Quantum Optics and Information Photonics

In this program we have made the strategic decision to focus our activities on the cutting-edge research area in quantum information that could address the critical challenges enabling secure medical data transmission for next-generation health care delivery. We anticipate that quantum effects will be merged with standard communication systems in the next decade.

Medical data transmission from patients's home, points of care or remote locations will benefit greatly from advances in quantum information research at the Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics (FIP). For example, the development of photon entanglement techniques could provide key disruptive technologies that will allow secure transmission of diagnostic data and timely delivery of therapeutic agents to treat chronic diseases in interactive personalized medicine.

A possible strategy in further developing the program in quantum information is to team-up with Physics and search for senior researchers who have expertise in advanced technologies such as atoms confined in high-Q cavities or photon entanglement using parametric down conversion.

A FIP faculty member is already focusing his work on this area, where he is investigating ways to make sources and detectors that are compact and can be mated with existing telecommunication hardware. Future focus will be devoted to large-scale implementation of these emerging technologies.

We are also investigating advanced techniques to determine the velocity of information on optical pulses by creating pulses of light that travel very fast (much faster than c) or very slow (much slower than c) and measuring information encoded on them.

FIP has an important opportunity to lead in the development and application of next-generation communication technologies that meet the confidentiality requirement of both providers and patients and radically transform the structure of patient-centered medicine and global health delivery.

Quantum Optics Info Photonics Faculty

Harold U. Baranger

Professor of Physics
The broad focus of Prof. Baranger's group is quantum open systems at the nanoscale, particularly the generation of correlation between particles in...

David N. Beratan

R.J. Reynolds Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
Dr. Beratan is developing theoretical approaches to understand the function of complex molecular and macromolecular systems, including: the molecular...

Kenneth R Brown

Michael J. Fitzpatrick Distinguished Professor of Engineering
Prof. Brown's research interest is the control of quantum systems for both understanding the natural world and developing new technologies. His...

Jungsang Kim

Schiciano Family Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Jungsang Kim leads the Multifunctional Integrated Systems Technology group at Duke University. His main area of current research is quantum...

Maiken Mikkelsen

James N. and Elizabeth H. Barton Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Maiken H. Mikkelsen is the James N. and Elizabeth H. Barton Associate Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Duke University. She...

Christopher R Monroe

Gilhuly Family Presidential Distinguished Professor

Crystal Noel

Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Prof. Noel's research interests include both the technology development for scalable ion trap quantum computers, as well as using existing ion trap...

John H. Reif

A. Hollis Edens Distinguished Professor of Computer Science
Molecular assembly, DNA computing, robot motion planning, parallel algorithms, randomized algorithms, graph algorithms, algebraic computation, data...

Warren S. Warren

James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
Our work focuses on the design and application of what might best be called novel pulsed techniques, using controlled radiation fields to alter...