A 4 million investment is propelling a University of Michigan Engineering-led team closer to building practical quantum technology, advancing their project to Stage 2 of a National Science Foundation competition. The team aims to develop plug-and-play photonic chips capable of bringing quantum-light measurements into and out of real-world commercial devices, with the potential to scale into a 55 million NSF quantum center. Key to their progress is ScAlN material, successfully demonstrated in the first phase and built using a specialized machine. “Our guidestar use case is quantum navigation,” explains Mackillo Kira, U-M professor of electrical and computer engineering and principal investigator. “We will design quantum chips that let users determine their position with extreme precision.”
ScAlN Semiconductor Advances Enable Quantum Photonic Chips
A novel semiconductor material, scandium aluminum nitride (ScAlN), is becoming central to efforts to build practical quantum photonic chips, offering a pathway beyond laboratory demonstrations toward real-world applications. The University of Michigan-led team, bolstered by a recent 4 million Phase 2 award that adds to an initial 1 million, has successfully demonstrated ScAlN’s potential, constructing the material using molecular beam epitaxy. This achievement addresses a critical bottleneck in quantum photonics, as ScAlN outperformed other materials in versatility and ease of integration with existing silicon microelectronics. The team’s focus extends beyond material science; they are designing connectable quantum photonic chips for field-ready, lab-grade measurements. Success in this phase could unlock a 55 million NSF quantum center in Phase 3, enabling prototyping of field-deployable chips.
A significant aspect of this work involves manipulating light to achieve higher precision, specifically through a technique called Having achieved a world-leading noise reduction of 3 dB with work from Zheshen Zhang’s lab, the team aims to reach a reduction of 5 dB, with a long-term goal of 15 dB. Zheshen Zhang, U-M associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, is leading this effort. The team is also actively engaging in workforce development, collaborating with K-12 teachers and developing training modules for current workers, guided by the needs of their industry partners.
Having achieved a world-leading noise reduction of 3 dB using a chip, the team aims to reach a reduction of 5 dB in this phase, with an ultimate goal of 15 dB.
QuPID Project Targets Quantum Navigation & “Camera” Applications
The pursuit of practical quantum technologies is shifting demonstrations to designs suited for real-world deployment, with a University of Michigan-led team securing 4 million in Phase 2 funding to advance its QuPID project. Building upon an initial $1 million pilot award, this investment adds to the funding for the quantum chip design initiative, enabling the team to design connectable quantum photonic chips for field-ready, lab-grade measurements. The team’s approach centers on translating the quantum properties of light into functional devices, operating across a broad spectrum from below infrared to deep ultraviolet. Beyond materials science, the project is actively designing connectable quantum photonic components, aiming to overcome the stringent requirements for near-zero loss, high-fidelity manipulation, and extreme stability inherent in quantum applications. The team is concentrating efforts on two applications: quantum navigation and a high-precision “camera” for monitoring quantum processes.
Our guidestar use case is quantum navigation. We will design quantum chips that let users determine their position with extreme precision for far longer than classical devices, while being compact, affordable and rugged enough for everyday vehicles and future Mars missions.
Squeezed Light Noise Reduction Reaches 3dB with 5dB Goal
Researchers at the University of Michigan are pushing the boundaries of quantum precision. Zheshen Zhang’s lab achieved a 3-decibel reduction in noise using squeezed light, and the team aims to reach a reduction of 5 dB. This advancement builds upon initial success with scandium aluminum nitride (ScAlN), a material identified as a promising foundation for quantum photonic chips due to its versatility and compatibility with existing silicon microelectronics. Squeezed light, a technique where quantum noise is redistributed to improve precision in a desired measurement, is central to this effort. The degree of noise reduction is measured in decibels, reflecting the decrease relative to the inherent quantum fuzziness of light. The team’s ability to further refine squeezed light technology will be a key factor in securing additional funding and realizing the vision of robust, plug-and-play quantum devices capable of operating outside of laboratory settings. The team, operating under the banner of Quantum Photonic Integration and Deployment, or QuPID, is focused on translating the potential of quantum light into robust, field-deployable devices.
Integrated photonic components for quantum applications face significantly more stringent requirements than classical optical components, primarily due to the need for near-zero loss, high-fidelity manipulation and extreme stability. to deploy quantum technologies, these components must be integrated with high efficiencies.
