chemistry, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Materials Science, Mathematics, and Physics. Working together with our industry and national laboratory colleagues, this team effort allows the examination of interconnected quantum network performance parameters, even in the presence of non-idealities. This QuIC-TAQS team studies three synergistic Thrusts to establish the cross-foundations towards a chip-scalable Interconnected Quantum Network. In Thrust I, the QuIC-TAQS team examines high-dimensional high-rate quantum photonic transmitters with integrated chip measurements. This includes a 8192-Hilbert space dimensionality in a high-rate link encoding, along with Bell state measurements and low-jitter detection. In Thrust II, the QuIC-TAQS team examines high-fidelity high-efficiency chip-scale quantum memories, in joint measurements between UCLA and Caltech. This is based on solid-state erbium-ions with dynamical control towards network repeaters. Unique protocols and coherence time improvements will be studied. In Thrust III, the QuIC-TAQS team examines robust quantum links, including coding and architecture, to establish a quantum network testbed at UCLA. Supporting the measurements, protocol improvements and numerical simulations of the network performance will be examined. The examined QuIC-TAQS Thrusts spans across integrated quantum photonic platforms, modular quantum sources and memory units, towards a secure interconnected quantum network. The scientific Thrusts of this QuIC-TAQS team is complemented with training of a diverse workforce, with priority emphasis on underrepresented graduate and undergraduate students. This involves recruitment from minority undergraduate and community college research site programs, focused mentorship efforts at UCLA-Colorado-Caltech in quantum science and technology. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.