Research in quantum technologies is advancing at great speed and is already beginning to take concrete steps towards devices that until recently seemed like science fiction. In this context, the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) is working on the development of a reconfigurable quantum chip, a device that could transform the way data is processed and protected in sectors such as communications and digital security. This chip represents a significant leap in the integration of quantum technologies into real systems.
This objective takes shape through the QUANTUMABLE-2 project, focused on manufacturing and testing the parts that will make this new quantum chip development possible, capable of adapting to different functions without needing to undertake a complete redesign.
The project is part of the Quantum Communication Plan of the Valencian Community, in which the University of Valencia, the Polytechnic University of Valencia, the University of Alicante and the CEU Cardenal Herrera University collaborate. Together, these institutions are promoting a new wave of innovation to position the Valencian Community as a reference in quantum technologies applied to areas such as telecommunications, cybersecurity or health, where the development of each chip is key.
In this sense, Jose Capmany, head of the project, has highlighted that “quantum science does not advance only within laboratories; it is also built thanks to alliances between universities, shared talent and the commitment to strong public research that allows each chip to be taken from the laboratory to the market.”
The proposal represents an advance with the potential to have a great impact in key sectors such as communications and digital security, essential in the technological transformation that is to come and in which the quantum chip will play a central role.
Programmable Integrated Photonics
The project is developed in the field of programmable integrated photonics, an area of research that is gaining prominence around the world. Although the term may sound complex, the idea behind it is simple: create chips that work with light and that can adapt to different tasks without having to make a new chip each time.
This line of work is based on an architecture designed by the ITEAM-PRL group of the Universitat Politècnica de València, already transferred to the spinoff company iPronics Programmable Photonics, specialized in the development of programmable photonic chips.
QUANTUMABLE-2 addresses one of the most important steps in the process: taking theoretical designs to real terrain. To do this, the team is manufacturing and testing the photonic blocks that will form the future reconfigurable quantum chip. This phase is essential to verify that each component of the chip works correctly and that they can all be integrated into a complete device.
Much of the work focuses on ensuring that light circulates through the chip with the least possible loss, even when different materials are involved. Solutions are also being explored that allow more compact chips to be manufactured, a key aspect in quantum applications where precision is essential.
As the person responsible for the project explained, “transforming a design on paper into a real chip is one of the most complex challenges, but also the moment in which ideas begin to become technology.”
An advance with industrial projection
The overall goal of QUANTUMABLE-2 is to expand the capabilities of current photonic chips so that they can also work with quantum information. If this phase is successful, it will allow progress towards a chip prototype that could reach the industry.
Communications and digital security are the sectors that could benefit the most from this advance, thanks to the incorporation of safer and more efficient quantum chips. These are areas that will be essential in the technological transformation of the coming years.
Much of the work focuses on getting the light to circulate through the chip with the least possible loss.
This project is part of the eleven that make up the Quantum Communication Plan, led by four prestigious universities: the Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV), the Universitat de València (UV), the University of Alicante (UA) and the CEU Cardenal Herrera University (CEU-UCH). Together, these initiatives cover a wide variety of lines of research and development with the purpose of promoting quantum technology and its applications in strategic areas such as telecommunications and cybersecurity, thus consolidating the Valencian Community as a benchmark in technological innovation at a national and international level, especially in the design of advanced chips.
With more than half a century of history, the Universitat Politècnica de València is a leading public institution in research, teaching and knowledge transfer. With nearly 28,000 students, 2,500 teachers and researchers and 1,500 administration and service professionals, the UPV maintains a constant commitment to innovation and technological development, including the development of new generation chips.
“Quantum science progresses when we unite capabilities and look beyond the present,” concluded Jose Capmany. “Our goal at the UPV is that the research we develop is transformed into useful innovations, like this quantum chip, that add value and are integrated into people’s lives.”
