Quantum technology

According to NIST News Page, Physicists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have demonstrated the first “universal” programmable quantum information processor able to run any program allowed by quantum mechanics—the rules governing the submicroscopic world—using two quantum bits (qubits) of information. The processor could be a module in a future quantum computer, which theoretically could solve some important problems that are intractable today. See also the NIST demonstration, described in Nature Physics.

Precise control of quantum effects is vital to the realization of entirely new technologies. For example, a computer based on quantum physical principles is expected to outperform today's classical computers. In communication technology, quantum devices are already commercially available which allow secure transmission of data. Controlling the properties of photons down to the quantum level is at the heart of these technologies. In recent years, scientists in the group of Prof.

Location

The Queensland Quantum Optics Laboratory led by Dr. Warwick Bowen does research into both fundamental tests of quantum mechanics and advanced quantum technologies with future applications in metrology, communication, and computation. This research is primarily based around optical architectures integrated onto silicon chips and compatible with current-day fiber optic systems.