Quantum Generative Adversarial Networks with phoTonic Integrated Circuits (QuGANTIC)

Project Information

QuGANTIC

Grant agreement ID: 101099430

DOI

10.3030/101099430

EC signature date 16 December 2022

Start date 1 February 2023

End date 31 January 2027

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 3 194 262,50

EU contribution

€ 3 194 262,50

Coordinated by

AARHUS UNIVERSITET
Denmark

Periodic Reporting for period 2 - QuGANTIC (Quantum Generative Adversarial Networks with phoTonic Integrated Circuits (QuGANTIC))

Reporting period: 2024-02-01 to 2025-07-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The objective of QuGANTIC is to provide a proof-of-principle demonstration of a qudit-based photonic quantum processor that is integrated on a chip.

Photonic quantum systems are one of the promising platforms to produce a scalable quantum computer, but several outstanding challenges remain. QuGANTIC is tackling the challenges in a holistic manner, going all the way from on-chip integration of quantum operations to the end-user applications of the resulting technology. This will ensure that we not only provide a roadmap for qudit-based photonics quantum processors, but also show how this technology can have impact in concrete societal and industrial settings.

The motivation behind the project is the observation that certain quantum algorithms can be run more efficiently if switches away from two-level (d=2) qubits and allows for multi-level (d>2) qudit quantum information carriers. Partner LUH has previously demonstrated the viability of qudits realized with photonic quantum technology. Furthermore, partners TUE and QIX are leading experts on how to integrate the key quantum operations needed for manipulation of qudits onto photonic integrated circuits (PIC). Putting these systems into a PIC platform is decisive for reduction of noise, for scalability, and for integration with other photonic technologies. Lastly, partners AU and KVY are experts in quantum algorithm design in a manner that considers end-user needs from the start, ensuring that the road to large-scale impact of this type of quantum information processing device is viable and clear during and beyond the project period of QuGANTIC.

QuGANTIC more concretely aims to demonstrate a large-scale (beyond 50-qubit equivalent) photonic quantum processor with low-loss operations and show how to run an end-user relevant quantum algorithm targeting at least two different industrial settings by the end of the project.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

The project is generally advancing as we had anticipated with a deviation from the original plan that we are working to resolve and/or mitigate. The development of algorithms and work on use cases for the demonstrator is going better than expected, and we have some new developments that will give us the possibility to do more proof-of-principle experiments in the demonstrator in the final stages of the project. We can thus add a potential use case on the so-called copula problem to the list, where we are finalizing a qudit version of the problem for the very first time. In addition, we are also testing a qubit version that is of general interest not only for our own platform, but also for other quantum computing hardware platforms. On the experimental side, we have a challenge in work package 2 with our planned hybrid demonstrator that is delayed. Thus far this has had limited impact on the other work packages as mitigation measures for this situation had already been considered very early on. Two major achievements in the hardware platform that have been reached in this period of the project have been the first demonstration of a photonics learning platform (classical at this point), as well as a demonstration cluster state transmission in qudit time-bin encoded states.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

The development of algorithms and work on use cases for the demonstrator is going better than expected, and we have some new developments that will give us the possibility to do more proof-of-principle experiments in the demonstrator in the final stages of the project.
We can thus add a potential use case on the so-called copula problem to the list, where we are finalizing a qudit version of the problem for the very first time.
In addition, we are also testing a qubit version that is of general interest not only for our own platform, but also for other quantum computing hardware platforms.
Two major achievements in the hardware platform that have been reached in this period of the project have been the first demonstration of a photonics learning platform (classical at this point), as well as a demonstration cluster state transmission in qudit time-bin encoded states.

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