University of Ottawa

Purpose

Project NODE develops a new class of deterministic, room-temperature quantum-network components based on optical parametric amplifiers (OPAs). These devices, long used in classical fibre telecommunication systems and electronics, can generate, strengthen, entangle, and measure quantum light, offering a unified solution to the limitations of today’s probabilistic and often cryogenic quantum technologies. The project will build and test broadband OPAs at telecom wavelengths, explore how they operate from conventional “classical-pump’’ regimes to genuinely quantum regimes where the pump and light fields become correlated, and determine how these capabilities can be deployed in real quantum-network settings. Through coordinated work at NRC, University of Ottawa, and Polytechnique Montréal, the project will establish OPAs as practical building blocks for future quantum networks and identify the most promising near-term applications. By enabling deterministic, high-speed optical interconnects, Project NODE strengthens Canada’s leadership in quantum networking and supports the development of scalable quantum technologies.