Quantum computers are one of the most promising technologies of the future, potentially capable of solving problems currently impossible to solve even with the most powerful supercomputers. Preparations for the creation of a European quantum computer based on photonics will be undertaken as part of the scientific project EPIQUE, for which the European Commission has allocated more than EUR 10 million. The NASK National Research Institute is one of 18 partners in the project.
Quantum computers are still at the prototype stage and several development paths are possible. One of these is a solution based on photonic technologies and the use of photons as qubits. The EPIQUE (European Photonic Quantum Computer) project will investigate the potential of just such devices.
As the Polish researchers emphasise, prototypes of quantum computers based on photonics have shown in recent years that this solution has many advantages, including low decoherence of the qubits, which minimises information loss, and a simple infrastructure, which does not have to operate at temperatures close to zero, as in the case of processors based on superconducting qubits. In addition, photonic quantum computers can be easily integrated into fibre-optic networks.
„The work in the EPIQUE project aims to develop photonic quantum computer technology in Europe”, stressed Prof. Michał Oszmaniec, Head of the Department of Quantum Computing and Quantum Communication, who coordinates the project from the NASK side. „By integrating efforts on the side of technology, algorithms, as well as novel methods of device characterisation, we are focusing on developing a viable route to an innovative quantum computing platform”, he added.
EPIQUE is one of six projects that are expected to lead to a European quantum computer under the Quantum Flagship initiative, set up by the European Commission in 2018. It has a budget of around €1 billion. The leader of the consortium of 18 partners from 12 countries is the University of Rome ‘La Sapienza’.
Adrian Andrzejewski