The future of computing may lie in the bizarre world of quantum mechanics, and a new wave of international collaboration is poised to accelerate its arrival. Researchers at EPFL have secured three grants through a joint Swiss-Korean initiative, fostering partnerships aimed at overcoming key hurdles in quantum technology. These projects, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation and their Korean counterparts, will explore innovative approaches to generating and controlling single photons – the fundamental building blocks of quantum computers – with potential applications ranging from ultra-secure communication to revolutionary new materials. This investment underscores the growing global race to harness the power of quantum computing and positions EPFL at the forefront of this transformative field.
Swiss-Korean Quantum Research Collaboration
A burgeoning Swiss-Korean collaboration in quantum research has yielded significant funding through the Korean-Swiss Science and Technology Programme, a joint initiative between the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF). Launched in January 2025, the program awarded ten joint research projects, three of which were secured by researchers at EPFL. These projects span diverse areas within quantum technologies, including photonic quantum computing led by Hatice Altug (focused on integrating single-photon emitters with metasurfaces – a 799,720 CHF grant), next-generation quantum dot light sources under Sascha Feldmann (receiving 615,200 CHF), and a superconducting platform for quantum interfaces developed by Pasquale Scarlino. These collaborations aim to address critical challenges in quantum research, from scalable photon generation to high-fidelity qubit readout, and demonstrate a growing commitment to international partnerships in advancing quantum technologies.
EPFL Researcher Grant: Hatice Altug
EPFL researcher Hatice Altug, of the Bionanophotonic Systems Laboratory, has been awarded a grant of 799,720 CHF through the SNSF Swiss-Korean quantum initiative. This funding will support her project focused on integrating single-photon emitters with multifunctional metasurfaces to advance photonic quantum computing. Recognizing the potential of photonic systems—which offer low decoherence and compatibility with existing technologies—Altug’s research aims to overcome current limitations in generating and efficiently coupling multiple indistinguishable photons onto on-chip circuits. The project will investigate defect states in 2D materials and semiconductor quantum dots, pairing them with engineered metasurfaces designed to operate across a broad spectral range. Ultimately, this work seeks to realize scalable on-chip generation of indistinguishable photons, a crucial step toward compact and metasurface-enabled quantum photonic circuits, in collaboration with Hong-Gyu Park at Seoul National University.
EPFL Researcher Grants: Feldmann & Scarlino
EPFL researchers are poised to advance quantum technologies thanks to recent grants awarded through the Korean-Swiss Science and Technology Programme, a collaboration between the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF). Of the ten projects funded in January 2025, three were led by EPFL’s Hatice Altug, Sascha Feldmann, and Pasquale Scarlino. Altug’s project focuses on integrating single-photon emitters with multifunctional metasurfaces for photonic quantum computing, receiving 799,720 CHF. Feldmann’s “NextQLED” initiative will develop next-generation electroluminescent quantum light sources using chemically tailored quantum dots, backed by 615,200 CHF. Finally, Scarlino’s KIPho project aims to create a superconducting platform for improved readout of superconducting qubits. These collaborative efforts demonstrate EPFL’s growing role in international quantum research and promise significant advancements in areas like quantum computing and photonics.
