NSF-BSF: The Phase-Modulated Quantum Optical Frequency Comb: A Simple Platform for One-Way Quantum Computing

这项名为“NSF-BSF：相位调制量子光学频率梳：单向量子计算平台”的联合项目是弗吉尼亚大学的Olivier Pfister和巴伊兰大学的Avi Pe‘er的研究小组在美国国家科学基金会(NSF)和美国-以色列双国科学基金会(BSF)合作研究机会计划的支持下开展的。在国家量子倡议的支持下，量子计算现在正处于一场“月球竞赛”中，以利用量子物理系统的非凡计算能力来解决特定的棘手问题，如整数因式分解(与密码学和国家安全有关)、发现碳封存过程或发现用于化肥生产的高效固氮过程。建造量子计算机的挑战之一是可伸缩性。Pfister-Pe‘er的合作利用了Pfister发明的频率多路复用光子量子计算的出色可扩展性，将其与Pe’er发明的超宽带量子探测器技术相关联。这个项目的目标是展示一种大规模的光子量子计算机，它使用量子频率多路复用或“量子带宽”，这是一种替代调频无线电和宽带无线技术的量子模拟。核心系统是由光腔的谐振模式定义的光学频率梳(OFC)。自T.W.Hänsch和J.L.Hall创立诺贝尔奖以来，OFC取得了惊人的发展，应用领域包括极高精度的计量和基本测量。Pfister的团队是第一个通过实验证明由单个光学参数振荡器(OPO)发射的量子OFC是量子计算基板的人，通过在QOFC的“牙齿”之间产生可扩展的簇态纠缠。同时，Pe‘er的团队展示了一种新的量子检测方法，参数零差检测(PHD)，这种方法是宽带的，对损失具有弹性。该项目将把这两项技术结合在一起，展示量子OFC中真正的量子处理，并将量子计算扩展到噪音中等大小的量子(NISQ)体系之外。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This joint project, ''NSF-BSF: The phase-modulated quantum optical frequency comb: a platform for one-way quantum computing,'' is a collaboration between the research groups of Olivier Pfister at the University of Virginia and Avi Pe'er at Bar-Ilan University, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the US-Israel Binational Science Foundation (BSF) Collaborative Research Opportunities program. Quantum computing is now in a "Moon race," supported by the National Quantum Initiative, to harness the extraordinary computational power of quantum physical systems for specific intractable problems such as integer factoring (relevant to cryptography and national security), discovering carbon sequestration processes, or discovering efficient nitrogen fixation processes for fertilizer production. One of the challenges to building a quantum computer is scalability. The Pfister-Pe’er collaboration leverages the outstanding scalability of frequency-multiplexed photonic quantum computing, invented by Pfister, by associating it with the ultrabroadband quantum detector technology invented by Pe’er. The goal of this project is to demonstrate a large-scale photonic quantum computer by use of quantum frequency multiplexing or "quantum bandwidth," the quantum analogue of the technology subtending FM radio and broadband wireless. The core system is the optical frequency comb (OFC) defined by the resonant modes of an optical cavity. The OFC has seen spectacular development since its Nobel-recognized inception by T.W. Hänsch and J.L. Hall, with applications such as ultimate precision metrology and fundamental measurements. Pfister's group was the first to experimentally demonstrate that the quantum OFC emitted by a single optical parametric oscillator (OPO) is a quantum computing substrate, by generating scalable cluster-state entanglement between the ''teeth'' of the QOFC. In parallel, Pe'er's group demonstrated a novel quantum detection method, parametric homodyne detection (PHD), that is broadband and resilient to losses. The project will bring both technologies together to demonstrate bona fide quantum processing in the quantum OFC and scale quantum computing beyond the noisy, intermediate-size quantum (NISQ) regime.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.