A PAckageD source of Multiplexed Entangled photons (PADME)

量子技术（QT）正在改变我们的经济和教育。缓慢而稳定地提供新的功能来保护通信，测量无法检测的信号，并在不久的将来彻底改变计算。光作为量子信号的载体和新量子硬件与现有技术之间的接口起着关键作用。例如，纠缠光子——即使相隔很远也紧密相连的光粒子——可以通过可用的光纤网络进行路由，并且在几个量子加密方案和全光量子计算机中都是必需的。光要完成其作为量子先驱的使命，我们需要将其嵌入一个紧凑的、可扩展的、可大规模生产的平台。随着PADME，我们建议研究光子集成电路（PICs）作为量子态光的来源，遵循几十年前将电子产品带入当今消费市场的步骤。我们将研究如何从我们自己设计并由商业铸造厂制造的PIC组件中产生和提取纠缠光子。我们将结合我们的内部光子学和光电子封装专业知识（Bay photonics），多年的学术研究卓越（斯特拉斯克莱德大学和格拉斯哥大学），以及商业PIC代工厂的最新进展，提供高性能，紧凑，可靠的纠缠光子对来源，将服务于全球市场，并巩固英国作为量子和光子创新的世界领导者的地位。我们希望这项可行性研究能够刺激进一步的研发和市场意识，以采用量子技术的PIC方法，并开发一个全国性的量子PIC供应链。

**Quantum technologies (QT)** are transforming our economy and education. Slowly but steadily delivering novel capabilities to secure communications, measure undetectable signals, and in a not-so-far future, revolutionise computing.Light plays a pivotal role as a carrier for quantum signals and as the interface between the new quantum hardware and the available technology. For example, entangled photons -- light particles strongly connected even when far apart -- can be routed over the available fibre network and are required in several quantum cryptographic schemes and all-optical quantum computers. For light to fulfil its mission as quantum herald, we need to embed it in a compact, scalable, and mass-producible platform.With PADME, we propose investigating **Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs)** as a source of quantum states of light, following the steps that brought electronics to today's consumer market a few decades ago.We will study how to generate and extract entangled photons from a PIC component of our own design and fabricated by a commercial foundry. We will combine our in-house photonics and optoelectronics packaging know-how (Bay Photonics), years of academic research excellence (Universities of Strathclyde and Glasgow), and the most recent advances of commercial PIC foundries to deliver a high-performance, compact, and reliable source of entangled photon pairs that will service a global market and bolster the UK's position as a world-leader in quantum and photonic innovation.We expect this feasibility study to stimulate further R&D and market awareness into adopting the PIC approach for quantum technologies and developing a national quantum PIC supply chain.