Models and applications of quantum measurement in superconductors and quantum electromechanical systems

制造技术已经发展到可以制造超导电路和机械设备的阶段，其特征尺寸只有几十亿分之一米——纳米级。在这些长度尺度上，设备必须用量子物理定律来描述。这些量子效应可以极大地帮助信息处理、通信和计量中的许多任务。目前，在这些系统中缺乏一个现实的、完整的量子测量模型。这个项目旨在填补我们知识上的这一空白。由此产生的理论将用于研究如何利用纳米技术中的量子效应来帮助信息处理和计量等应用。相信这些应用将成为未来基础科学实验的使能技术。拟议的项目处于EPSRC两个关键研究重点——量子信息处理和纳米级研究之间的边界。这项研究将在量子信息和量子光学理论小组（帝国理工学院）进行，利用该小组现有的量子信息和量子测量专业知识。这个项目的一个重要部分将是与国家物理实验室的实验人员密切互动。

Fabrication techniques have progressed to the stage where it is possible to manufacture superconducting circuits and mechanical devices with feature sizes of a few billionths of a meter - the nanoscale. At these length scales devices must be described by the laws of quantum physics. These quantum effects can be used to dramatically aid in a number of tasks in information processing, communication, and metrology. At present, a realistic, complete model of quantum measurement in these systems is lacking. This project aims to fill this gap in our knowledge. The resultant theory will be applied to study how quantum effects in nanotechnology can be exploited to aid in applications such as information processing and metrology. It is believed that these applications will act as an enabling technology for future experiments in basic science.The proposed programme stands at the boundary between two key EPSRC research priorities - quantum information processing and nanoscale research.The research will be undertaken at the Quantum Information and Quantum Optics Theory group (Imperial College), taking advantage of the existing quantum information and quantum measurement expertise in the group. A vital part of this project will be close interaction with experimentalists at the National Physical Laboratory.