Quantum Internet Alliance - Phase1

Project Information

QIA-Phase1

Grant agreement ID: 101102140

DOI

10.3030/101102140

Project closed

EC signature date 17 November 2022

Start date 1 October 2022

End date 31 March 2026

Funded under

• Digital, Industry and Space

Total cost

€ 24 000 000,00

EU contribution

€ 24 000 000,00

Coordinated by

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITEIT DELFT
Netherlands

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - QIA-Phase1 (Quantum Internet Alliance - Phase1)

Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2024-03-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The mission of the Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA) is to build a global quantum internet made in Europe – by developing a full-stack prototype network, and by driving an innovative European qquantum internet ecosystem capable of scaling the network to world leading European technology. Building on its proven track record in teamwork, which has already resulted in world first quantum internet technology, QIA advances this mission in two complementary objectives:
1. Related to the technology goal: the realisation of a full-stack prototype network, able to distribute entanglement between two metropolitan-scale networks via a long-distance backbone (>500 km) using quantum repeaters.
2. Related to the innovation goal: the establishment of a European platform for quantum internet development, which will act as a catalyst for a European quantum internet ecosystem including all actors along the value chain.
QIA is building the world's first quantum internet prototype following a systems engineering approach. This network will enable advanced quantum-network applications and prepare the ground for secure quantum computing in the cloud, thanks to our new generation of end nodes including both processing nodes and low-cost photonic client devices. Nodes in the metropolitan network will be interconnected via hubs that allow the scalable connection of hundreds of end nodes, paving the way for early adopters. The long-distance backbone will be realised using fully functional quantum repeaters unlocking Pan-European end-to-end quantum communication. QIA’s prototype network will operate on standard optical fibres and serves to validate all key sub-systems, ready to be scaled by European industry. Parallel to the focused effort to build a prototype system, the exploration of alternative hardware platforms and other technical solutions that have a clear potential to improve the performance, scalability and functionality of the final product is ongoing in the design alternatives track.
In this first phase (SGA Phase 1), QIA will advance towards the long-term objectives set up in the Framework Partnership Agreement (FPA) 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

QIA's work towards a first prototype network forms a moonshot mission that requires not only cutting-edge science and engineering, but also a close alignment and collaboration of many actors in order to achieve an integration of all quantum internet sub-systems into one network system. Consequently, significant work is done in these first 18 months to establish the Architecture Specification of this prototype network. Example highlights of the technical work in the 18-month period include:
‒ Metropolitan Network
o Advancement of trapped-ion end-node processors, demonstrating three qubits per end node and an ion-photon communication interface at telecom wavelengths in the lab;
o Realisation of a deployed quantum link and demonstrated heralded entanglement delivery between solid-state qubits separated at metropolitan scale: two independently operated quantum network nodes separated by 10km. The two nodes hosting diamond spin qubits are linked with a midpoint station via 25km of deployed optical fibre.
‒ Long-distance Backbone
o Advancement of quantum repeaters, demonstrating the transmission of telecom photons entangled with multimode solid-state quantum memories over deployed optical fibres in a metropolitan area;
o Advancements on quantum repeater nodes with individual atoms in cavities, including up to six cavity coupled atoms and the generation of two-dimensional cluster states.
‒ Software and Integration Stack
o Advancement of the control stack by the development of a time-sharing algorithm to connect many users;
‒ Use Cases
o Development of a common framework of “use case cards” for the potential future quantum internet applications;
o Release of the open-source software package SquidASM on GitHub to enable the study of use cases, their implementation and their technical requirements.

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)

QIA positions itself as the global innovation hub for quantum internet made in Europe. As a European platform, QIA is determined to expand the scientific leadership into European leadership in Quantum Internet Innovation. Advancing the European quantum internet ecosystem connecting world-class research and cutting-edge technology development to hardware and software industry all along the value chain will position not only QIA, but most importantly Europe in a global leadership position in quantum internet. Example of highlights towards this ambition for the first 18-month period include new product launch (March 2024 by Qblox), co-organization of the Inside Quantum Technology (IQT) - The Hague business conference, establishment of the QIA Technology Forum as the first global open forum on quantum internet. QIA has also successfully launched its internship program to develop expertise beyond the QIA partners across all EU27 member states.

Quantum Internet Prototype Network