Quantum information science is changing the way how the world is processing digital information. In using unique quantum phenomena like entanglement and no-cloning theorem, communications networks and high-performance computers can be made faster and more secure.
Indeed, today the idea of a future Quantum Internet is no longer a remote possibility—research and engineering efforts have made rapid progress over the past decade, and the tech industry is coming in with big players like Google and IBM making significant investments and efforts to commercialize the underlying quantum technologies.
The role of engineering in quantum information is paramount to its success. In fact, quantum engineering takes a multi-disciplinary approach, where optical, electronics, computer, and material engineering all play a crucial role in getting quantum networks and computers to work.
For example, electrical and computing engineering expertise like digital signal processing, network engineering, optimization, and optoelectronics devices are needed to build and control quantum systems for communications, computing, and sensing. Material science is also highly important for developing efficient low-loss materials for implementing and detecting quantum systems.
Currently, the College hosts quantum engineering researchers working on a wide spectrum of quantum technologies, ranging from quantum-safe networks to quantum imaging/sensing.