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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/N003829/1
Title: Verification of Quantum Technology
Principal Investigator: Kashefi, Professor E
Other Investigators:
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
BAE Systems CNRS Group Freescale Semiconductor
IBM Corporation (International) Keysight Technologies (International) National University of Singapore
pureLiFi Ltd Singapore University of Tech & Design University of Bristol
University of Oxford University of Tartu University of Vienna
University of York
Department: Sch of Informatics
Organisation: University of Edinburgh
Scheme: EPSRC Fellowship
Starts: 01 October 2015 Ends: 31 March 2021 Value (£): 1,237,804
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Fundamentals of Computing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Communications
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
03 Jun 2015 EPSRC Quantum Technology Fellowships Interviews Meeting (Round 2) Announced
14 May 2015 EPSRC Quantum Technology Fellowships Sift Meeting (Round 2) Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Future information and communication networks will certainly consist of both classical and quantum devices, some of which are expected to be dishonest, with various degrees of functionality, ranging from simple routers to servers executing quantum algorithms. The realisation of such a complex network of classical and quantum communication must rely on a solid theoretical foundation that, nevertheless, is able to foresee and handle the intricacies of real-life implementations. The study of security, efficiency and verification of quantum communication and computation is inherently related to the fundamental notions of quantum mechanics, including entanglement and non-locality, as well as to central notions in classical complexity theory and cryptography.

The central Research objective of our proposal is an end to end investigation of the verification and validation of quantum technologies, from full scale quantum computers and simulators to communication networks with devices of varying size and complexity down to realistic ``quantum gadgets". This goal represents a key challenge in the transition from theory to practice for quantum computing technologies.

We will work closely with experimentalists and engineers to ensure that theoretical progress takes Development considerations into account, and will design prototypes for proof-of-principle demonstrations of our methods. The experimental aspects of our proposal are supported by the PI's associate directorial position at the Oxford led hub, joint projects with the York led hub as well as other ongoing collaborations with experimental labs in France and Austria. Meanwhile the required expertise in engineering design would be supported through a new collaboration of the PI as part of the Edinburgh Li-Fi research and development centre.

The Deployment axis, complementing our core activity in research-development, will be built upon the unique Edinburgh entrepreneurial culture supported by Informatics Ventures as well as a dedicated senior business advisory board (which sponsored the PI's recent patent on quantum cloud). Advances to the problem of secure delegated computation would have an immediate significant consequence on how computational problems are solved in the real world. One can envision virtually unlimited computational power to end users on the go, using just a simple terminal to access the computing cloud which would turn any smartphone into a quantum-enhanced phone. This will generate new streams of growth for the UK cyber security sector as well as complementary business developments for the National quantum technology investment.

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