Harnessing genuine quantum nonlocality. This project aims to develop the science and tools behind device-independent quantum security for information networks. These gold-standard protocols rely on genuine quantum nonlocality but, to date, the strict performance requirements have been unachievable for general practical cases. Further, the theory of nonlocality in multiparty networks is almost completely undeveloped. The project’s anticipated outcomes are novel experiment and theory to bypass bar ....Harnessing genuine quantum nonlocality. This project aims to develop the science and tools behind device-independent quantum security for information networks. These gold-standard protocols rely on genuine quantum nonlocality but, to date, the strict performance requirements have been unachievable for general practical cases. Further, the theory of nonlocality in multiparty networks is almost completely undeveloped. The project’s anticipated outcomes are novel experiment and theory to bypass barriers and open up nonlocal network protocols. It is also expected to rigorously establish that a single-photon wavefunction after a beamsplitter is truly nonlocal. Likely future benefits include secure random numbers, secure distributed information technology and world-best photon sources.Read moreRead less
Applications and tests of mesoscopic quantum coherence and entanglement. This project aims to probe the nature of quantum reality at the mesoscopic level. Quantum mechanics predicts strange spooky steering effects. Recent experiments have confirmed such nonlocality between two particles. The project's intended outcome is to provide a theoretical backbone to extend these experiments to larger laboratory- based systems. The objective is theory for experiments enabling spooky action to be quantifie ....Applications and tests of mesoscopic quantum coherence and entanglement. This project aims to probe the nature of quantum reality at the mesoscopic level. Quantum mechanics predicts strange spooky steering effects. Recent experiments have confirmed such nonlocality between two particles. The project's intended outcome is to provide a theoretical backbone to extend these experiments to larger laboratory- based systems. The objective is theory for experiments enabling spooky action to be quantified and quantum paradoxes including the notion of parallel universes to be better understood. Anticipated outcomes are the use of quantum nonlocality to provide secure communication and ultra-sensitive measurement capabilities.Read moreRead less
Quantum physics and complexity. How much information about a system’s present is needed to predict its future? This project aims to show that the answer fundamentally depends on how information is stored. Simulations of partially random processes are critical in real-world applications. Surprisingly, theory suggests that a simulation must store much more classical data (like bits) than is required to determine its output. This wastes precious resources. Via optical quantum information experiment ....Quantum physics and complexity. How much information about a system’s present is needed to predict its future? This project aims to show that the answer fundamentally depends on how information is stored. Simulations of partially random processes are critical in real-world applications. Surprisingly, theory suggests that a simulation must store much more classical data (like bits) than is required to determine its output. This wastes precious resources. Via optical quantum information experiments, the project aims to demonstrate and characterise how storing and handling data in quantum states massively reduces this complexity overhead. Another goal is to use novel quantum optics ideas to greatly reduce communication complexity in important remote processing tasks.Read moreRead less
Quantum optical methods for entangled devices. This project aims to develop experimental quantum optics methods and techniques for enhancing the performance of sensitive devices. Entangled photons will be used to probe separate devices, yielding an improved detection of correlated signals. This new technique will benefit laboratory searches for new fundamental physics effects such as space-time fluctuations due to quantum gravity and exotic dark matter candidates. The project is expected to tr ....Quantum optical methods for entangled devices. This project aims to develop experimental quantum optics methods and techniques for enhancing the performance of sensitive devices. Entangled photons will be used to probe separate devices, yielding an improved detection of correlated signals. This new technique will benefit laboratory searches for new fundamental physics effects such as space-time fluctuations due to quantum gravity and exotic dark matter candidates. The project is expected to train scientists and students in advanced quantum methods, promoting and securing Australia's position as a leader in the development of quantum technologies. Read moreRead less
Unconditional photonic entanglement verification and quantum metrology using fast, ultra-high-efficiency photon detectors. Scientists can currently only give in-principle demonstrations of the powerful advantages offered by the quantum physics of photons – particles of light. A true quantum technology revolution, that genuinely exploits photons’ exotic nature, requires methods and apparatus that work unconditionally. The main barrier is the extreme fragility of quantum properties due to unavoida ....Unconditional photonic entanglement verification and quantum metrology using fast, ultra-high-efficiency photon detectors. Scientists can currently only give in-principle demonstrations of the powerful advantages offered by the quantum physics of photons – particles of light. A true quantum technology revolution, that genuinely exploits photons’ exotic nature, requires methods and apparatus that work unconditionally. The main barrier is the extreme fragility of quantum properties due to unavoidable losses. This project will overcome this barrier by developing innovative loss-tolerant protocols and devices that unconditionally show and exploit quantum effects, both for long-distance applications and ultra-precise measurement technologies. This collaboration will bring the world’s best photon detectors to Australia, as a key resource for this work and for future research.Read moreRead less
Mesoscopic quantum reality in the light of new technologies. Evidence for the Schrodinger cat that defies macroscopic reality has emerged for systems of several atoms, ions or photons, resulting in a Nobel award in physics in 2012. However, developments in quantum science technology make these states experimentally accessible at an increasingly mesoscopic level. This project will develop a theory to test mesoscopic realism, nonlocality and decoherence in experiment, focusing on cold atom and ion ....Mesoscopic quantum reality in the light of new technologies. Evidence for the Schrodinger cat that defies macroscopic reality has emerged for systems of several atoms, ions or photons, resulting in a Nobel award in physics in 2012. However, developments in quantum science technology make these states experimentally accessible at an increasingly mesoscopic level. This project will develop a theory to test mesoscopic realism, nonlocality and decoherence in experiment, focusing on cold atom and ion trap systems. This project will study multipartite nonlocality based on Bell's theorem, the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen paradox and Schrodinger's quantum steering. As well as having fundamental significance, these demonstrations are potentially useful for metrology, secure quantum cryptography and ultra-sensitive detectors.Read moreRead less
Quantum networks based on superconducting circuits and dissipative channels. Superconducting circuits have great potential for probing and using quantum nature on a chip but lack networking capabilities between remote sites. However, non-local quantum correlations are critical for quantum devices to surpass classical systems. This project aims to create capabilities for establishing entanglement between remote superconducting chips using non-local dissipative interaction. Within this approach th ....Quantum networks based on superconducting circuits and dissipative channels. Superconducting circuits have great potential for probing and using quantum nature on a chip but lack networking capabilities between remote sites. However, non-local quantum correlations are critical for quantum devices to surpass classical systems. This project aims to create capabilities for establishing entanglement between remote superconducting chips using non-local dissipative interaction. Within this approach the created entanglement can be also preserved as long as necessary as a resource for quantum protocols. The resulting technology is expected to enable quantum information processing in superconducting circuits on fundamentally larger scales and provides a powerful platform to test the limits for building artificial quantum systems.Read moreRead less
Large Scale and Ultrafast Integrated Quantum Photonics in Silicon Carbide. This project will establish a new technological platform for the fabrication of ultra-compact, reconfigurable integrated quantum optical devices in silicon carbide. With this new architecture the project will demonstrate large, reconfigurable optical circuits and integrated single photon detectors where tens of photons can interfere, be manipulated and measured in miniaturised optical devices. The fabrication process will ....Large Scale and Ultrafast Integrated Quantum Photonics in Silicon Carbide. This project will establish a new technological platform for the fabrication of ultra-compact, reconfigurable integrated quantum optical devices in silicon carbide. With this new architecture the project will demonstrate large, reconfigurable optical circuits and integrated single photon detectors where tens of photons can interfere, be manipulated and measured in miniaturised optical devices. The fabrication process will be compatible with current electronic and optical telecommunication technology and will support a new generation of optical devices with a high level scalability and complexity. Finally the project will investigate cavity type structures for the efficient coupling between single photons and atom-like single defects in silicon carbide. Read moreRead less
Plasmonic nano-antennas for next-generation photon sources. Extending concepts from standard radio-frequency antenna technology down to the nanoscale will open up new applications in fields from biotechnology to telecommunications. This project will embed a light emitting particle in a nanostructured metallic device to produce an ultrabright, directional single-photon source.
Heisenberg-limited lasers: building the revolution. The project aims to design and build a revolutionary new type of laser based on the ground-breaking 2020 Nature Physics paper by the two Chief Investigators. The significance of this work is that it overturns 60 years of theory about the limits to laser coherence, by applying 21st century quantum theory and quantum technology to the problem. This project expects to greatly advance the theory and, by instigating a collaboration with world-leadin ....Heisenberg-limited lasers: building the revolution. The project aims to design and build a revolutionary new type of laser based on the ground-breaking 2020 Nature Physics paper by the two Chief Investigators. The significance of this work is that it overturns 60 years of theory about the limits to laser coherence, by applying 21st century quantum theory and quantum technology to the problem. This project expects to greatly advance the theory and, by instigating a collaboration with world-leading experimentalists working with superconducting quantum devices, to demonstrate a laser with coherence beyond what was thought possible. Benefits of the project should flow from the manifold applications for highly coherent radiation, including scaling up superconducting quantum computing.Read moreRead less