Creation, Characterization and Application of Novel Quantum States of Light

在过去的20年里，我一直是世界范围内科学努力的一部分，旨在征服和利用量子物理的基本戒律，以获得一些技术优势。到目前为止，尽管在许多方面已经取得了长足的进步，但成功仍然令人沮丧地难以捉摸；理论上的概念，比如能够超越当前传统计算机的大规模量子计算机，或者使用量子密钥分发的安全、高速、远程通信网络，似乎永远都是至少十年后的事情。我在这份提案中概述的研究计划旨在通过以下方式帮助量子技术的发展：研究将两种或两种以上方法结合在一个体系结构中的混合系统设计方法；基于操作的系统表征方法，以便我们可以衡量设备完成预期任务的情况；并检查设备工程方面的进步，这些进步使20年前做梦也想不到的实验能力可能被利用在其他应用领域，如医学成像。 这是一个项目的延续提案，该项目在2015年的比赛中获得了一年的资助；在资助开始的六个月里，我们取得了相当大的进展，发表了两篇论文，另有两篇手稿被接受出版。 这项建议是为了在理论原子和光学物理的一般领域进行研究。这些资金将用于支持学士、博士和博士后受训人员的活动，他们将获得物理系统的数学和数值建模、数据处理和光学系统设计方面的专业知识，所有这些技能都高度适用于物理科学和更广泛的高科技经济领域的研究。

For the past 20 years I have been working as part of the world-wide scientific effort intended to subjugate and exploit the fundamental precepts of quantum physics in order gain some technological advantage. To date, despite great strides having been taken on a number of fronts, success remains frustratingly elusive; theoretical concepts such as a large-scale quantum computer capable of out-performing current conventional computers, or a secure, high-speed, long-range communication network using quantum key distribution seem to be perpetually at least a decade away. The research program I outline in this proposal is intended to aid the development of quantum technologies by investigating hybrid approaches to systems design which combine two or more approaches in a single architecture; operational-based methods of systems characterization, so that we can gauge how well devices are preforming their intended task; and to examine how the advances made in device engineering, which have enabled experimental capabilities undreamt of 20 years ago, might be exploited in other application areas such as medical imaging. This is a continuation proposal of a project which was funded for one year in the 2015 competition; in the six months since the funding began, we have made considerable progress, with two papers published, plus two more manuscripts accepted for publication. This proposal is for research in the general area of theoretical atomic and optical physics. The funds will be to support the activities of trainees at bachelor's, doctoral and post-doctoral levels, who will be gaining expertise in mathematical and numerical modelling of physical systems, data processing, and design of optical systems, all skills which are highly applicable to research in the physical sciences and in the wider high-technology economy.