UK's quantum future heavily relies on contributions from Durham University physicists
Durham Physics Researchers Join UK's New Quantum Technology Hubs
The UK is investing £160million in five new national hubs for quantum technology development, with Durham's Physics researchers set to play a significant role. The University will be part of two of these hubs, collaborating with other universities and industry.
One of the hubs, QuSIT, is led by the University of Birmingham and focuses on quantum sensing, imaging, and timing. Durham's team will lead experiments for QuSIT, using Rydberg atom-based quantum sensors for applications in security screening and advanced radar systems.
Durham's researchers will also contribute their expertise on optical tweezers, Rydberg atoms, and ultracold molecules to develop neutral atoms as a platform for quantum computing in QCI3. QCI3 aims to develop technologies needed for the UK to play a key role in the development of quantum computers, a market estimated to be worth $1.3 trillion by 2030.
The latest hubs continue the work of the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme, a partnership of more than £1 billion between government, academia, and industry. The programme is now in its tenth year.
Industry collaboration is a key element, with cash and in-kind contributions from partners worth more than £54 million. The UKRI Biotechnology and Biological Research Council, UKRI Medical Research Council, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research also contribute to the investment.
Durham's Physics department is ranked 69th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024. The researchers' involvement in these hubs indicates a focus on developing integrated quantum systems for computing and networking.
They collaborate in pioneering research on magnons (magnetic wave quanta) as part of efforts to develop more energy-efficient, high-performance electronics and quantum computing components. This work involves detecting and mapping magnons at atomic scales, aiming to enable future quantum computing and low-energy AI systems.
Researchers at Durham are engaged in quantum networking experiments using arrays of ytterbium (Yb) atoms, employing microcavities to efficiently couple quantum states. This suggests a focus on quantum networking components critical for integrated quantum systems and potentially for quantum sensing and timing.
While the search results do not detail all individual focus areas explicitly for Durham, the involvement in multi-institutional projects on magnetic wave-based computing paradigms and quantum networking indicates emphasis on developing integrated quantum systems for computing and networking.
Related UK efforts, in which Durham physicists likely collaborate, demonstrate developing devices for broad-band, efficient microwave frequency conversion crucial for quantum computing hardware connectivity and interconnection, implying that Durham's work aligns with integrated and interconnected quantum implementations.
In summary, Durham's researchers are particularly focused on quantum sensing and imaging via magnons in magnetic materials, quantum computing components leveraging novel magnetic excitations for low-energy and high-efficiency quantum devices, quantum timing and networking through experiments with atomic arrays and microcavities for coherent information coupling, and integrated and interconnected quantum systems involving frequency conversion and networking technologies to connect quantum components seamlessly.
These research foci contribute to the UK’s national strategy in quantum technology development by targeting foundational physics enabling efficient and scalable quantum devices across sensing, timing, and computing platforms. The collaboration with other UK and international centers broadens the impact and integration of Durham's expertise within major quantum hubs.
The Hub for Quantum Computing via Integrated and Interconnected Implementations (QCI3) is led by the University of Oxford, and Durham's Physics researchers will be involved in this unspecified quantum computer hub, working alongside other universities and industry.
Durham's Physics researchers are using science, specifically Rydberg atom-based quantum sensors, to contribute to the development of quantum technology in the QuSIT hub, which focuses on quantum sensing, imaging, and timing. Their work on neutral atoms as a platform for quantum computing in QCI3 involves sophisticated technology and is aimed at playing a key role in the development of quantum computers.
