Canadian consortium for Quantum-Engineered States and Transduction (CanQuEST)

量子技术在我们的社会中发挥着越来越重要的作用，经典网络所施加的局限性也越来越明显。举一个值得注意的例子，量子计算机的发展提供了一种新的计算范式，依靠量子力学现象来解决经典计算机难以解决的问题。在此背景下，量子网络的实现不仅可以实现量子安全通信，还可以连接计算节点，进一步促进量子计算机的发展。然而，由于量子信息不能复制，处理量子信息带来了许多挑战。因此，为了精确地控制和操纵光光子和微波信号等不同模式的信息，需要涉及各种量子系统。混合量子接口结合了超导电路、固态系统和光子器件，构成了量子计算和通信的核心要素。然而，它们的设计、开发和制造仍然极具挑战性，需要多个合作伙伴的合作。以发展量子互联网的关键技术为主要目标，这个NSERC加拿大量子工程源和转导联盟（CanQuEST）的提案是解决这一挑战的独特定位。事实上，该团队汇集了量子科学和技术互补方面的专家。具体而言，结合量子电路、光子学、微观力学和人造原子等量子技术，提出在微波频率和电信波长之间实现混合量子接口。CanQuEST将专注于开发双向换能器以及为量子传感和通信生成感兴趣的复杂状态的两个应用。要实现能够在不同量子节点之间处理信息的量子网络，目前还缺少这样的使能器件。

Quantum technologies are playing an increasingly important role in our society and the limitations imposed by classical networks are becoming apparent. To mention one notable example, the development of quantum computers offer a new computational paradigm relying on quantum mechanical phenomena to solve problems that would otherwise be provably hard for classical computers. In this context, the realization of quantum networks would not only enable quantum secure communications, but would also allow connecting computing nodes, further facilitating the development of quantum computers. Nevertheless, since quantum information cannot be copied, processing quantum information poses numerous challenges. It is thus necessary to involve various quantum systems in order to precisely control and manipulate the information across different modes such as optical photon and microwave signals. Hybrid quantum interfaces, combining superconducting circuits, solid-state systems and photonic devices, constitute a central element for quantum computing and communication. Yet, their design, development, and fabrication remains extremely challenging and require the collaboration of multiple partners.With the development of key technologies for the quantum internet as main goal, this NSERC Canadian consortium for Quantum-Engineered Sources and Transduction (CanQuEST) proposal is uniquely positioned to tackle this challenge. Indeed, the team brings together experts on complementary aspects of quantum science and technology. Concretely, by combining multiple aspects of quantum technologies such as quantum circuits, photonics, micromechanics and artificial atoms, we propose to realize hybrid quantum interfaces operating between microwave frequencies and telecommunication wavelengths. CanQuEST will focus on two applications with the development of bidirectional transducers as well as the generation of complex states of interest for quantum sensing and communication. Such enabling devices are still critically missing to realize quantum network capable of processing information between different quantum nodes.