The Governors of the University of Calgary

Purpose

Modern information society is highly dependent on the ability to communicate securely. However, current techniques for guaranteeing security are threatened by the development of quantum computers, with potentially devastating consequences for many sectors of society including defense, finance, and healthcare. One promising potential solution to this threat is quantum-secured communication. Unfortunately, realizing such quantum communication over long distances is challenging, because, in contrast to classical information, quantum information cannot be copied or amplified. This challenge can be overcome by the development of so-called quantum repeaters that rely on creating and storing quantum entanglement for short-distance links, which are then connected by quantum teleportation. Quantum memories are essential components of such quantum repeaters. The present Project is devoted to designing quantum memories that can operate under real-world conditions and that make it possible to use the available communication channels efficiently.