The Quantum Technology Centre was established at the Faculty of Physics, Lomonosov MSU, in 2018 under National Technological Initiative. The center leads research programs in fiber-optic and atmospheric quantum cryptography, cold atom physics, quantum optics, nanophotonics, nonlinear optics, and cryoelectronics. The center pays close attention to the educational activities aiming to bring up new researchers in the multidisciplinary field of quantum technologies.

The centre staff is involved in major projects developing quantum cryptographic systems designed for urban fiber-optic networks, atmospheric quantum communication equipment, and optical quantum processors.

Laboratories

There are various laboratories in each scientific field in MSU Quantum Technology Centre, where scientists are solving relevant practical and theoretical problems in quantum technologies and related areas.

 

Research Areas

Information security

Quantum cryptography is the only known secret key sharing technique that can offer unconditional security. It is also compatible with the current state of technology. That is why it draws a lot of attention and has become the most mature direction among quantum technologies. Quantum key distribution (QKD) is now an active area of research that has made its way from theory to advanced technology for the last few decades.

There are two dedicated laboratories in our centre that deal with QKD: conventional fiber-based quantum cryptography and free-space quantum cryptography.

Computation speedup

Scientific work in the quantum computing field goes in several directions: quantum computing on cold atoms, linear-optical quantum computing, quantum optics, precision and quantum measurements.

In this sector, scientists create platforms for quantum computers. Here, theoretical and computational problems related to the design of individual quantum gates and medium- to large-scale linear optical systems are solved; methods for preparing and measuring quantum states of light are being developed.

Nanophotonic devices

The department focuses on the nano-optics of various types of nanostructures, including metamaterials. This primarily includes the solution of fundamental problems related to excitation, amplification, and dynamics of plasmon-polaritons in ordered nanostructures, as well as in metamaterials. We use optical tweezers to study optical effects in individual nanoparticles. We explore ultrafast dynamics of light pulses to understand physical processes in nanostructures.

The department consists of three laboratories specializing in integral, resonance, and reconfiguration nanophotonics.

Semiconductor nanodevices

The development, fabrication, and study of single-atom structures are a continuation of work on creating classical and molecular single-electron devices, carried out in the "Cryoelectronics" laboratory of the Physics Faculty of M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University since the end of the 80s. During this time, at the Faculty of Physics of Moscow State University, unique nanoelectronic devices have been developed and experimentally demonstrated: a single-electron memory cell with a single electron storage time of more than 8 hours, a single-electron transistor with a record charge sensitivity, the world's first molecular single-electron transistor operating at room temperature, and finally – a single-atom single-electron transistor with a base element approaching the physical limit.

In the Quantum Technology Centre, scientists continue experimental and theoretical studies of single-atom single-electron devices and are also engaged in the development and fabrication of nanoscale systems and devices.