Towards deterministic atomic scale manufacturing of next-generation quantum devices

新一轮的量子技术（QT）革命已经在全球范围内开始。在释放量子技术潜力并为科学、工业和社会带来变革性进步的全球竞赛中，欧洲必须建立坚实的制造基础，以满足对下一代量子设备日益增长的制造需求。超导纳米线单光子探测器（SNSPDs）是QT应用中光子集成电路控制光子量子态的核心元件。由于高工艺可变性，目前的制造技术无法满足snspd对超导材料均匀材料性能的极端要求。该项目旨在研究和开发一种新的机械方法，以实现超导纳米线（NWs）的确定性，原子尺度制造。这项新工作将提升欧盟的光子集成电路制造能力，使欧洲能够引领新一轮的全球QT革命。该研究员目前是原子和接近原子尺度技术研究和发展的国际前沿的新兴领导者。在国际领先的专业知识（即聚焦离子束（FIB）纳米制造、精密制造和量子技术）的支持下，及时授予这一享有声望的奖学金将为研究员提供必要的资源和获得专业知识的机会，使其在这一新兴研究领域取得快速进展，并成为欧洲国际领先的独立研究员，准备好参与全球竞争。工业合作伙伴将获得斯特拉斯克莱德大学的许可，在研究项目完成后的三年内将新技术推向市场，预计市场价值超过3亿欧元。

The new round of quantum technology (QT) revolution has started worldwide. In the global race to unlock the potential of QTs and bring transformative advances to science, industry, and society, Europe must build a solid manufacturing base to meet the increasing manufacturing demands for next-generation quantum devices. Superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) are core elements of photonic integrated circuits to control photonic quantum states for QT applications. Due to high process variability, the current manufacturing technology fails to meet the extreme demands of SNSPDs for uniform material properties of superconducting materials. This project aims at researching and developing a new mechanical approach to enable the deterministic, atomic-scale manufacturing of superconducting nanowires (NWs). This new work will upgrade the EU's manufacturing capabilities of photonic integrated circuits, enabling Europe to lead the new round of the global QT revolution.The fellow is currently an emerging leader at the forefront of international advances in the research and development of Atomic and Close-to-atomic Scale technology. With support from internationally leading expertise (i.e. Focused ion beam(FIB) nanomanufacturing, Precision Manufacturing, and Quantum Technology) in the hosting institution, a timely award of this prestigious fellowship will provide the fellow with the necessary resources and access to expertise to make rapid progress in this emerging research area and become an internationally leading independent researcher in Europe ready to compete globally. An industrial partner will be granted a license by the University of Strathclyde to take the new technology to market within three years of the research programme's completion, addressing a market with an estimated value of over 300 million Euros.