Public Funding for Rushmere Technology Limited

Many quantum systems use laser light to manipulate the quantum properties of matter. Today, these lasers themselves are very much larger (half a metre - shoebox sized) than the quantum systems they control (few millimetres - grain of rice sized). This project is aimed at investigating the feasibility of designing compact, millimetre sized semiconductor lasers to integrate into future commercial quantum processing systems. The laser design incorporates novel features to make the laser light suitable for quantum optical interactions across a wide wavelength range whilst avoiding expensive modifications that would create barriers to future commercial exploitation.

The manufacture of packaged photonic products requires the micron-scale accurate positioning of optical components within the package. This study will explore the incorporation of novel minature sensors and actuators into photonic packages to achieve controllable movements of optical parts for high performance operation.

The internet has transformed the way we do business, entertainment, social interactions and lifestyle. All of these applications are underpinned by an advanced optical network that can transmit data over a global scale. However, in order to cope with new applications, higher bandwidths per user and a growing number of users, this network needs new technology solutions in order to support this growth. The current electronic equipment is limited in capacity and new lightwave technologies are needed in order for optical networks to deliver the required data capacities (Terabits per second). This project aims to design novel optical technologies that can not only handle these massive data rates but also simultaneously reduce the size, cost and power consumption of today's products. This breakthrough is necessary in order for the internet to grow in the future, and so presents a huge business opportunity for companies with these market-leading technologies.