QCE20 Workshop on
Photonics-based Quantum Computing and Simulation

Date and Time

  • Wed, Oct 14, 2020
  • 10:45─12:15 and 13:00─14:30 Mountain Time (MDT) — UTC-6

Organizers

Overview

Quantum computers based on photons as qubits may become the winning technology in the quantum computing race, and have received the largest VC investment to date (e.g., $250M, PsiQuantum). Specifically, integrated photonics technologies may be more scalable than superconducting or ion trap quantum computers. This workshop will cover both pure photonic qubit technologies (such as discrete and continuous-variable implementations of linear optics quantum computing) as well as architectures based on photonic qubits coupled to matter qubits.  Both universal quantum computing and more specialized quantum simulators will be discussed.

Agenda

10:45-11:15 Chao-Yang Lu, USTC
Toward quantum computational advantage with photons
Abstract: We implemented AABS with 20 single photons in a 60-mode interferometer with an output space size of 10^14. More recently, we demonstrated Gaussian boson sampling with up to 76 photon clicks after a 100-mode interferometer. The obtained samples were validated against various hypotheses.
11:15-11:45 Raffaele Santagati, University of Bristol
Silicon photonic quantum simulators
Abstract: Silicon quantum photonics offers some key advantages for photonic quantum information processing. Because of the high refractive index contrast, photonic components are on the micrometric scale and the intrinsic non-linearity enables photon pair generation. In this talk, I will introduce some of the key elements of this technology, like photon-pair sources, spectral multiplexers for spectrum to path manipulation and detectors. I will then conclude presenting some of our most recent contributions towards the development of practical photonic quantum simulators in silicon wave-guide, where the simulators are used for both benchmarking the technology and to characterise and study the physics of other quantum systems.
11:45-12:15 Benjamin Brecht, University of Paderborn
Abstract: Photonic quantum simulators are one of the more accessible flavour of quantum computers, yet still offer power that goes beyond that of classical applications. Quantum walks provide an appealing platform for realising such simulators due to their relative experimental simplicity. In an abstract image, all we need to build such a quantum walk is control over many modes in a network and the ability to populate them with photons. In this talk, I will discuss the benefits and challenges of two complementing approaches to realising this, which we pursue in our group. The first approach is based on time-multiplexing and fast electro-optic modulation; one could call this the standard approach. The second approach is a measurement-based approach, where the implementation of the network is software-based and thus offers capabilities that cannot easily be realised with standard approaches.
13:00-13:30 Mercedes Gimeno-Segovia, Psi Quantum

 
13:30-14:00 Roberto Morandotti, INRS
Quantum integrated micro combs
Abstract: The development of quantum technologies for quantum information science demands the realization and precise control of complex (multipartite and high dimensional) entangled systems on practical and scalable platforms. Quantum frequency combs (QFCs) generated via spontaneous four-wave mixing in integrated microring resonators represent a powerful tool towards this goal. They enable the generation of complex photon states within a single spatial mode as well as their manipulation using standard fiber-based telecommunication components. Here, we review recent progress in the development of QFCs, with a focus on our results that highlight their importance for the realization of complex quantum states. In particular, we outline our work on the use of integrated QFCs for the generation of high-dimensional multipartite optical cluster states and their uni-directional pro-cessing, being at the core of measurement-based quantum computation. These results confirm that engineering the time-frequency entanglement properties of QFC may provide a stable, practical, low-cost, and established platform for the development of near-future quantum devices for out-of-the-lab applications, ranging from practical quantum computing to more secure communications.
14:00-14:30 Zachary Vernon (Xanadu)
Near-term photonic quantum computing on the cloud
Abstract: Photonic quantum computers are now available for cloud access. In my talk, I will describe the key hardware components that makeup Xanadu’s cloud-deployed photonic quantum computing platform. These include a nanophotonic chip for input state generation and gate implementation, transition-edge sensors for photon number resolving detection, and an automated control system allowing the system to be programmed using Strawberry Fields, an open-source Python library. I will al-so discuss the near-term use cases of these machines, and our efforts toward scaling up their size, performance, and functionality.