Quantum News Briefs October 21: US eyes expanding China tech ban to quantum computing and AI; HYPERSPACE research project aims to create basis for intercontinental quantum network; Quantum Internet Alliance starts 7-year program to build an innovative Quantum Internet ecosystem in Europe & MORE

Quantum News Briefs October 21 opens with with :US eyes expanding China tech ban to quantum computing and AI”; followed by “HYPERSPACE research project aims to create basis for intercontinental quantum network”; third is “Quantum Internet Alliance starts 7-year program to build an innovative Quantum Internet ecosystem in Europe” & MORE

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US eyes expanding China tech ban to quantum computing and AI

The Biden administration is exploring the possibility of new export controls that would limit China’s access to some of the most powerful emerging computing technologies, according to people familiar with the situation. Quantum News Briefs summarizes from Bloomberg’s Anna Edgerton, Ian King, Eric Martin, and Saleha Mohsin
The potential plans, which are in an early stage, are focused on the still-experimental field of quantum computing, as well as artificial intelligence software, according to the people, who asked not to be named discussing private deliberations. Industry experts are weighing in on how to set the parameters of the restrictions on this nascent technology, they said.
National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, in a speech last month on technology, competitiveness and national security, referred to “computing-related technologies, including microelectronics, quantum information systems and artificial intelligence” as among developments “set to play an outsized importance over the coming decade.” He also noted the importance of export controls to “maintain as large of a lead as possible” over adversaries.
Expanding the wall around advanced technologies risks further antagonizing China and forcing other countries to pick sides between the world’s two top economies. The new ideas have been shared with US allies, according to the people.
The efforts, if implemented, would follow separate restrictions announced earlier this month aimed at stunting Beijing’s ability to deploy cutting-edge semiconductors in weapons and surveillance systems. Read original Bloomberg article here.

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HYPERSPACE research project aims to create basis for intercontinental quantum network

Researchers from Europe and Canada want to jointly create the basis for an intercontinental network for quantum communication. The HYPERSPACE project will focus on the investigation of the distribution of entangled photons via satellite. The research project has now started its three-year term. Quantum News Briefs summarizes the announcement below.
At short distances, entangled photons have already been successfully exchanged in various experiments. But intercontinental and thus potentially global exchange remains a challenge. This will be tackled within the new research project HYPERSPACE. Together, researchers from Europe and Canada want to create the basis for a Canadian-European connection. The strategic collaboration will focus on research into integrated quantum photonics and optical space communications with the goal of creating a satellite-based quantum network between the continents.
The overarching goal of HYPERSPACE is therefore to further develop satellite-based quantum communications by appropriate experiments into scalable global quantum networks. To this end, HYPERSPACE encompasses research and innovation along the entire process chain of photonic quantum communication: from noise-resilient state coding, fully fiber-embedded and photonically integrated quantum light sources and free-space compatible state analyzers, to the implementation of advanced protocols facilitated, or even enabled by the use of entanglement in multiple degrees of freedom – so-called hyper-entanglement.
A total of eight partners from Europe and Canada are involved in the project: In addition to the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF (Germany), these are the Università degli Studi di Pavia and Università degli Studi di Padova (both Italy), the Commissariat à l’énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives CEA-LETI (France), the Vienna University of Technology (Austria), the Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, and the University of Toronto and University of Waterloo (all Canada). The research project is coordinated by Fraunhofer IOF.

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Quantum Internet Alliance starts 7-year program to build an innovative Quantum Internet ecosystem in Europe

The Quantum Internet Alliance has started a seven-year program to build an innovative Quantum Internet ecosystem in Europe. The first phase has a budget of 24 million euros. The research groups led by Tracy Northup and Benjamin Lanyon at the Department of Experimental Physics of the University of Innsbruck and the quantum computer spin-off AQT will be involved in the project.
The European Commission has selected ‘quantum internet’ as a strategic area for investment to build a global quantum internet made in Europe. The Quantum Internet Alliance (QIA) will implement a seven-year program with the aim to develop a full-stack prototype network connecting distant cities. This way, QIA will drive an innovative European quantum internet ecosystem capable of leveraging QIA world-leading developments and that translates into innovative engineering solutions. The prototype network will be able to connect users in two metropolitan areas, hundreds of kilometers apart. The first phase of the program, which will run for 3,5 years from October 2022, and has a total budget of 24 million euros.

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Quantum thermometer to measure temperature of time and space based on adaptation of Einstein’s Relativity

A new quantum thermometer has been designed to measure minute changes in temperature in the fabric of space-time. The device will enable scientists to, for the first time, observe the consequences of a physical theory related to Einstein’s Relativity.  Quantum News Briefs summarizes the recent Cosmos article by Evrim Yazgin.
A team of physicists, led by the University of Adelaide’s Dr James Q Quach, published its findings in the journal Physical Review Letters.
“In 1976 Canadian physicist William Unruh combined Einstein’s work with the other fundamental theory of modern-day physics, quantum mechanics, and predicted that fabric of space-time has a very low temperature,” Quach says. “Intriguingly this temperature changed depending on how fast you are moving.”
Quach explains that these changes in the temperature of the fabric of the universe, depending on acceleration, have been unobservable up until now.
“To see this change in temperature, you would have to move extremely fast. To see even one degree change in temperature you would have to move close to the speed of light. Up until now, these extreme speeds have prevented researchers from verifying Unruh’s theory.”
Not only does the quantum thermometer not require close to lightspeed acceleration, it is completely stationary. Click here to read original Cosmos article.

Sandra K. Helsel, Ph.D. has been researching and reporting on frontier technologies since 1990.  She has her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona.