Quantum ELecTronics in sIlicon Carbide +3 (QELTIC+3)

Unbreakable codes, teleportation of information and ultra-fast computing will soon cease to be figments of science fiction literature thanks to the ongoing development of quantum technologies. Quantum mechanics is a branch of Physics that has allowed us to understand how nature works at the atomic and sub-atomic scales. This wealth of knowledge has already enabled successful modern technologies, such as smartphones, DVD players and MRI scanners. However, even more transformative quantum-based technologies are on the horizon and could lead to enhanced sensors, powerful quantum computers and un-hackable communication systems. These are considered imminent realities, so much so that governments and major corporations are copiously investing to benefit from their commercialisation. Some quantum devices are currently at a stage of development where scientists and engineers are trying to determine in which shape or form they could be more effectively commercialised. Whenever a new technology is being developed, a choice among possible implementations must be made. For example, initial videocassette recording systems came simultaneously onto the market in two hardware formats (Betamax and VHS) from competitors Sony and JVC, before VHS eventually became dominant. Similarly, many platforms are presently scrutinised to build the future quantum hardware. For instance, Google and IBM are investing in superconductors, while Intel and Hitachi have a prevalent focus on semiconductors, because they are already widely deployed in the microchip industry. Project QELTIC+3 will investigate quantum effects in silicon carbide (SiC), a semiconductor made of silicon (the material used for most modern electronics) and carbon (the cornerstone element for life on Earth). SiC is an extremely promising material because it hosts quantum effects that can be exploited to build a range of useful devices ranging from sensitive environmental sensors (temperature, radiation, magnetic field etc.) to secure communication devices and enhanced computing apparatuses. Crucially, SiC quantum technology could leverage existing industrial protocols and processes developed for classical electronics, as opposed to other materials that would require significant investments and additional infrastructure. The main hurdle to scale this quantum technology to mass fruition is the lack of standardised, cost-efficient and scalable manufacturing processes for quantum hardware, which is currently mostly produced in small volumes with tailor-made techniques in academic laboratories. QELTIC+3 will, for the first time, engineer and control quantum effects in commercially manufactured integrated circuits (IC), i.e. made in the same way as ubiquitous memory and microprocessor chips. We will implement a range of quantum devices by fully abiding to the stringent design rules of commercial SiC foundries, propelling the development of this technology towards large scale. The project’s objectives are: To devise strategies to incorporate quantum features in ICs by solely relying on foundry design rules. To monolithically integrate classical control electronics on the same SiC chip as quantum devices. To exploit the IC approach to dramatically speed up screening and characterisation procedures. To benchmark the performance of quantum devices produced through commercial processes. This research will cut through a diverse range of expertise by promoting a synthesis between quantum optics, quantum electronics and semiconductor device engineering. This will open a new direction in the field that has, until now, addressed these aspects separately. This project is one of discovery science with clear and realistic technological benefits. In fact, QELTIC+3 directly couples two major UK National Strategies, i.e. Quantum and Semiconductor.