About the project
The University of Southampton is expanding its PhD research in the area of Quantum Technology Engineering. In addition to the research project outlined below you will receive substantial training in scientific, technical, and commercial skills.
Existing techniques to encrypt data in our Internet networks are vulnerable to being easily breakable by emerging quantum computers. IBM has recently released a 1000 qubit quantum computer and the challenge of finding alternative techniques to encrypt our data is becoming ever more urgent. Fortunately, quantum cryptography is a suitable solution to overcome this challenge. However, quantum cryptography requires unique lasers that can emit single photons and entangled photon pairs.
In this PhD project, you will use two-dimensional (2D) materials as single-photon light sources. Strain and defect engineering in 2D materials can result in in-gap discrete energy levels in the electronic structure of the material, leading to the creation of single and entangled photon sources. The wavelength can vary from visible to near IR depending on the chosen material. Once the photo-emitters are generated in the 2D materials, they can be transferred onto almost any arbitrary substrates including silicon photonic circuits (waveguides, couplers, photonic crystal cavities, etc.), making them an even more attractive candidate for on-chip photon sources. Key challenges will be understanding the nature of the single and entangled photon emission in this family of materials and tailoring their properties to their potential usage in quantum communications.
