Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100489
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, the limits to knowledge, and the foundations of quantum theory. This project will establish what the uncertainty principle can teach us about quantum foundations, and will address why quantum theory obeys such a principle and why Nature chose quantum theory amongst other possible theories. Specifically, this project will determine how the uncertainty principle restricts the information one can get on incompatible measurements, by deriving new complementarity r ....Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, the limits to knowledge, and the foundations of quantum theory. This project will establish what the uncertainty principle can teach us about quantum foundations, and will address why quantum theory obeys such a principle and why Nature chose quantum theory amongst other possible theories. Specifically, this project will determine how the uncertainty principle restricts the information one can get on incompatible measurements, by deriving new complementarity relations. These will clarify what can or cannot be done in the context of quantum information. This project will determine how much of a theory can be reconstructed from such relations and what other fundamental axioms are required to fully derive quantum theory. This will shed light on the reasons why Nature prefers it to other theories.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100712
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Principles and applications of quantum causal discovery. This project aims to develop a comprehensive framework to discover causal relations in quantum experiments. Quantum information can solve practical problems involving quantum systems, providing great insight in the foundations of physics and a promise of revolutionary technology. However, little is known about inferring causal relations between quantum events, a core problem in all scientific disciplines. This project aims to develop tools ....Principles and applications of quantum causal discovery. This project aims to develop a comprehensive framework to discover causal relations in quantum experiments. Quantum information can solve practical problems involving quantum systems, providing great insight in the foundations of physics and a promise of revolutionary technology. However, little is known about inferring causal relations between quantum events, a core problem in all scientific disciplines. This project aims to develop tools to efficiently solve this task, which is expected to open a new direction in quantum information and applied quantum technologies, and provide a deeper understanding of causality in the quantum world. Such advances in the theoretical background for developing quantum technologies could benefit the economy.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100409
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$367,576.00
Summary
Knowledge, Ignorance, and Security in Higher-dimensional Quantum Systems. This project aims to provide new understanding of information and security in higher-dimensional systems, and to exploit this to deliver a secure, high-capacity, quantum image transfer protocol for quantum communication and quantum cryptography technologies. In quantum physics, the best possible knowledge of a whole does not include the best possible knowledge of the parts: not knowing any of the letters of a word does not ....Knowledge, Ignorance, and Security in Higher-dimensional Quantum Systems. This project aims to provide new understanding of information and security in higher-dimensional systems, and to exploit this to deliver a secure, high-capacity, quantum image transfer protocol for quantum communication and quantum cryptography technologies. In quantum physics, the best possible knowledge of a whole does not include the best possible knowledge of the parts: not knowing any of the letters of a word does not imply not knowing what the word is. This project aims to examine the high-dimensional transverse spatial modes of photon to show that the converse is also true: not knowing the word does not imply not knowing any of the letters. Project outcomes may have applications in remote sensing and surveillance.Read moreRead less
Heisenberg-limited lasers: building the revolution. The project aims to design and build a revolutionary new type of laser based on the ground-breaking 2020 Nature Physics paper by the two Chief Investigators. The significance of this work is that it overturns 60 years of theory about the limits to laser coherence, by applying 21st century quantum theory and quantum technology to the problem. This project expects to greatly advance the theory and, by instigating a collaboration with world-leadin ....Heisenberg-limited lasers: building the revolution. The project aims to design and build a revolutionary new type of laser based on the ground-breaking 2020 Nature Physics paper by the two Chief Investigators. The significance of this work is that it overturns 60 years of theory about the limits to laser coherence, by applying 21st century quantum theory and quantum technology to the problem. This project expects to greatly advance the theory and, by instigating a collaboration with world-leading experimentalists working with superconducting quantum devices, to demonstrate a laser with coherence beyond what was thought possible. Benefits of the project should flow from the manifold applications for highly coherent radiation, including scaling up superconducting quantum computing.Read moreRead less
Ultimate quantum limits to coherence. This project aims to discover the ultimate quantum limits to optical coherence. Quantum physics underpin the miniaturisation of technology, and quantum devices can do things better, often with vastly fewer resources, than conventional devices. Lasers underpin most modern optical technologies, and have been studied for decades, but the ultimate quantum limits are unknown. To find them, this project will use theoretical techniques that have not hitherto been c ....Ultimate quantum limits to coherence. This project aims to discover the ultimate quantum limits to optical coherence. Quantum physics underpin the miniaturisation of technology, and quantum devices can do things better, often with vastly fewer resources, than conventional devices. Lasers underpin most modern optical technologies, and have been studied for decades, but the ultimate quantum limits are unknown. To find them, this project will use theoretical techniques that have not hitherto been combined. This project will likely influence the long-term development of lasers and other quantum devices and underpin innovation in miniaturised optical technology and other quantum devices, leading ultimately to commercial products that yield a better quality of life.Read moreRead less
Quantum physics and complexity. How much information about a system’s present is needed to predict its future? This project aims to show that the answer fundamentally depends on how information is stored. Simulations of partially random processes are critical in real-world applications. Surprisingly, theory suggests that a simulation must store much more classical data (like bits) than is required to determine its output. This wastes precious resources. Via optical quantum information experiment ....Quantum physics and complexity. How much information about a system’s present is needed to predict its future? This project aims to show that the answer fundamentally depends on how information is stored. Simulations of partially random processes are critical in real-world applications. Surprisingly, theory suggests that a simulation must store much more classical data (like bits) than is required to determine its output. This wastes precious resources. Via optical quantum information experiments, the project aims to demonstrate and characterise how storing and handling data in quantum states massively reduces this complexity overhead. Another goal is to use novel quantum optics ideas to greatly reduce communication complexity in important remote processing tasks.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100356
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$327,216.00
Summary
Quantum measurements: new, better, easier. This project aims to: engineer new state-of-the-art quantum measurements; devise the best ways of sensing quantum signals; and make quantum measurements and characterisation of large quantum systems easier to do. Quantum measurements are the principal means by which we gain access to and characterise the quantum world. The new, better and easier measurements that should result from this project will greatly advance quantum technologies. Specifically, th ....Quantum measurements: new, better, easier. This project aims to: engineer new state-of-the-art quantum measurements; devise the best ways of sensing quantum signals; and make quantum measurements and characterisation of large quantum systems easier to do. Quantum measurements are the principal means by which we gain access to and characterise the quantum world. The new, better and easier measurements that should result from this project will greatly advance quantum technologies. Specifically, they should allow for more efficient characterisation of quantum computers and enable us to engineer the ultimate quantum sensors, enhance mineral prospecting; and make building a quantum computer practical.Read moreRead less
Unconditional photonic entanglement verification and quantum metrology using fast, ultra-high-efficiency photon detectors. Scientists can currently only give in-principle demonstrations of the powerful advantages offered by the quantum physics of photons – particles of light. A true quantum technology revolution, that genuinely exploits photons’ exotic nature, requires methods and apparatus that work unconditionally. The main barrier is the extreme fragility of quantum properties due to unavoida ....Unconditional photonic entanglement verification and quantum metrology using fast, ultra-high-efficiency photon detectors. Scientists can currently only give in-principle demonstrations of the powerful advantages offered by the quantum physics of photons – particles of light. A true quantum technology revolution, that genuinely exploits photons’ exotic nature, requires methods and apparatus that work unconditionally. The main barrier is the extreme fragility of quantum properties due to unavoidable losses. This project will overcome this barrier by developing innovative loss-tolerant protocols and devices that unconditionally show and exploit quantum effects, both for long-distance applications and ultra-precise measurement technologies. This collaboration will bring the world’s best photon detectors to Australia, as a key resource for this work and for future research.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101443
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$343,450.00
Summary
Composite quantum systems at the interplay with general relativity. This project aims to develop an operational framework for time and causality at a quantum and gravity interface, testable with nascent quantum technologies. The notion of time is not fully understood in physics, yet it is among the most precisely measurable quantities. The project expects to deliver new knowledge in the foundations of quantum physics by developing mathematical tools which are relevant beyond the context of gravi ....Composite quantum systems at the interplay with general relativity. This project aims to develop an operational framework for time and causality at a quantum and gravity interface, testable with nascent quantum technologies. The notion of time is not fully understood in physics, yet it is among the most precisely measurable quantities. The project expects to deliver new knowledge in the foundations of quantum physics by developing mathematical tools which are relevant beyond the context of gravity. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of the notions of time and causality in quantum physics, and formulation of new experimental paradigms to test them. The project will enhance our understanding of the notion of time in quantum theory, bringing a cultural benefit to the scientific community and the general public.Read moreRead less
Gravity effects in quantum clocks and sensors: foundations and applications. Time is among the most precisely measurable quantities in physics, yet it is also the least understood concept in physics. This project aims to develop a mathematical framework describing measurements of time with high-precision clocks sensitive to both quantum and gravitational effects. The project expects to deliver new knowledge in the foundations of quantum physics by describing new gravitational effects in quantum ....Gravity effects in quantum clocks and sensors: foundations and applications. Time is among the most precisely measurable quantities in physics, yet it is also the least understood concept in physics. This project aims to develop a mathematical framework describing measurements of time with high-precision clocks sensitive to both quantum and gravitational effects. The project expects to deliver new knowledge in the foundations of quantum physics by describing new gravitational effects in quantum systems. Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of time in quantum theory and strategies for harnessing gravitational effects in high-precision clocks, bringing cultural benefits to society and paving the way towards improved quantum technologies that are expected to bring economic benefits in the next two decades. Read moreRead less