EPSRC Network in Materials for Quantum Technologies
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Materials
Abstract
Quantum science has already enabled the global digital revolution through the development of transistors and other electronic and optical devices. We are now entering a second revolution where the quantum science of superposition and entanglement will be applied to transformative technologies for sensing, timing, navigation, communications, imaging and computing. These will impact on major industries including energy, construction, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, defence, finance, security and information technology.
Just as the digital revolution depended upon materials to create devices, e.g. semiconductor chips, optical fibres, displays, and hard disk drives, so new quantum devices also rely critically upon materials, both at the heart of the quantum system and also in the surrounding infrastructure and are often required to meet demanding environmental requirements. The UK has a world-leading national quantum technologies programme and is renowned internationally for its research on materials science and engineering. Now the UK needs to bring these two strengths together to deliver the underpinning materials platforms for future quantum technologies and ensure that it remains at the forefront of this second quantum revolution.
This EPSRC Materials for Quantum Network (M4QN) seeks to accelerate this process by bringing together the world-leading UK materials research community, the existing UK National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP), and the developing quantum technologies industry base in a UK-wide coordinated effort. The over-riding ambition for M4QN is to ensure that the UKs leading position in QT research and development is secured for the long-term through the inclusive engagement with our leading materials science and engineering community, providing the materials solutions required for the delivery of future QTs. There is also a strong near-term ambition to capture the expertise within this community to aid the current NQTP to address current materials issues and to drive engagement between these communities in solving these.
Just as the digital revolution depended upon materials to create devices, e.g. semiconductor chips, optical fibres, displays, and hard disk drives, so new quantum devices also rely critically upon materials, both at the heart of the quantum system and also in the surrounding infrastructure and are often required to meet demanding environmental requirements. The UK has a world-leading national quantum technologies programme and is renowned internationally for its research on materials science and engineering. Now the UK needs to bring these two strengths together to deliver the underpinning materials platforms for future quantum technologies and ensure that it remains at the forefront of this second quantum revolution.
This EPSRC Materials for Quantum Network (M4QN) seeks to accelerate this process by bringing together the world-leading UK materials research community, the existing UK National Quantum Technologies Programme (NQTP), and the developing quantum technologies industry base in a UK-wide coordinated effort. The over-riding ambition for M4QN is to ensure that the UKs leading position in QT research and development is secured for the long-term through the inclusive engagement with our leading materials science and engineering community, providing the materials solutions required for the delivery of future QTs. There is also a strong near-term ambition to capture the expertise within this community to aid the current NQTP to address current materials issues and to drive engagement between these communities in solving these.
