South Dakota Mines students and faculty make
single-photon measurements using equipment donated by quantum communications
industry pioneer Qubitekk.
As part of the university’s participation
in the National Science Foundation-funded MonArk Quantum Foundry, South Dakota Mines is
offering coursework in quantum computing and quantum communications. The
donated quantum mechanics laboratory kit, valued at approximately $50,000, will
be used in a laboratory section of a course on quantum communications.
The South Dakota Mines
Department of Nanoscience & Biomedical Engineering has been gifted a $50,000
quantum mechanics laboratory kit from industry pioneer Qubitekk to be utilized
by students in a series of new courses being offered in quantum information science
(QIS).
Steve Smith and Robert Anderson, faculty in the Department of Nanoscience
& Biomedical Engineering, will teach the new courses.
QIS includes efforts to develop quantum
computers, quantum sensors and secure communications networks, all of which
have an advantage over their classical counterparts due to the intrinsic
properties of quantum mechanics, says Smith. Currently, QIS is a cutting-edge
research area supported by federal funding agencies [1],[2],[3], but
a growing industry and emerging job market are taking this research and putting
it into practice.
In support of their research in
low-dimensional quantum materials — a part of the National Science
Foundation-funded MonArk Quantum Foundry — Smith and Anderson
conceived the courses to give engineering and science majors practical training
in quantum materials, quantum computing and quantum communications.
The courses — NANO 402/502 Quantum
Materials, NANO 404/504 Nanophotonics, NANO 405/505/L Quantum Photonics and
Communications and NANO 406/506/L Introduction to Quantum Computing — were designed
as engineering electives. They are anticipated to be added to the curriculum
for nanoscience and nanoengineering, electrical engineering, physics and other
majors contingent on department approval. Three of the courses comprise a
certificate in quantum communications, which is on the consent agenda for
approval by the South Dakota Board of Regents at their Dec. 14 meeting.
To supplement the new coursework, Qubitekk donated the quantum laboratory kit,
which includes single photon detectors, fiber optics, counting electronics and
Qubitekk’s proprietary bi-photon source. These components are the critical
elements necessary to implement a secure quantum communications network based
on entangled photon pairs, generated by Qubitekk’s bi-photon source. Entangled
photons are used in Qubitekk’s Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system, a system
in which the security of a cryptographic key is guaranteed based on the
principles of quantum mechanics.
The security of conventional cryptography
is gauged by the computational challenge of breaking a code, which weakens as computer power advances. The security of quantum communications is independent
of computational power. It is based on the laws of physics, which are presumed
immutable, says Smith.
“These
courses support our research in quantum materials, especially their nonlinear
optical properties, which are important in generating entangled photons used in
QKD networks,” says Smith. “The courses on nanophotonics and quantum computing also
leverage our research developing meta-surfaces.” Meta-surface research at Mines is led by Shan Zhou, assistant professor
in the Department of Nanoscience & Biomedical Engineering.
“Since the majority of the components in
quantum networks are also used in conventional communications networks, these
courses are useful to anyone interested in optical communications or any
application which uses modern lasers or fiber optic systems,” says Smith.
“Thanks to the support of Qubitekk, South
Dakota Mines students can get hands-on training with state-of-the-art equipment
while studying the principles of quantum communications and quantum computing,”
says Smith. “Photonics, quantum computing and quantum communications are
so-called National Science Foundation industries of the future. At South Dakota Mines,
the future is now. Students should look for these offerings beginning in spring
2024.”
[1]https://new.nsf.gov/focus-areas/quantum
[2]https://www.energy.gov/science/quantum-information-science
[3]https://datascience.nih.gov/quantum-information-science