The power of quantum resources

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The development of quantum information theory has seen a major blossoming both of scientific results and technological advances that are becoming commercially available (random number generators, cryptography, etc.). The key of the success of quantum information lies in the fact that quantum objects are actual resources, for they provide concrete advantage over ordinary (i.e. classical) objects. In other words, the quantum world has a power we can harness. My research program aims at exploring the power and limitations of quantum resources, such as quantum entanglement, in order to devise better protocols and novel quantum technologies that take full advantage of the quantum world. Crucial ingredients of all quantum technologies are quantum channels, which are ways to transmit quantum information in space (e.g. to a satellite) and through time (e.g. time evolution of a physical system). In order to devise powerful quantum technologies, one must use quantum channels in the most effective way, so that quantum resources are not wasted or destroyed in the process. For instance, consider a quantum computer. The most likely large-scale implementation thereof will be in a distributed fashion, with quantum channels connecting various nodes of a network, and employing quantum entanglement as an essential resource to carry out computation. In this setting, it is vital to quantify, e.g., the largest amount of entanglement that can be extracted out of a quantum channel, which can then be used to implement the actual distributed computation. My research will provide a quantitative answer to this and similar issues that are so central for the development of quantum technologies. Besides these practical applications, my research tackles more theoretical problems too. One concerns the development of a theory of thermodynamics for quantum channels that extends the known thermodynamics for quantum states. Here the goal is to formalize an extended version of the second law of thermodynamics, valid for both channels and states. This can provide a new angle on nanotechnologies, and even on important aspects of statistical physics. Another theoretical direction concerns the emergence of the classical limit out of generic physical theories that may even be beyond quantum, such as the theories that have been proposed for quantum gravity. This demands a careful understanding of coherence, or lack thereof, in generalized physical settings. As a long-term goal, this direction will allow us to gain a better perspective on the role of coherence in quantum gravity. The results of my research program will keep Canada strategically at the forefront of the quantum revolution - where it is already a leader - and will help consolidate and advance its position even further. The scientific advances produced by my research will foster a vibrant scientific environment, where HQP will be trained to meet the demands of the new quantum era.