Project description
Beyond state-of-the-art photonic quantum- enhanced sensing
Sensors have become indispensable in so many modern life applications, such as environmental monitoring, security, healthcare, commerce and others. The ERC funded PEQEM project aims to develop integrated photonics, using a methodology that combines quantum optics of Kerr-nonlinear materials with photonic device engineering. The all-integrated squeezed light generation and detection technology to be developed will provide enhanced sensors for absorption and phase measurements, surpassing the performance of conventional sensors. Quantum enhanced sensing and measurement applications include next generation quantum metrology experiments, measurement of photosensitive samples, precise characterisation of photonic components and trace gas detection.
Objective
Advances in measurement always lead to dramatic advances in science and in technology. Our society is now heavily dependent on the sensors that permeate environmental monitoring, security, healthcare and commerce. This is quantified by the global sensing market worth rising from $110 billion in 2015 to $124 billion in 2016, and is predicted to continue to rise to $240 billion by 2022. Now, our rapidly growing understanding of how to control quantum systems vastly expands both the potential performance and application for measurement and sensing using quantum-enhanced techniques. But these techniques will only efficiently find disruptive use once they are engineered for robustness, deliver desired operational parameters and are shown to work in a platform that can be mass-produced.
This project adopts an engineering approach to the disciplines of photonic quantum enhanced sensing and squeezed light quantum optics. We will develop integrated photonics that are tailored to enable miniature, deployable and ultimately low cost sensors that exceed the state of the art through (i) exploitation of the quantum mechanics of light and by (ii) developing the requisite high performance of components in an integrated photonics platform. The methodology is to combine quantum optics of Kerr-nonlinear materials that generate squeezed light and quantum state detection with photonic device engineering. We will benchmark device performance using quantum metrology techniques. By the end of this project, we will have developed all-integrated squeezed light generation and detection technology, that provides enhanced sensors for absorption and phase measurements beyond the shot noise limit --- the hard limit that bounds performance of state of the art “classical” sensors. Applications include next generation quantum metrology experiments, measurement of photo-sensitive samples, precise characterization of photonic components and trace gas detection.
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Funding Scheme
ERC-STG - Starting GrantHost institution
BS8 1QU Bristol
United Kingdom