As this century unfolds we will witness the rise of the quantum computer. A quantum computer is a device that utilizes the laws of one of the most fundamental theories of physics— quantum mechanics. By utilizing properties of quantum mechanics a quantum computer is able to perform certain information processing tasks much more effciently than an ordinary classical computer. The last century of modern society was revolutionized by some of the simplest ideas in quantum mechanics like energy quantization and quantum tunnelling, which led to technologies like the laser and the transistor. We can expect to see additional technological revolutions occur in this century since we are beginning to build technologies with some of the more complex properties of quantum mechanics such as quantum entanglement and quantum superposition. These quantum effects make more radical technologies like the quantum computer possible. This thesis is based upon the work I have done during my PhD candidature at Macquarie University. In this work we develop quantum technologies that are directed towards realising a quantum computer. Specifically, we have made many theoretical advancements in a type of quantum information processing protocol called Boson Sampling. This device effciently simulates the interaction of quantum particles called bosons, which no classical computer can effciently simulate. In this thesis we explore quantum random walks, which are the basis of how the bosons in Boson Sampling interfere with each other. We explore implementing BosonSampling using the most readily available photon source technology. We invented a completely new architecture which can implement Boson Sampling in time rather than space and has since been used to make the worlds largest Boson Sampling experiment ever performed. We look at variations to the traditional Boson Sampling architecture by considering other quantum states of light. We show a worlds first application inspired by Boson Sampling in quantum metrology where measurements may be made more accurately than with any classical method. Lastly, dealing with Boson Sampling, we look at reformulating the formalism of Boson Sampling using a quantum optics approach. In addition, but not related to BosonSampling, we show a protocol for effciently generating large-photon Fock states, which are a type of quantum state of light, that are useful for quantum computation. Also, we show a method for generating a specific quantum state of light that is useful for quantum error correction — an essential component of realising a quantum computer — by coupling together light and atoms.
As this century unfolds we will witness the rise of the quantum computer. A quantum computer is a device that utilizes the laws of one of the most fundamental theories of physics— quantum mechanics. By utilizing properties of quantum mechanics a quantum computer is able to perform certain information processing tasks much more effciently than an ordinary classical computer. The last century of modern society was revolutionized by some of the simplest ideas in quantum mechanics like energy quantization and quantum tunnelling, which led to technologies like the laser and the transistor. We can expect to see additional technological revolutions occur in this century since we are beginning to build technologies with some of the more complex properties of quantum mechanics such as quantum entanglement and quantum superposition. These quantum effects make more radical technologies like the quantum computer possible. This thesis is based upon the work I have done during my PhD candidature at Macquarie University. In this work we develop quantum technologies that are directed towards realising a quantum computer. Specifically, we have made many theoretical advancements in a type of quantum information processing protocol called Boson Sampling. This device effciently simulates the interaction of quantum particles called bosons, which no classical computer can effciently simulate. In this thesis we explore quantum random walks, which are the basis of how the bosons in Boson Sampling interfere with each other. We explore implementing BosonSampling using the most readily available photon source technology. We invented a completely new architecture which can implement Boson Sampling in time rather than space and has since been used to make the worlds largest Boson Sampling experiment ever performed. We look at variations to the traditional Boson Sampling architecture by considering other quantum states of light. We show a worlds first application inspired by Boson Sampling in quantum metrology where measurements may be made more accurately than with any classical method. Lastly, dealing with Boson Sampling, we look at reformulating the formalism of Boson Sampling using a quantum optics approach. In addition, but not related to BosonSampling, we show a protocol for effciently generating large-photon Fock states, which are a type of quantum state of light, that are useful for quantum computation. Also, we show a method for generating a specific quantum state of light that is useful for quantum error correction — an essential component of realising a quantum computer — by coupling together light and atoms.
Quantum technologies harness the properties of controlled quantum mechanical systems for applications in computation, communication and metrology, and enable us to further our understanding of fundamental physics. Quantum hardware is designed to manipulate complex and fragile many-particle quantum states, which requires exquisite control machinery, advanced software and near-complete isolation from the surrounding environment. With sufficient capabilities, quantum computers with large registers of quantum bits will perform classically intractable calculations such as quantum chemistry simulations. Quantum key distribution will provide completely secure communications across the world and quantum metrology will enable measurement precision beyond today's capabilities. While quantum technologies are far from surpassing classical hardware today, the vision and potential impact has sparked a world-wide research effort, both theoretical and experimental, to develop a quantum computer. The most sophisticated current quantum technologies have control over small numbers of quantum bits and are limited by environmental decoherence processes. While progress in developing quantum hardware is ongoing, designing and demonstrating new algorithms and protocols for quantum information is a thriving research field. Photonics provides an ideal platform for small-scale proof-of-concept quantum experiments, which are the focus of this thesis. In the coming decades, we will see the realisation of quantum hardware capable of applications that outperform any classical computer. In this thesis, I present several protocols and algorithms for quantum information science and technology, which are implemented in quantum photonic experiments. The applications of these works include robust quantum tomography, quantum state relocation, quantum enhanced data recovery and probing fundamental causality in quantum mechanics. The works presented here are based on two photon experiments from a prototypical spontaneous parametric down-conversion source, which provides an excellent test-bed for quantum information experiments. Photons can be used to encode quantum information in a range of different degrees of freedom. This versatility, along with compatibility with existing technology gives photonics a great advantage in the development of quantum hardware.
The development of quantum mechanics and quantum physics in general is one of the greatest intellectual achievements of the 20th century. Initially, quantum physicists focused on mathematically describing and understanding the laws of a micro-world, comprised of atoms, molecules and photons. Nuclei and sub-atomic particles were discovered, particle physics evolved, and complex quantum systems in chemistry and solid-state physics are now described in terms of quantum physics. Within a century, quantum physics became the framework, which allows us to describe and predict, albeit with probabilities, the behavior of the microscopic world as we know it. The powerful quantum framework led to revolutionary technical advances for a century, such as semiconductor technology and the entire electronics industry based on it, enabling computers and the information age. The development of lasers found applications in many areas of our current technologies; we use them for printers, storing and retrieving information using CDs, industrial welding, medical surgery, and for range finding and communication purposes. Medical imaging using MRI is now a routine instrument, as are precision measurements using tunneling and atomic force microscopes. Superconducting technologies are used for high magnetic fields and many more current technologies are based on and enabled by the laws of quantum physics. While the framework of quantum physics has thus proven to be extremely successful and powerful, throughout the last century there were many conceptual, and to some extent philosophical, discussions on our understanding of quantum physics. As early as the 1930s, Einstein and Schrödinger realized that quantum physics allows for some peculiar states, which Schrödinger called “entangled”, which have a non-local character and thus do find an easy interpretation in our classical world. It took a few more decades until John Bell conceived a way to quantify such states, which thus became amenable to measurements. Only in the eighties and nineties of the last century did the generation of entangled states, their characterization and their subsequent application become feasible and accessible in laboratories. Early on, Bell states were proposed for applications in quantum communication, employing protocols based on teleportation. Soon, entanglement was recognized to be useful also for sensing, for precision measurements and eventually for quantum information processing. Starting with the early concept of a trapped-ion quantum computer introduced by Ignacio Cirac and Peter Zoller in 1995, many other platforms were proposed for quantum information processing, based on superconducting quantum bits, photonic processes, engineered quantum dots and many more. The first decade of the 21st century saw an explosive development of quantum information physics, which is by now a mature field and increasingly focuses on applications. Worldwide efforts are ongoing to realize quantum networks for secure communication and to implement quantum computers. Enhanced sensing has been demonstrated using advanced quantum states, and quantum simulators have been developed, already tackling problems that are hard to compute with classical computers. While architectures for full-fledged quantum computers are already available, the realization of such computers still requires the routine implementation of error correction, which is not yet available, for full scalability. Currently, noisy intermediate-scale quantum (NISQ) processors are already used for computations and are even accessible via cloud services. Since about 2000, quantum technologies have been developed for many platforms with the aim to surpass the capablities of their classical counterparts. Many such devices now make use of entangled states, which are seen as the new resource for advanced quantum technologies. For this, describing, understanding and generally mastering the generation and manipulation of entanglement is a key element. Moreover, both hardware and software technologies have to be improved in order to better control quantum devices. Mastering quantum phenomena for communication, metrology, simulation and computation purposes is currently one of the hottest topics in science since the wide applicability of quantum technologies will revolutionize these fields. The development of advanced quantum technologies is thus seen worldwide as a strategic area for generating technical knowledge and industrial evolution. This special issue intends to showcase the breadth and impact of the ongoing research in advancing quantum technologies. We have invited a selection of renowned scientists to present their work, and we are confident that this issue will find a broad readership and attract much interest within the scientific community.
Precise atom implants in silicon provide a first step toward practical quantum computers. [14] A method to produce significant amounts of semiconducting nanoparticles for light-emitting displays, sensors, solar panels and biomedical applications has gained momentum with a demonstration by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. [13] A source of single photons that meets three important criteria for use in quantum-information systems has been unveiled in China by an international team of physicists. Based on a quantum dot, the device is an efficient source of photons that emerge as solo particles that are indistinguishable from each other. The researchers are now trying to use the source to create a quantum computer based on boson sampling. [11] With the help of a semiconductor quantum dot, physicists at the University of Basel have developed a new type of light source that emits single photons. For the first time, the researchers have managed to create a stream of identical photons. [10] Optical photons would be ideal carriers to transfer quantum information over large distances. Researchers envisage a network where information is processed in certain nodes and transferred between them via photons. [9] While physicists are continually looking for ways to unify the theory of relativity, which describes large-scale phenomena, with quantum theory, which describes small-scale phenomena, computer scientists are searching for technologies to build the quantum computer using Quantum Information. In August 2013, the achievement of fully deterministic quantum teleportation, using a hybrid technique, was reported. On 29 May 2014, scientists announced a reliable way of transferring data by quantum teleportation. Quantum teleportation of data had been done before but with highly unreliable methods. The accelerating electrons explain not only the Maxwell Equations and the Special Relativity, but the Heisenberg Uncertainty Relation, the Wave-Particle Duality and the electron's spin also, building the Bridge between the Classical and Quantum Theories. The Planck Distribution Law of the electromagnetic oscillators explains the electron/proton mass rate and the Weak and Strong Interactions by the diffraction patterns. The Weak Interaction changes the diffraction patterns by moving the electric charge from one side to the other side of the diffraction pattern, which violates the CP and Time reversal symmetry. The diffraction patterns and the locality of the self-maintaining electromagnetic potential explains also the Quantum Entanglement, giving it as a natural part of the Relativistic Quantum Theory and making possible to build the Quantum Computer with the help of Quantum Information.
There are signs that we are approaching a technical revolution that might take humankind’s computational capabilities to a new level. Quantum Computing leverages the principles of quantum mechanics, enabling the computational power to solve specific problems currently intractable for classical computers (e.g., cracking cryptographic keys). Since we are getting to a point where we can no longer build smaller, more powerful, more efficient devices with conventional methodologies, we need to think of new ways for technological progress. The manufacturing of microchips is reaching its limits in the use of traditional architectures. Hence, new and more advanced technologies need to address the challenges of increasing energy consumption and data processing. Connectivity, scalable architectures and concepts like Cloud Computing and Software-as-a-Service have already helped to scale computational-intense applications in the last years and have attracted the interest of IS researchers (e.g., Benlian et al. 2009 ; Benlian et al. 2018 ; Messerschmidt and Hinz 2013 ). Looking ahead to the next generation, computing will comprise technologies that enable high-performance applications far beyond today’s possibilities. One prominent example with a disruptive potential is Quantum Computing. While there are abundant open questions and directions for further developments, researchers in this area have made substantial progress in the last decade, indicating that, after medical imaging, lasers, and superconductors, another quantum-technological innovation might be approaching. We, therefore, intend to provide an overview of the current state of Quantum Computing research and outline how this new technology might stimulate research in Information Systems.
Constructing quantum computers and other quantum devices requires the ability to leverage quantum properties such as superposition and entanglement – but these effects are fragile and therefore hard to maintain. Recently, scientists at Ecole Normale Superieure in Paris demonstrated a novel method for controlling the quantum properties of light by probing a superconducting circuit in a cavity with microwave photons to control the energy levels that photon quanta can occupy. [17] When two atoms are placed in a small chamber enclosed by mirrors, they can simultaneously absorb a single photon. [16] Optical quantum technologies are based on the interactions of atoms and photons at the single-particle level, and so require sources of single photons that are highly indistinguishable – that is, as identical as possible. Current single-photon sources using semiconductor quantum dots inserted into photonic structures produce photons that are ultrabright but have limited indistinguishability due to charge noise, which results in a fluctuating electric field. [14] A method to produce significant amounts of semiconducting nanoparticles for light-emitting displays, sensors, solar panels and biomedical applications has gained momentum with a demonstration by researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory. [13] A source of single photons that meets three important criteria for use in quantum-information systems has been unveiled in China by an international team of physicists. Based on a quantum dot, the device is an efficient source of photons that emerge as solo particles that are indistinguishable from each other. The researchers are now trying to use the source to create a quantum computer based on boson sampling. [11] With the help of a semiconductor quantum dot, physicists at the University of Basel have developed a new type of light source that emits single photons. For the first time, the researchers have managed to create a stream of identical photons. [10] Optical photons would be ideal carriers to transfer quantum information over large distances. Researchers envisage a network where information is processed in certain nodes and transferred between them via photons. [9] While physicists are continually looking for ways to unify the theory of relativity, which describes large-scale phenomena, with quantum theory, which describes small-scale phenomena, computer scientists are searching for technologies to build the quantum computer using Quantum Information. In August 2013, the achievement of fully deterministic quantum teleportation, using a hybrid technique, was reported. On 29 May 2014, scientists announced a reliable way of transferring data by quantum teleportation. Quantum teleportation of data had been done before but with highly unreliable methods. The accelerating electrons explain not only the Maxwell Equations and the Special Relativity, but the Heisenberg Uncertainty Relation, the Wave-Particle Duality and the electron's spin also, building the Bridge between the Classical and Quantum Theories. The Planck Distribution Law of the electromagnetic oscillators explains the electron/proton mass rate and the Weak and Strong Interactions by the diffraction patterns. The Weak Interaction changes the diffraction patterns by moving the electric charge from one side to the other side of the diffraction pattern, which violates the CP and Time reversal symmetry. The diffraction patterns and the locality of the self-maintaining electromagnetic potential explains also the Quantum Entanglement, giving it as a natural part of the Relativistic Quantum Theory and making possible to build the Quantum Computer with the help of Quantum Information.