Sandia National Laboratories and Arizona State University are enhancing quantum technology by miniaturizing optical systems into chip-sized integrated microsystems. This partnership aims to leverage advanced photonics for quantum computing and secure communications, highlighted by a new initiative funded by the Quantum Collaborative.
Collaborative Quantum Innovations
Sandia National Laboratories and Arizona State University, two leading research institutions, are working together to advance quantum technology by shrinking large optical systems into compact integrated microsystems.
Nils Otterstrom, a physicist at Sandia who specializes in integrated photonics, is leading efforts to miniaturize these optical systems. This breakthrough promises enhanced performance and scalability, with applications ranging from advanced computing to secure communications.
“Integrated photonics takes optical systems that are macroscale and makes them microscale,” said Otterstrom, who earned his doctorate in applied physics from Yale and joined Sandia as a Harry S. Truman fellowship recipient. “What we do in integrated photonics is develop novel devices and explore device physics to provide all the functionalities that we need to do fundamental research and create next-generation quantum microsystems. The world-class fabrication capabilities and high degree of customizability we have here at Sandia in the Microsystems Engineering, Sciences and Applications complex, or MESA, uniquely position us to impact the most cutting-edge science and technology.”
The Quantum Networking Shift
Otterstrom has been collaborating with Senior Director of Quantum Networking at Arizona State University Joe Lukens. Lukens is the leading expert on using the frequency of light to carry quantum information for quantum computing and networking systems.
This effort was recently formalized through a new Cooperative Research and Development Agreement funded by the Quantum Collaborative. The Quantum Collaborative brings together academic and research institutions — including national labs — to advance quantum information and technology research, as well as education and workforce development.
“The inspiration for the Quantum Collaborative is the recognition that the future is quantum. If we’re going to be successful, it cannot be done by single investigators or even single institutions; it’s just not going to be possible,” Lukens said. “The collaborative is an intentional network of like-minded individuals who are interested in building up quantum information technology, and it’s a way for us to connect and work together.”