Research funding for photonic quantum chips

In the 'pigtailing' process, fiber-optic cables are fused to an integrated-optical quantum device. Image: Besim Mazhiqi/Universität Paderborn - The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding a consortium led by the Stuttgart-based quantum start-up Q.ANT with 45 million euros. The consortium partners are contributing a further eight million euros. The funding will be used to build a demonstration and test facility for photonic quantum computer chips and other quantum computing components. The consortium also includes the Institute of Applied Physics (IAP) at Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF. Both are taking on development tasks worth 12.6 million euros in the project. The consortium headed by Q.ANT is developing technologies for photonic quantum computing and preparing them for industrial use.