Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) has been awarded $9.6 million from the Northeast Regional Defense Technology Hub (NORDTECH) to improve quantum chip technologies and scale quantum systems by entangling them across a photonic network. This initiative is part of the Heterogeneous Quantum Networking project, a four-year collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory, Yale University, Duke University, NY Creates, and AIM Photonics.
The goal is to develop a heterogeneous quantum network linking ion-based and photonic-based qubits, enhancing applications such as quantum storage, sensing, and processing. The network aims to overcome current limitations by allowing different qubit types to work together, leveraging their unique advantages. Photonic chips will play a critical role in efficiently converting wavelengths while preserving quantum information, acting as wavelength translators between the network and ion qubits.
Stefan Preble, the project’s principal investigator and professor at RIT, emphasizes that this work builds on prior photonics chip technologies developed for the Department of Defense. The project supports broader U.S. semiconductor initiatives under the CHIPS and Science Act, positioning RIT and its partners at the forefront of quantum networking advancements.
A news release announcing this award has been posted on the RIT website here.
September 20, 2024