Dr Toby Dowling (Toshiba Cambridge Research Laboratory), "Advances in Quantum Communication"

Wednesday 30 Oct 2024, 13:30 → 14:30 UTC

Hybrid - G O Jones 610 (Universe)

Quantum technologies are poised to revolutionize many areas of our lives. Within a decade, we are likely to witness the development of commercially viable quantum computers, where many academic and industry partners will provide testing grounds for research into many-body physics and computationally intensive tasks. Quantum computers pose a threat to cryptographic security in communication architectures, as the scalability of powerful quantum computers could put various sectors of everyday life at risk. One of the most promising and mature quantum technologies is quantum communication, where information is encoded in quantum states and transmitted to a distant party to be read. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is a process for sharing cryptographic keys, guaranteed by the laws of physics. To ensure the security of such QKD systems, even against the most powerful adversary—often referred to as Eve—it is crucial to consider information leakage and to account for the limitations of non-ideal hardware in the design of protocols. In this seminar, we will discuss ongoing research at Toshiba's Cambridge Research. Laboratory, focusing on the challenges of implementing secure QKD systems, developing novel protocols to extend the distance over which parties can securely share information, and exploring quantum devices such as; quantum random number generators, single-photon sources derived from quantum dots and efforts in satellite QKD. Additionally, we will explore the differences between academic and industrial research environments, highlighting the commercial readiness of my PhD topic: Light-matter interactions in low-dimensional microcavities.

zoom meeting