Teaming up with ESA

"Entangled photon source for quantum communications" (EQUO) is the title of a new project that ICFO will lead in partnership with the company Qutools GmbH, the LMU/Max Planck Institute (Munich), the University of Bristol and the University of Vienna. The project is coordinated by Prof. Valerio Pruneri. Other ICFO groups involved in the project are the groups led by Prof. Morgan Mitchell and Prof. Juan P. Torres. The initiative is part of the ESA Technological Research Transfer (TRT) program.

The main focus of the project is to improve the efficiency of entangled photon production from the source towards much higher levels than at present. This goal is complementary to the ESA “Quantum Transceiver” project, supported by the CDTI and scientifically coordinated as well by ICFO in collaboration with a consortium of Spanish companies and universities, which focuses mainly on integration. The new project will produce an efficient prototype, to be optimized subsequently for integration. Participation under different programs in this set of ESA projects places ICFO in a leading position in quantum applications for space.