NQVL:QSTD:Pilot: Quantum Computing Applications of Photonics (QCAP)

University Of New Mexico, Albuquerque NM

Investigators

Abstract

Quantum Information Science and Engineering (QISE) promises to accelerate information processing far beyond classical limits, enabled by the differences in the foundamental natural laws of classical and quantum physics. Currently, state-of-the-art quantum devices are noisy, lack full error correction and fault tolerance, are limited to small prototype devices, and require very low operation temperatures for utilizing quantum effects and fragile quantum states. In that broader landscape, this program rests on a strategy for quantum computing using photonic components that can operate at room temperature. Quantum computing in general is expected to impact areas such as economic forecasting, high-precision climate change modeling, drug discovery, quantum chemistry, and discovery of novel technological materials. The technical activities under this project are accompanied by the economic/technology risk assessment that assists in prioritizing project tasks/risk mitigation and identifies techno-economic directions and opportunities for forging meaningful and lasting strategic economic and industrial partnerships. Academic partners participating in this project are minority-serving institutions, supporting learning communities for increasing equity, inclusiveness, and quantum workforce diversity, consistent with demographic goals of the National Quantum Initiative. A major technical goal of this project is to design a blueprint for building a full-stack programmable photonic Gaussian-boson-sampling (GBS) quantum computer, including hardware selection for quantum light sources (input), interferometer units (compute), and photo-detection (output), as well as algorithm development for the GBS quantum computing platform. The long-term goal for realizing fully error-corrected, scalable, fault-tolerant quantum advantage is assisted by a synergistic hybrid quantum-classical capability for increased programming versatility of the interferometer compute unit. Transformative high-impact use-cases realized with a photonic quantum computer are expected for problems with high-dimensional solution spaces. The goal of developing a full-stack GBS quantum information processing system is bound to advance many aspects of quantum photonics. New and better controllable quantum light sources are imperative for GBS, but are also critical for advancing quantum communication and quantum networking, a prerequisite for distributed quantum computing. The educational goals are to develop new teaching modules to facilitate adoption and adaptation at various educational levels into existing curricula, raising quantum awareness and literacy at 2-year and 4-year colleges, and increasing students' readiness for continued education in the graduate quantum science and engineering degree programs to be developed at the University of New Mexico, the lead institution. This project advances the objectives of Quantum Information Science and Engineering at NSF in response to the National Quantum Initiative Act for the continued leadership of the United States in QIS and its technology applications. This project is jointly funded by the NSF National Quantum Virtual Laboratory program and the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). 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.