On 27 January 2025, Dr Christine Silberhorn was part of the OPTO Plenary at Photonics West. Her presentation in San Francisco was entitled ‘Photonic quantum technologies: from integrated quantum devices to the development of scalable complex systems’.
Quantum technologies promise a paradigm shift for numerous areas of application – from communication to high-performance computing and the simulation of quantum mechanical systems to sensor technology. However, the experimental implementation of suitable systems continues to pose considerable challenges. Current research efforts in the field of photonic quantum science are focused on developing practical devices and scalable systems, with the realisation of quantum components and controlled network structures being crucial for future technologies.
In her plenary talk, Dr Christine Silberhorn reported on the progress made in the development of integrated photonic systems. These can help to overcome the current limitations in the scalability of photonic systems. Her research currently focuses on three interdependent but complementary topics: integrated components based on lithium niobate circuits, the targeted design and use of the temporal and spectral structure of quantum mechanical light states, and the development of photonic quantum computers.