NARASIMHAN KASTHURI
SAN FRANCISCO/NEW DELHI, OCT 3
The Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-D) has set up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) on quantum technologies to bring research activities occurring in various domains of Quantum Technologies here under a single umbrella.
The CoE will bring synergy and coherence in the activities being carried out at the institute and will support the Principal Investigators to pitch in for more significant projects from the DST and other funding agencies, the institute said. It added that the field of quantum technology holds immense promise for significant breakthroughs in the coming years and that the Centre has also announced a commitment worth ₹8,000 crores in the area of Quantum Technology. The field of quantum technology holds immense promise for significant breakthroughs in the coming years. Several countries like the USA, China, Japan, EU, the UK have invested billions of dollars in this futuristic technology.
India has partnered with Finland to work towards quantum computing. The digital partnership between the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) at Pune and Finland’s Aalto University has created a high probability of getting its first quantum computer.
The quantum computing market is expected to be at $2,545 million by 2029. The Government’s allocation of ₹8,000 crore towards quantum computing under the National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications further strengthens the desire of the country to be not left behind. The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has recently launched the Quantum-Enabled Science & Technology (QuEST) programme to lay the groundwork for building quantum computers.
Rajendra Singh, Head, School of Interdisciplinary Research (SIRe), IIT Delhi said in the past 100 years or so, Quantum Physics has impacted society in an unprecedented way and the second quantum revolution is now round the corner. The center will focus on select thrust areas, which include Quantum Computing, Quantum Communication, Quantum Sensing and Metrology and Quantum Materials and Devices, he said.
Along with design and development of new quantum materials that would be undertaken through this CoE, research activities related to Quantum Processor and cryogenic controller, Modeling and technology development of semiconducting Qubits: CMOS and 2D materials, quantum sensing and metrology, quantum bio-photonics, development of single photon detectors and sources: Based on semiconductors (2D materials, III-V), superconductors, development of bright single and entangled photon sources based on SPDC, quantum secure communication in free space and optical, fibre, quantum imaging and sensing using quantum correlated photons would also be carried out.
The co-founder of a quantum security startup in Silicon Valley, Chandra Mohan, said ‘IIT Delhi’s move is very encouraging and hopes will lead India to Quantum technology leadership and in shaping Quantum Standards which could stimulate an environment for Indian physicists to commercialize their brain power. We can harness the abundant talent in Quantum field in India through IITD CoE. The startup has identified use cases where the current Quantum technology could be enhanced to solve business problems more efficiently with us.’
