DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF QIPC RESEARCH IN EUROPE

Quantum Information Processing and Communication (QIPC) is a vigorously active cross-disciplinary field drawing upon theoretical and experimental physics, computer science, engineering, mathematics, and material science. Its scope ranges from fundamental issues in quantum physics to prospective commercial exploitation by the computing and communications industries.

QIPC RESEARCH IN EUROPE - EUROPEAN UNION LEVEL

QIPC has a high-risk nature and long-term outlook with visions within the scope of information and communication technologies. The potential of QIPC was quickly recognized by FET - the Future and Emerging Technologies part of the Information Society Technologies priority of the Research Programme of the European Commission. The pathfinder role of FET played a crucial role for the development of QIPC in Europe.

In the late 80's and early 90's quantum phenomena were studied by projects funded by the EC in the field of optoelectronics and electronics with the aim to overcome the limitations to the respective state-of-the-art devices. In the Fourth Framework Programme (FP4, 1995 - 1998) this research gradually evolved towards the objective of "quantum information processing". The focus was on the demonstration of quantum effects with photons, which was technologically more mature. In the mid 90's, important results were achieved by several groups in Europe and shortly after they became the driving force behind a number of FET projects.

During 1998 the QCEPP working group (the so-called Pathfinder Project) laid the bases for the research field of Quantum Information Processing and Communications at European level and was the first endeavor explicitly addressing this area of research. This working group produced an extensive report with a roadmap, a map of European research teams with relevant competencies and set the research agenda for several years ahead. It played a crucial role by organizing the research community, by stimulating it to reach critical mass within a short time period and by building the support for the launch of QIPC as a Proactive Initiative.

In FP5 (1999-2002) FET launched QIPC as a Proactive Initiative (PI). It was implemented via 'calls for proposals' directly targeted to QIPC and a certain amount of the FET budget was reserved in advance. There were two calls for proposals and 25 projects were launched with total cost of 41 M€ and EU funding of 31 M€. The contracts of the last group of FP5 projects finish at the end of 2005. Coordinating the work of these projects is a main priority of FET. Each year since the beginning of the proactive initiative two major events are organized. The first one is a 'cluster review' and conference. Its goals are to evaluate the work of each project and how its objectives fit within the cluster, to revise priorities if necessary and to evaluate the progress of the cluster as a whole. The second event is the annual European QIPC workshop where projects present their work. Both forums give the opportunity for interactions between the members of the projects and for cross-fertilization.

In FP6 (2003-2006) QIPC continues as a FET PI. There was one call for Integrated Projects (IP) with deadline 22 September 2004. There are three Integrated Projects which succeeded in the evaluations and negotiations are in progress. If successful, the projects are to start in September 2005 with a contract for four years. The total EU funding is 25 M€. These IPs are:

• SCALA: Scalable Quantum Computing with Light and Atoms;
• QAP: Qubit Applications;
• EuroSQIP: European Superconducting Quantum Information Processor.

The proposed research goes clearly beyond the state-of-the-art, which confirms the strong European presence in QIPC and the progress made in the last years. All projects deal with central topics of quantum computing and one of them (QAP) addresses in addition central topics of quantum communication and quantum information. All three consortia involve leading European scientists in their respective fields. In all projects the European dimension is a clear added value. In two of them (SCALA and QAP) the accent on integration across different disciplines and approaches is very strong and it is considered crucial for the further advancement of QIPC in Europe.

QIPC is also funded via the FET-Open continuous submission scheme, which supports long-term, risky and visionary research. In this case the research area is not specified in advance and QIPC projects are competing with all other areas sponsored by FET. In FP5 ten QIPC projects with total cost of 7 M€ and EU funding of 5.6 M€ were launched. The QUIPROCONE Thematic Network successfully coordinated all QIPC projects in FP5, integrating the projects arising from the Open scheme with those supported through the proactive initiative. In FP6 four projects are already funded via FET Open and others are expected to follow. The role of FET Open is essential as it supports new topics that had not been addressed in the proactive initiative or allows filling the time gap between dedicated QIPC calls.

In 2004 there was a call for proposals for coordinated actions related to structuring the ERA (European Research Area). The project "Structuring the ERA with quantum information science and technology" or ERA-Pilot QIST was successful and started work on February 1, 2005. It has many challenging objectives with the goal to promote QIPC research in Europe and to give recommendations to European and national authorities on policy, structuring, coordination and funding. The deliverables include: complete and regularly update the QIPC roadmap document; elaborate a map of European research teams and expertise; collect information on national initiatives and programs; collect information on international initiatives and programs; propose coordination and synergies between national and EC initiatives; propose benchmarking; organize conferences, etc.

Within QIPC-FET specific efforts were dedicated to quantum cryptography. In FP4 seed work was done by the EQCSPOT project. It led to a wider field of investigation in a number of projects of the QIPC Proactive Initiative in FP5, where they reached maturity. In FP6 this area of research was transferred to more applied parts of the IST programme. Quantum cryptography is now part of the strategic objective "Towards a global dependability and security framework", where a large Integrated Project SECOQC is funded The consortium consists of about 40 partners, including several large companies. The EC funding is of 11.35 M€. The project includes all prominent groups in Europe active in this field. They were all initially funded through FET.

QIPC RESEARCH IN EUROPE - NATIONAL LEVEL

Apart from the EU program, QIPC is also coordinated and funded on national level. An extensive list of such initiatives is not available at the moment and it is one of the goals of the project ERA-Pilot QIST. So far we know that national initiatives of a certain size are the following:

• Austria: QIST, consisting of University of Innsbruck, University of Vienna, Austrian Academy of Science, ARC Seibersdorf research as well as the industrial partner Siemens Austria (within the proposed ERA-Pilot represented by Academy of Science and ARC Seibersdorf research)
• Belgium: PHOTON - Interuniversity Attraction Pole (IUAP), funded by the federal government, coordinates research in quantum information; additional funding of quantum information research by the Fonds National de la Recherche Scientifique (FNRS)
• Denmark: QUANTOP - Danish National Research Foundation Center for Quantum Optics, Universities of Aarhus and Copenhagen
• Denmark/Sweden: Øresund-region, consisting of the universities of Lund, Copenhagen, Aarhus and the Technical Universities in Lyngby and Göteborg.
• France: "National Initiative on Quantum Information", part of the "French National Program in Nanoscience", as well as the industrial partners SmartQuantum (Rennes QKD provider) and InterQuanta (Integration, Simulation, south Europe).
• Germany: "DFG-Schwerpunkt: Quanteninformationsverarbeitung" (end 2005) and several programs by individual states.
• Italy: The National Research Center NEST (National Enterprise for nanoscience and nanotechnology) has been established that contains Quantum Information as well.
• Poland: The network of the Laboratory of Physical Foundations of Information Processing, which is coordinated by the Center for Theoretical Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences
• Slovakia: Quantum information program by the Slovakian Academy of Science (Bratislava).
• Sweden: SSF QIP consortium, Chalmers Göteborg, and KTH, Stockholm
• United Kingdom: QIP IRC (Quantum Information Processing Interdisciplinary Research Collaboration), consisting of the universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Hertfordshire, Leeds, Oxford (within the QIST-consortium), Sheffield, and York, Imperial College and University College in London as well as the industrial partners Hewlett Packard, Hitachi, National Physics Laboratories, Qinetiq, and Toshiba.

Coordination between national and EC programs will have decisive influence on the progress of QIPC research in Europe. Strong and visionary leadership of high quality is also important. Only by stronger coordination between national efforts among each other and with the EC program, we can keep or reach critical mass in various sub-fields. Experience and knowledge should be shared and neither efforts nor funding should be duplicated. Funding will ultimately have to concentrate efforts in sub-fields to certain geographical regions (centers of excellence) in order to achieve the highest possible impact. This need will have to be balanced with the need to keep a European dimension of research while building on already existing centers of excellence in certain areas across Europe.

QIPC RESEARCH IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONTEXT

Quantum information processing has become a scientific discipline with its own identity during the last ten years. The advent of quantum cryptography in the 80s and then the recognition of quantum computing in the 90s, for example using Shor's algorithm, provided the motivation and have been the starting point of serious experimental and theoretical efforts to realize QIPC at large.

Through the activities of the 2000-2004 EC FP5 FET-PI QIPC programme, Europe has, in the main, been at the leading edge of QIS worldwide. The early spearheading of this high-risk R&D effort by the EC has aided in the creation of a number of national investments in QIS with the research area now reaching a more mature stage of medium/high risk. Until now, European publication output and quality has been on a par with the US (Fig. 1), while other nations have begun systematic ramp-up in QIS investments. To retain our leading position in research and to capitalize on the Commission's already significant investments in QIS (€35M in FP5), it is vital to ensure that the EC investment in QIS remains competitive with the US and other national/continental QIS investors. Our current intelligence indicates (see Table 1), that a Commission investment of €7M/yr. will compete very poorly with the US, who now federally invests ~$100MUSD/yr.

Indeed, Australia, with a population of 20 million (EU population is ~450 million), will be federally investing, $8MAUS/yr. (€5M/yr.), in a coherent QIS effort through its National Centers of Excellence. Among the strongest threats to Europe's lead role in Q/NIST/IS is the US FoQuS programme. The FoQuS programme (by the US Defense Advanced Research and Projects Agency), was initially tabled in early 2004 with a specific targeting of quantum computer QIS in a single project funded to ~$90MUSD over four years, with worldwide researcher participation. This programme has not yet been fully launched but remains under consideration by the US for 2005. With the very significant international targeting of QIS ramping up around the world it is imperative that Europe remains competitive. QIS R&D support on the scale of ~€8M/year puts Europe at the lower end of worldwide QIS funding support. With such a potential decrease in international competitiveness, there is considerable risk that European research in QIS and the resulting technology developments (commercial and defense), will not be sustainable, leaving Europe reliant on importing such developed QIS technology from abroad.

THE EUROPEAN FLAVOR, VISIONS AND GOALS

In comparison with the international QIPC programs, the characteristics of the European effort are its broader scope, beyond the focus on specific issues like security or special applications like factoring, as for example in the US and in Australia. Moreover, there is a much stronger theoretical component and emphasis on fundamental physics. Clearly, Europe has achieved a critical mass in this much broader context of QIPC which includes both theoretical and experimental physics: atomic physics, quantum optics and laser physics, high energy and mathematical physics, condensed matter, etc., as well as from other disciplines like computer science, mathematics, material science, several areas in engineering, etc. The European vision is to advance quantum information processing in such a wider context which includes the spectrum from fundamental quantum physics to applications in science and engineering.

Novelty and Innovation

To remain competitive Europe should nurture QIS technology innovation from fundamental research.

One of the most challenging aspects in creating a new technology is the transition of basic research with its accompanying spin-off technologies, into more application driven research where inherently QIS based applications are researched and developed. The earliest such QIS-driven application is quantum cryptography with a number of QCrypto SMEs already in operation worldwide. General purpose quantum computation, e.g. for factoring of large integers and related applications maybe a long-term goal. But quantum memories/repeaters and multiparty QIS software, will be developed in the next five years with the potential for even greater innovation and SME/Multinational commercialisation. Although there have been efforts by the US and others to make this transition to a more innovation based QIS research community, they have not succeeded so far and Europe, through FP6 QIPC-PI, has the opportunity to begin facilitating this transition and in this way could gain at least a two-year competitive advantage over others. The particular emphasis by the project QAP to build a complete QIS R&D pipeline from fundamental research in computer science, quantum algorithms and quantum information theory through to experimental development, where the overall emphasis is to develop truly QIS based applications in the medium-term, is unique in the world. No other nation/continent has managed to create such a synergy. Some of the FET-PI QIPC Integrated Projects contain over 13% industrial partner effort and this connection to industry will be proactively targeted and ramped up over the coming five years through the cooperative efforts of FET-PI QIPC IPs. The inclusion of a variety of QIS projects, some focused on fundamental research and some focused on applications, in the FET-PI will put Europe in a strategic position worldwide.

Convergence

QIS research is expanding beyond its traditional boundaries as device complexity grows and many different physical QIS elements are integrated.

There is a convergence of many information technologies towards QIS. Examples include, integrated photonics research both linear & nonlinear, quantum effects in nanotechnology & materials science, interfacing classical information systems with quantum-atomic systems, quantum solid-state systems, and quantum photonic-systems. Such emerging plurality of QIS is already recognized by the NSF, where QIS R&D has a presence in many Divisions of the NSF, e.g. Physics, Computer-Communication Foundations, Nanoscale Science and Engineering, and Information Technology Research Divisions. Thus, the QIS portfolio encompasses some of the E-Nano R&D effort.

European Research Area

QIS has the potential to bring the vision of a true European Research Area into being.

QIS R&D is expanding throughout Europe with significant New-States contributions (Poland/Slovakia). The European QIS research community is well organized (thanks to previous networking initiatives by the EC), and many nations will work coherently in a recently funded ERA-NET project in Quantum Information Science and Technology (ERA Pilot-QIST). The creation of truly European Research Area is essential and justifies additional funds for the QIPC programme.

FUNDING AT EUROPEAN LEVEL - PRESENT AND FUTURE ISSUES

The field of QIPC has matured in Europe during the last ten years. There is critical mass in Europe in all main areas of research. The original vision of building a general purpose quantum information processor is still far beyond our reach, but obviously it remains high on our agenda of research priorities. It is too early to pick the winner implementation for its practical realization and it is possible that the concrete technology is still to be developed. At this stage we need to keep a diversity of different approaches and funding needs in order to increase the probability of success and to ensure continuity. On the other hand other areas of QIPC like quantum information, quantum communication, quantum cryptography, quantum simulations, spin-off applications, etc., seem closer to achieving a number of landmark results. It is therefore necessary to ensure concentration of efforts, coordination of activities and appropriate funding at European level in these fields.

Funding must carefully balance between focusing on specific promising areas and topics, while being open towards a whole spectrum of existing research fields and the possibility of new ones opening up. FET has attempted to provide continuous funding for solutions which proved promising while at the same time encouraging new ideas via its Open scheme and in its proactive initiatives. The need for continuity and increase of funding necessitates commitment from the funding agencies and the active collaboration of researchers to position QIPC research in a larger strategic and political context.

Breakthroughs of the type needed to make QIPC a reality cannot be expected to follow a precise timetable. However, there is a need at each point in time to have a clear understanding of the results obtained, the challenges and the objectives. In order to achieve the ambitious goals, funding needs to be based on an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses in present research. This will be assisted by creating and updating strategic documents integrating the following information:

• A general roadmap-type document with detailed technical assessment of the state-of-the-art, main research goals, challenges, outlook, etc. for each sub-field.

• A map of European research teams, centers of excellence, main fields of research, etc.

• A list of national and regional initiatives, funding schemes and organizations, projects, etc.

• A list of international initiatives, including funding agencies and schemes, list of projects, etc., as well as information about roadmap-type documents and reports. The main countries involved are the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, China, Korea, Singapore, etc.

An initial version should be written as soon as possible, with regular updates and improvements to follow.

It is clear that QIPC research has gained an important European dimension which is crucial for its further development. Actions and activities initiated by FET aim to build a European identity and to express a unified image of the QIPC research in Europe. We need to work towards a common European strategy and goals which give rise to new opportunities. It is therefore necessary to expand and strengthen activities and funding on European level. The Seventh Framework Program (2007- 2010) is in the process of preparation. The main lines of the design of FP7 will be established during 2005. It is crucial that the QIPC research community in Europe gives input to the EC for this process.

QIPC IN A WIDER SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL CONTEXT

QIPC has arisen in response to a variety of converging scientific and technological challenges. The main one being the limits imposed on information processing by the fundamental laws of physics. Research shows that quantum mechanics provides completely new paradigms for computation and communication. Today the aim of QIPC is to understand how the fundamental laws of quantum physics can be harnessed to improve the acquisition, transmission, and processing of information. The classical theory of information and computation, developed extensively during the twentieth century, although undeniably very successful up to now, cannot describe information processing at the level of atoms and molecules. It has to be superseded by a quantum theory of information. What makes the new theory so intellectually compelling is that the results are so surprising and with so far reaching consequences.

During the last ten years, QIPC has already established the most secure methods of communication, and the basic building blocks for QIPC have been demonstrated in technologically challenging experiments. Efficient quantum algorithms have been invented, and in part implemented, and one of the first non-trivial applications will be the development of quantum simulators with potential applications in, for example, material sciences. On the technological side these developments are closely related to improving atomic clocks and frequency standards.

Future advances in the field will require the combined effort of people with expertise in a broad range of research areas. At the same time, the new conceptual and technical tools developed within QIPC may prove fruitful in other fields, in a process of cross-fertilization encompassing a wide variety of disciplines (including, for instance, quantum statistics, quantum chaos, thermodynamics, neural networks, adaptive learning and feedback control, chemistry, quantum control, complex systems). This profoundly interdisciplinary character is one of the most exhilarating aspects of the field. Its potential is being recognized by commercial companies all over the world. A new profile of scientists and engineers is being trained to confront the challenges that lie beyond the end of the VLSI scaling. It is clear that advances in QIPC will become increasingly critical to the European competitiveness in information technology during the coming century.

Yet, at the moment most activities are focused on basic research in universities and there is very limited collaboration between QIPC scientists and industry. To maintain and develop competitiveness within this field in comparison to other research areas enhanced structuring and co-ordination of efforts on a European level are necessary. At the same time, a strong QIPC field ready for future industrial applications requires the involvement of relevant industry as well. In this sense an early dialogue needs to be established between science, policy, and industry in order to develop a common vision about the future of QIPC in Europe.

QIPC is definitely centered in the realm of basic research with its own distinct goals and applications in computation, communication and information processing in all its aspects. Furthermore QIPC research will have a deep impact on several EU strategic priorities. There is significant potential impact on technology, economics and social issues. In addition there are several spin-offs with applications in other fields of science, engineering and technology:

• The rapid growth of information technology has made our lives both more comfortable and more efficient. However, the increasing amount of traffic carried across networks has left us vulnerable. Cryptosystems are usually used to protect important data against unauthorized access. Security with today's cryptography rests on computation complexity, which can be broken with enormous amounts of calculation. In contrast, quantum cryptography delivers secret crypto-keys whose privacy is guaranteed by the laws of Nature. Quantum key distribution is already making its first steps outside laboratories both for fiber based networks and also for communication via satellites. However, significant more basic research is necessary to increase both the secret bit rate and the distance. This is the field of Quantum Communication.

• The development of quantum information theory together with the development of quantum hardware will have a significant impact on computer science. Quantum algorithms, as for example Shor's algorithm for factorizing numbers with implications for security of classical crypto-protocols, indicate that quantum computers can perform tasks that classical computers are believed not to be able to do efficiently. A second example is provided by quantum simulations far beyond the reach of conventional computers with impact on various fields of physics, chemistry and material science. In addition, QIPC is redefining our understanding of how "physical systems compute", emphasizing new computational models and architectures.

• QIPC is related to the development of nanotechnologies. Devices are getting smaller and quantum effects play an increasingly important role in their basic functioning, not only in the sense of placing fundamental limits, but also opening new avenues which have no counterpart in classical physics. At the same time development of quantum hardware builds also directly on nanotechnologies developed for our present day computing and communication devices, and provides new challenges for engineering and control of quantum mechanical systems far beyond what has been achieved today. An example is the integration of atom optical elements including miniaturized traps and guides on a single device, capable of working as a quantum gyroscope, with extremely large improvements in sensitivity both for measuring tiny deviations of the gravitational field, as well as for stabilizing air and space navigation. In spintronics, a new generation of semiconductor devices is being developed, operating on both charge and spin degrees of freedom together, with several advantages including non-volatility, increased data processing speed, decreased electric power consumption, and increased integration densities compared to conventional semiconductor devices.

• Quantum mechanics offers to overcome the sensitivity limits in various kinds of measurements, for example in ultra-high-precision spectroscopy with atoms, or in procedures such as positioning systems, ranging and clock synchronization via the use of frequency-entangled pulses. Entanglement of atoms can help to overcome the quantum limit of state-of-the-art atom clocks which has been already reached by leading European teams. On the other hand, the quantum regime is being entered also in the manipulation of nanomechanical devices like rods and cantilevers of nanometer size, currently under investigation as sensors for the detection of extremely small forces and displacements. Another example is the field of quantum imaging, where quantum entanglement is used to record, process and store information in the different points of an optical image. Furthermore, quantum techniques can be used to improve the sensitivity of measurements performed in images and to increase the optical resolution beyond the wavelength limit.