NSF-BSF: Squeezing the Optical Frequency Comb: Applications to Quantum Computing and Quantum Measurement

量子计算是一个强大的概念，具有革命性的科学发现潜力。正如理查德·费曼（Richard Feynman）最初设想的那样，用量子比特进行计算，将使物理学家能够解决传统上遥不可及的问题，例如从头开始设计新材料（例如室温超导体），新的化学反应（用于肥料生产或碳固存），以及基于量子物理原理的新药（用于医学）。构建实用且有用的量子计算机的两个基本要求是：(i)访问大量可单独寻址的量子位；（ii）避免量子位错误的能力，如果不能，则纠正它们。这个项目将通过探索利用光的量子态来编码信息的新方法来解决这两个需求。这种方法将培养学生发展光学和光子学技术。它还将通过NSF-BSF项目促进基础科学合作。这个项目的目标是使用大量不同频率的激光束来实现量子处理器，这些激光束被称为“模”，专门用于显示运行量子算法所需的量子相关性或纠缠。弗吉尼亚大学的量子光学小组一直是这种方法的先驱，并获得了创纪录数量的纠缠模。该项目将促进与巴伊兰大学的合作，通过开发一种新的模态检测方法来扩大这项研究的范围。此次合作还将通过使用量子光学开发新的检测技术来解决量子纠错问题，这些技术可以抵御光学损耗和噪声。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Quantum computing is a powerful concept with revolutionary scientific discovery potential. Computing with quantum bits, known as "qubits," as initially envisioned by Richard Feynman, would allow physicists to solve problems traditionally far out of reach, such as the ab initio design of new materials (e.g. room-temperature superconductors), new chemical reactions (for fertilizer production, or for carbon sequestration), and new drugs (for medicine) based on the principles of quantum physics. Two fundamental requirements for building a practical and useful quantum computer are: (i), access to a large number of individually addressable qubits and, (ii), the ability to eschew qubit errors and, if not, to correct them. This project will address both of these requirements by exploring new ways to use quantum states of light to encode information. This approach will train students to develop optics and photonics technologies. It will also promote fundamental scientific collaborations via the NSF-BSF program. The aim of this project is the implementation of a quantum processor using a multitude of laser beams with different frequencies called "qumodes" that are specifically engineered to display the quantum correlations, or entanglement, needed to run quantum algorithms. The quantum optics group at the University of Virginia has been pioneering such an approach and has obtained a record number of entangled qumodes. This project will promote a collaboration with Bar-Ilan University that will expand the scope of this research by developing a novel detection method for qumodes. This collaboration will also address quantum error correction by using quantum optics to develop new detection techniques that are resilient to optical losses and noise.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.