Beyond Qubits with Photons

量子信息科学有望通过安全通信、精确测量以及超强的模拟和计算，在21世纪彻底改变信息和通信技术（ICT）。这些技术的实现将大大提高我们保护和处理推动全球经济的不断增长的信息量的能力。有一天，模拟复杂系统的能力可以提供新材料，药物和太阳能电池。光子学注定要在这些未来的量子技术中扮演核心角色：光的单个粒子-光子-是编码，处理和传输量子信息的理想系统。然而，每个光子编码一个量子比特（或量子比特）信息的标准方法将当前技术限制在小系统尺寸上。在这些小规模的系统无法履行其巨大的承诺。该奖学金将采取一种新的方法-每个光子编码更多的信息-从而实现性能超过传统计算机的系统。这种新方法是由于布里斯托早期在集成量子光子学领域的发展而成为可能的--使用硅芯片上的波导来产生和引导光子。因为这些波导芯片可以以高度并行的方式制造-很像计算机芯片-高度复杂的波导电路可以相对容易地实现。通过在许多波导的量子电路中传播许多光子，这种类型的高维系统有望在通信，精密测量，成像处理和模拟等新应用中实现“快速通道”。

Quantum information science promises to revolutionise information and communications technologies (ICT) in the 21st century via secure communication, precision measurement, and ultra-powerful simulation and computation. The realisation of these technologies will massively enhance our ability to secure and process the ever-increasing volumes of information that drives our global economy. The ability to simulate complex systems could one day deliver new materials, pharmaceuticals and solar cells. Photonics is destined for a central role in these future quantum technologies: single particles of light --- photons --- are an ideal system for encoding, processing, and transmitting quantum information. However, the standard approach of encoding one quantum bit (or qubit) of information per photon limits current techniques to small system sizes. At these small sizes these systems are unable to fulfil their tremendous promise. This Fellowship will take a new approach --- encoding much more information per photon --- and thereby realise systems whose performance exceeds that of a conventional computer. This new approach is made possible by the earlier development at Bristol of the field of integrated quantum photonics --- the use of waveguides on silicon chips to generate and guide photons. Because these waveguide chips can be fabricated in a highly parallel way --- much like computer chips --- highly complex waveguide circuits can be relatively easily realised. By propagating many photons in quantum circuits of many waveguides this type of higher-dimensional system promises a 'fast-track' to new applications in communication, precision measurement, imaging processing and simulation.