This project aims at the efficient realization of quantum interfaces for high-fidelity conversion and coherent manipulation of quantum states of phonons and of photons at vastly distinct wavelengths. We will consider different experimental platforms, e.g. photonic crystal cavities, nonlinear crystalline resonators, graphene-based nanoelectromechanical systems, and nanomembranes, with the aim of implementing interfaces that are able to interact simultaneously in a tuneable way with optical and microwave fields.

MoQuaS aims at developing devices and protocols to read out and process quantum information using individual molecular spins embedded in electronic circuits. To this end, prototypical hybrid nano-devices addressing single molecular spins will be designed and reliable methods for their realization will be developed. Core of such nano-architectures are magnetic molecules, specifically functionalized to graft electrodes, and exploited as spin (qu)bits.

Randomness has established itself as a vital building block of information processing and represents an integral ingredient for practically any aspect in the field of information processing and technology. The principal objective of this project will be to establish and evaluate the role played by randomness in quantum information processing. We propose to address the main difficulties that arise through the use of randomness, in particular,

Silicon photonics is a powerful way to combine the assets of integrated photonics and CMOS technologies. The SEQUOIA project intends to make significant new advances in silicon photonic integrated circuits by heterogeneously integrating novel III-V materials, namely quantum dot and quantum dash-based materials on silicon wafers, through wafer bonding.

Photonic technologies enable today to generate, manipulate and detect photons by means of miniaturized devices integrated onto the same optical chip. However, compared to electronics, photonics still lacks essential tools enabling the aggregation of hundreds of functionalities into large scale circuits, this hindering its full exploitation in many applicative domains. The BBOI project aims to break this limitation, boosting the complexity of photonic architectures well beyond the state of the art, but without increasing power consumption in proportion.

Project PAPETS – Phonon-Assisted Processes for Energy Transfer and Sensing aims at exploring the newly emerging frontier between biology and quantum physics, to determine the role of coherent vibrational dynamics in the efficiency of energy storage in natural and artificial light harvesting systems, as well as in odour recognition.

It is widely believed that next-generation electronic devices will exploit the quantum mechanical nature of electrons, as opposed to the classical operating principles of current electronics. This is one of the leading paradigms at the origin of quantum spintronics, a developing field whose goal is to create useful device functionalities out of the spin degree of freedom of electrons. So far, quantum spintronics has remained a matter of basic research.

Currently, a widely accepted viewpoint is that only microscopic objects behave in a truly quantum way. As a collaboration of research teams from Germany, Italy, Russia, Czech Republic and Poland the project BRISQ2 aims at investigating the properties of a new state of quantum light, the bright squeezed vacuum, being a counter-example to this opinion.

The fascinating science behind and the high-end technological development based on Quantum Information has been a topic for basic research and proof-of-principle development for several decades new. Yet recently, it has moved from curiosity-inspired to more use-inspired research, and it has witnessed larger attention, including the public. Such attention can be seen in various places: one of particular interest is in another scientific disciplines.

Mission concept: