The single photon detection finds applications in various areas including quantum imaging, sensing, LiDAR, and environmental monitoring applications. The single photon detection is carried out by different strategies such as photomultiplier tubes, avalanche photodiodes, superconducting nanowire single photon detectors and semiconductor PMTs. The major limitations in these technologies are dark counts, noise, efficiency, limited wavelength range, complexity and cost. Considering the complexity of technology, monopoly and cost constraining wider applicability of these strategies in Indian context. This demands the exploration for simple and viable quantum technologies that can pave the way for single photon detection and counting at room temperatures. At the same time it reduces the complexity and cost factor with the deep technological edge for india-centric applications.

Our solution, the quantum capacitance perturbations in micro device with a single/multi layer of 2D materials are proposed as a viable approach to fabricate the single photon detection module with efficient tenability of wavelength ranges.

Neutral atom-based magnetometers are a fascinating technology with a spectrum of applications including those in geophysics (mineral exploration, archaeology and understanding earth’s surface structure), navigation and inertial sensing (precision navigation of vehicles, aircraft and spacecraft), medical imaging (magnetoencephalography-MEG), defense, space exploration, scientific research (testing fundamental principles, and spin dynamics imaging) etc.

SciAMO is in the process of miniaturizing the total setup on a photonic chip, and prototyping the integration process. They are also preparing to file a patent of the prototype. The next step of the project is to make a cap out of an array of such photonic chips to image the human brain. The high sensitivity of the magnetometer will help to perform in-situ imaging of neural activities of the brain.

Their prototype for the MEG cap would consists of a series of miniatured atomic vapor cells with an optical fiber network for delivery and collection of microwatts of laser power. The detection can be performed on a linear array photo-detector and the analysis and control system can be designed on an FPGA. Therefore, the product has the potential to create a new product category in biomedical sensing.

Fiber lasers offer several advantages over other solid-state lasers such as high power, good beam quality, low cost, small footprint, and easy integration with fiber robustness to the environmental perturbances. Therefore, there is a need to develop low-cost tunable fiber lasers which can emit in the near-IR wavelength range. The neodymium-doped fiber has a broadband emission of around 880 to 930 nm wavelength thanks to the three-level optical transition 4F3/2 to 4I9/2. However, lasing on this three-level transition is fairly challenging as it faces strong competition from the four-level lasing around 1060 nm levels. With appropriate management of the suppression of the 1060 nm, it is possible to demonstrate the tunable laser in the range of 880 to 930 nm wavelength based on neodymium-doped fiber. However, most of the demonstrations have low power and broad linewidth [2].

This project will demonstrate high-power, narrow-linewidth, tunable neodymium-doped fiber laser emitting in the range of 880 to 930 nm by employing BrahmaSens’s novel optical fibers.

GDQLABS is an IISER Pune spinoff incubated by IHUB QTF that aims to dedicate itself for the development of quantum and quantum enabling technologies. They utilize quantum physics, electronics, optics, and vacuum technologies to build real-time hardware, quantum sensors quantum computers and quantum simulators. They are developing Quantum Magnetometers using Optically Pumped Magnetometers. Which have applications across industries

With the global surge of interest in quantum technologies, Qudyco aims to develop useful and usable software which solves the Schrodinger equation for complex real-world settings in its back end, while the front end presents a design platform for quantum hardware. Developing such software also requires QUDYCO to build a robust, reliable experimental system to benchmark the computational modules within the software, especially while simulating imperfections and errors. Qudyco Aims to deliver:

a) Hardware: Control Box (QCB)

b) Software: Quantum Control and Simulation (QCSim)

Hardware will be a general-purpose control box which is suitable for most atomic, molecular and optics laboratories due to its wide range of integration tech and various input-output digital and analog capabilities.

Software will contain rich data which will grow over the development phase. These data, together with solvers, will provide solution to control parameters to aid the experimentalist. This software also controls the QCB through a wired local area network (LAN).

Although there are repositories available for atomic properties, Their projectl would be first software to include a solver that can be used for design purposes. Moreover, some of the cases of the dynamical equations that they plan to solve at the back end are computationally challenging. In fact, most of the problems involving an array of atoms feature an exponential increase in complexity and therefore are subject to active research in developing faster numerical algorithms. Throughout the development of the software they also plan to include any new, efficient numerical methods at the back end solver

QKD (Quantum key distribution) is offering post Quantum Cryptography solutions to provide security to information systems in post Quantum Supremacy. The existing QKD solutions are bulk, discrete, expensive and offer low reliability. Further, their channel loss is higher, clock rates are lower and QBER is higher. Such systems require tremendous improvement for wider adoption.

The need of the hour is to evolve IC based solutions for Quantum communications, specifically QKD (Quantum Key Distribution) Photonics Integrated Circuits’ (PICs) offer miniaturization, efficiency, reliability and cost effectivity.

Current evolving PICs solutions offer traditional entanglement based and discrete propositions. Their project proposes to develop active, phase transformation oriented or ‘Differential phase shift (DPS) QKD which provide reliable security.

Ampicq will develop two chips parallel: Transmitter and Receiver Chips. They will design and develop test chips for POC Developed PICs to be deployed in customer’s QKD commercial solutions.

Large defect-free arrays of neutral atoms can be assembled by using programmable and movable optical tweezers loaded with single atoms. The atoms can be loaded into the tweezers from a Magneto Optical Trap (MOT), which cools the atoms to a temperature of few microkelvin.

Subsequently, Raman sideband cooling in the tweezer brings the atoms to the quantum ground state. Because of these high potentials, ultracold quantum gases in optical traps have taken place in the forefront of current research and is now the heart among the candidates for physical implantation of quantum technologies.

Laser systems are at the heart of the necessary equipment/components required for the physical implementation of cold atom based quantum computing and quantum technologies in general.

Prenishq will develop a stable laser system for the same purpose. Once the laser system is developed, it can be used for various other application scenarios besides cold atom based quantum technologies.