Funding for secure and reliable transmission of quantum data

10 October 2022

Photo: UHH/Esfandiari

Prof. Dr. Ralf Riedinger from the Department of Physics will develop a test platform for error processing in quantum communication networks in the new joint project.

Interception security and much higher computer performance - these are two promises of quantum communication technology. A consortium coordinated at Universität Hamburg is receiving nearly one million euros in funding for the development of practical quantum networks.

Light particles hold great potential for the IT of tomorrow. For one thing, photons cannot be copied, so they can transmit data without being intercepted. For another, processors that work with photons can be combined to form a quantum supercomputer, enabling much faster data transmission.

"A key challenge is to reliably transmit information between nodes in a quantum communications network. This means that we must be able to detect transmission errors and correct them using suitable methods," says physicist Prof. Dr. Ralf Riedinger. He conducts research in the Cluster of Excellence "CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter" and coordinates the consortium, which includes Universität Hamburg, the University of Ulm and Swabian Instruments GmbH.

The project, called "HIgh FIdelity QUANTUM net-works (Quantum HiFi)", is funded for three years by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research as part of the measure "Research Agile - Innovative Methods for Quantum Communication Networks".

In the network, researchers will develop small, modular quantum processors that will form the core of a future quantum network. The focus of the Hamburg researchers is on the development of a test platform for error processing. This will lay the foundation for a future secure IT encryption architecture that is independent of technical developments in other fields.