Researchers leverage innovative materials and photon structures to enhance computation, communication security and precision sensing, redefining computing and communications.
As the demand for faster, more secure and efficient data transmission grows, researchers are exploring ways to push the limits of light-based technologies. Quantum structured light is emerging as a breakthrough, combining quantum information with the spatial and temporal structures of light to encode vastly more information per photon. This innovation promises to enhance communications, computing, and high-precision sensing without adding unnecessary complexity.
Researchers from Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the University of the Witwatersrand presented a comprehensive review of the field in Nature Photonics. The study highlights how to manipulate multiple degrees of freedom in photons such as polarization, spatial modes and frequency. This enables high-dimensional quantum states, or qudits, surpassing the conventional two-dimensional qubits.
The technology’s applications span secure communications with multiple simultaneous channels, faster quantum computing through simpler and more compact circuits and high-resolution imaging for delicate biological samples. Quantum structured light also supports advanced simulations of molecular interactions and material properties, paving the way for next-generation sensors and quantum devices.
The features of the quantum structure include:
- High-dimensional quantum states
- Enhanced quantum computing
- Secure, robust communications
- Advanced imaging and sensing
Professor Adam Vallés, UAB Department of Physics, says, “Quantum structured light has evolved from a scientific curiosity into a tool with transformative potential. Our research demonstrates practical applications for communication, computing, and imaging, with real-world impact across multiple fields.”
With ongoing collaboration between UAB and international partners, quantum structured light is poised to redefine secure communications, high-speed computation and advanced sensing in the years ahead.
