QUANTHOS - Quantum Topological Integrated Photonics

Project funded by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT) (Concurso para Projetos de Investigação de caráter Exploratório em Todos os Domínios Científicos 2024), grant 2024.17446.PEX. Funded amount: EUR 57,664.40, as stated by the source. Runs 2026-02-01 to 2027-07-31. Keywords: Topological photonics, Quantum transport of light, Integrated photonics, Quantum decoherence protection, Engineering and technology. Source: OpenAIRE Graph, from the funder's project data (collected by OpenAIRE on 2025-12-25); national funding data, not CORDIS. Abstract given by the source: Quantum technologies offer transformative potential for computing, sensing and communication by exploiting the fundamental principles of quantum mechanics. However, one major challenge remains: quantum states are intrinsically fragile and highly susceptible to decoherence, limiting their scalability and practical implementation. The QUANTHOS project seeks to mitigate this limitation by investigating whether topological photonics, initially developed for classical optical systems, can be extended to quantum states of light, enabling robust and fault-tolerant quantum photonic circuits. Topological photonics, inspired by topological insulators from condensed matter physics, ensures robust transport of electromagnetic waves while minimizing the effects of disorder and structural imperfections. Although such principles have been demonstrated for classical photonic systems, it remains an open question whether topological robustness can protect quantum light, including single photon states and entangled pairs. If this is demonstrated, the impacts could be significant in quantum computing, sensors and high-fidelity quantum communications. If quantum states can indeed benefit from topological protection, QUANTHOS will represent a significant advance in quantum photonics, driving the development of robust quantum processors, noise-resilient quantum networks, and ultra-sensitive quantum sensors. The project aligns with global efforts to design error-resistant quantum technologies, contributing to the growing quantum research community in Portugal, and leveraging INESC TEC's expertise in photonics, computing and HPC-based modeling. QUANTHOS aims to bridge the gap between topological photonics and quantum mechanics by addressing the fundamental issue of decoherence in quantum systems. By integrating advanced numerical simulations, quantum transport theory and experimental methodologies, the project aims to inaugurate a new paradigm in robust quantum photonic circuits, paving [shortened; the full text is on the OpenAIRE page]

Original source.

Source: OpenAIRE Graph: projects of national funders, OpenAIRE, from the project data of Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P. (FCT). Retrieved 2026-10-28. Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (OpenAIRE Graph). Selected metadata, adapted presentation; the publisher's record is authoritative. No endorsement by the source is implied. Licence: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0).

AI-assisted summary: The QUANTHOS project, funded by FCT with a grant of EUR 57,664.40, runs from February 1, 2026, to July 31, 2027. It aims to explore topological photonics to enhance the robustness of quantum photonic circuits against decoherence. Suggested technology pillar: computing. Generated by AI from the public source text; it may contain errors and the original source is authoritative.