What is Photonic Quantum Computing?
Quantum computing that use photons as the physical system to do the calculation is known as photonic quantum computation. Due to their room temperature operation and the relative maturity of photonic technology, photons make perfect quantum systems.
Rapid Quantum Computing with a Novel 8-Photon Qubit Chip
- In order to achieve up to 6-qubit entanglement, researchers have developed a quantum circuit device that regulates photons for sophisticated quantum computing.
- Researchers from South Korea have created a novel photonic quantum circuit device that might quicken the race for quantum computing worldwide.
With the ability to manipulate up to eight photons, this device represents a major advancement in the manipulation of intricate quantum phenomena such as multipartite entanglement.
Breakthrough in Photonic Quantum Circuit Development
By creating an integrated quantum circuit device that makes use of photons, or light particles, a group of South Korean researchers has accomplished a significant milestone. Their standing in the field of quantum computing research is anticipated to improve as a result of this discovery.
A photonic integrated-circuit device that can control eight photons has been developed, according to the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI). Multipartite entanglement, which results from interactions between the photons, is one of the complicated quantum phenomena that may be studied using this novel setup.
Reaching Significant Milestones in Quantum Entanglement
ETRI has achieved record performance for a 4-qubit silicon photonics device by successfully demonstrating 2-qubit and 4-qubit quantum entanglement via intensive research into silicon-photonic quantum circuits. Collaboration with KAIST and the University of Trento in Italy led to these achievements, and the results have been published in the esteemed publications APL Photonics and Photonics Research.
As a step forward, ETRI recently used a device made to manage 8-photonic qubits to show 6-qubit entanglement. Based on a silicon-photonic device, the 6-qubit entanglement is a record-breaking accomplishment in quantum states.
Promising Future for Photonic Quantum Computers
One of the most promising technologies being actively researched for the construction of a universal quantum computer is quantum circuits based on photonic qubits. A universal quantum computer might be realized by integrating several photonic qubits onto a fingernail-sized silicon chip and connecting a huge number of these tiny chips via optical fibers to create a wide network of qubits. The benefits of photonic quantum computers include low energy consumption, room-temperature operation, and scalability via optical networking.
A pair of photon propagation routes, one designated as 0 and the other as 1, may be used to encode a photonic qubit. Eight propagation pathways are needed for a circuit with four qubits, while sixteen paths are needed for a circuit with eight qubits. A photonic chip, including photon sources, optical filters, and linear-optic switches, may modify quantum states, which are then monitored by means of very sensitive single-photon detectors.
Eight photonic sources and around forty optical switches that regulate the photons’ propagation pathways are part of the 8-qubit device. Of these 40 switches, about half are particularly used as linear-optic quantum gates. By using single-photon detectors to measure the final quantum states, the configuration offers the basic structure for a quantum computer.
The Hong-Ou-Mandel effect, an intriguing quantum phenomena where two distinct photons coming from separate directions may interact and travel together along the same route, was recorded by the study team. They showed a 4-qubit entangled state on a 4-qubit integrated circuit (5mm x 5mm) in another noteworthy quantum experiment. Recently, they have extended their study to include 8-qubit integrated circuit (10mm x 5mm) tests using 8 photons. As part of their continued work toward quantum computers, the researchers want to create 16-qubit circuits this year and then scale up to 32-qubits.
Abstracts
Commercially viable quantum key distribution systems are the first quantum technology that uses quantum mechanical phenomena for its fundamental function. By encoding data in photons, this method improves security by making it possible to identify system eavesdroppers. Large-scale secure networks, improved lithography and measurement, and quantum information processors which offer tenfold more processing capacity for certain tasks are examples of anticipated future quantum technology.
Because of photons’ exceptional low-noise characteristics and high-speed transmission, photonics is destined to play a key part in these technologies. These devices will surely apply and propel cutting-edge advancements in photonics, whether they use single photons, quantum states of intense laser beams, or both.
