UK Quantum Technology Hub in Quantum Enhanced Imaging

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We are an interdisciplinary team of physicists, engineers, and computer scientists seeking to form a Hub in Quantum Enhanced Imaging.Our Hub will link world-leading quantum technologists with global industry leaders to transform imaging in alignment with industry priorities and national/international economic and societal needs. Together we will pioneer imaging and sensing systems with breakthrough functionality by developing a family of quantum-enhanced multidimensional cameras operating across a range of wavelengths, timescales and length-scales. Innovations will include: - imaging with the most minimal, or only infrared, illumination;- imaging even where line of sight is blocked; - imaging at wavelengths unachievable by any conventional camera technology;imaging gravity fields with unprecedented sensitivity; and- imaging the microscopic world using quantum light.Quantum Technologies applied to imaging will create cameras offering functionality that is currently not available, transforming a multitude of applications in defence, security, transport, energy, aerospace and the medical/life sciences. We are the only proposed Hub to address the imaging need, and we have over 30 industry partners firmly committed to the aims of the Hub. These partners range from SMEs such as M-Squared Lasers through to multinationals including Thales, e2V and Selex, and consortia including the CENSIS innovation centre, Fraunhofer UK, the UK Astronomy Technology Centre and government bodies including DSTL and NPL. We will support this industrial engagement and exploitation pipeline through a £4M Partnership Fund, managed by our business-led Opportunities Panel that will support jointly funded projects with industry. An additional £3M investment from the Scottish Funding Council will create innovation space within the Hub where companies can co-locate with the academic teams in refining demonstrator systems advancing their TRL to fully precompetitive prototypes.We will engage with the UK's Science Centre Network creating a quantum technology exhibition targeted to interested adults with appeal to wider family audiences and school groups. The exhibit will create space for dialogue about the impact of quantum technologies on the way we live, work and communicate, giving the public an opportunity to feed back their views to the research team. The key strength of this proposal is the combination of a broad-based, highly experienced university consortium with established industry relationships and the relevance of a programme concept shaped by the challenges facing our industry partners.