Quantum Measurement & Control

We are addressing scientific challenges in the field of quantum limited measurement and control in an effort to dramatically expand the functionality of engineered quantum systems, and provide innovative solutions to major challenges facing the realization of quantum-enabled technologies.

Classical engineering relies heavily on the discipline of control engineering to elevate multicomponent devices to fully functional technologies capable of delivering useful performance.  Similarly, methods of quantum control and measurement are at the core of our capacity to construct new technologies from quantum building blocks.  Since its inception in 2011, EQuS has led major advances in this field, providing innovative solutions to some of the most challenging problems facing the development of technologies exploiting quantum mechanics towards useful ends. 

To capture the critical scientific questions to be addressed we have developed the following grand challenges to define the direction of our research:

• Realise new capabilities through the development of a comprehensive and flexible quantum control toolkit.
• Realise new and otherwise inaccessible regimes of physics through the construction of hybrid quantum systems.
• Develop design principles for robust control of hybrid quantum systems and demonstrate their utility in experimental applications.

Our research breakthroughs span the development of control theoretic formalisms adapted for quantum systems to the demonstration of new experimental measurement techniques providing access to information at the limits provided by nature.  Key outcomes include; the realization of a quantum-control toolkit for the suppression of decoherence; the development of a new technique to enhance the functionality of analog quantum simulators via open loop control; the demonstration of new techniques to probe optomechanical systems at the quantum-limit; the development of a tabletop-scale alternative to LIGO for the detection of gravitational waves; realized hybrid devices combining diamond with macroscopic microwave cavities; dramatically extended the coherent lifetime of semiconductor spin-qubits through quantum control.

EQuS research in this area is leading the field globally, and EQuS researchers are defining the field for the future through their collaborations, consultancies, and engagement with industrial partners.