Quantum Technology Capital: Quantum Photonic Integrated Circuits (QuPIC)

We will establish a UK quantum device prototyping service, focusing on design, manufacture, test, packaging and rapid device prototyping of quantum photonic devices. QuPIC will provide academia and industry with an affordable route to quantum photonic device fabrication through commercial-grade fabrication foundries and access to supporting infrastructure. QuPIC will provide qualified design tools tailored to each foundry's fabrication processes, multiproject wafer access, test and measurement, and systems integration facilities, along with device prototyping capabilities. The aim is to enable greater capability amongst quantum technology orientated users by allowing adopters of quantum photonic technologies to realise advanced integrated quantum photonic devices, and to do so without requiring in-depth knowledge.

We will bring together an experienced team of engineers and scientists to provide the required breadth of expertise to support and deliver this service.

Four work packages deliver the QuPIC service. They are:
WP1 - Design tools for photonic simulation and design software, thermal and mechanical design packages and modelling
WP2 - Wafer fabrication - Establishing the qualified component library for the different fabrication processes and materials and offering users a multi-project wafer service
WP3 - Integrated device test and measurement - Automated wafer scale electrical and optical characterisation, alignment systems, cryogenic systems to support single-photon detector integration)
WP4 - Packaging and prototyping - Tools for subsystem integration into hybrid and functionalised quantum photonic systems and the rapid prototyping of novel, candidate component designs before wafer-scale manufacturing and testing

The design tools (WP1) will provide all the core functionality and component libraries to allow users to design quantum circuits, for a range of applications. We will work closely with fabrication foundries (WP2) to qualify the design libraries and to provide affordable access to high-quality devices via a multi-project wafer approach, where many users share the fabrications costs. Specialist test and measurement facilities (WP3) will provide rapid device characterization (at the wafer level), whilst packaging and prototyping tools (WP4) will allow the assembly of subsystems into highly functionalised quantum photonic systems.

QuPIC will provide the world's first open access quantum photonic manufacturing facility and deliver a capability that does not yet exist worldwide. By taking the lead in such an enterprise we will ensure that the UK stays at the forefront of this emerging technology. This capital investment will not only ensure that UK academics and industries continue to lead the quantum revolution, it will accelerate UK research, accelerate the rate of impact and deployment of quantum technologies, and it will enable a step-change in our adoption of this ground breaking technology by enabling easy access to ground breaking quantum photonic devices. Through this programme the UK will be perfectly positioned to capitalise on the £270m investment into Quantum Technologies and accelerate science, through technology to market, where it will enable new high growth businesses to establish in the UK, providing jobs and wealth creation opportunities and new technologies that will help addresses some of societies most pressing problems.

Industrial uptake of quantum technologies has been relatively slow to date. By providing a fabless route to high-quality devices we anticipate increased industrial activity in photonic quantum technologies. QuPIC will stimulate new industry and businesses by massively reducing the costs to entry for this technology, with the anticipation that start-up companies will be a heavy user of this facility.

QuPIC will be founded in the Nanoscience and Quantum Information Centre at the University of Bristol. It will become an epicentre of activity that will benefit industry, the National QT Hubs and wider academic community. By providing an affordable, low-risk and rapid route to quantum device manufacture, QuPIC will accelerate innovation and delivery of quantum technologies as well as providing training workshops in all aspects of the design process. With the establishment of an expanding quantum-photonic technologies community we will build a user group compromising both industry and academic members to provide open access information, and establish a quantum photonic technology roadmap as a mechanism to inform and engage users, and provide a strategic focus on future developments.

The UK is leading the field in quantum photonics and the proposed capability would move towards securing the entire process of design, manufacture, testing, packing, assembly and advanced functionalities within the UK. In the future, this platform will ease the transition of quantum photonic components from research to market because the fabrication processes will be compatible with and transferable to commercial foundries.