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.