Richard Pitwon

• Standards for Quantum Interconnect and Quantum Photonic Integrated Circuits

Quantum Technologies

• Standardisation Working Group for Quantum Interconnect

Quantum Technologies

The formation of a new IEC working group on fibre optic quantum interconnect will align with the technologies of many European SMEs who would benefit from early engagement to develop standards, which help accelerate commercial adoption of their approaches. Therefore, I am strongly engaging with European quantum SMEs to secure support for the proposal and encourage participation. The successful formation of the WG would be followed by the establishment of liaisons to ISO/IEC JTC3 and CEN/CENELEC TC86

Europe is already a world-leader in the scientific research and industrialisation of quantum technologies, especially with regards to quantum communication and quantum computation technologies. My fellowship will strengthen European influence on quantum standards and by assuming a strong position on quantum technologies from industrial, academic and standardisation angles, Europe will be in a stronger position to establish a global competitive edge in this field.

• creation of the new IEC TC86 WG11 - Quantum Optical Interconnect

Quantum Technologies

The formation of IEC TC86 WG11 aligns well with the technologies of many European SMEs who would benefit from early engagement to develop standards, which help accelerate commercial adoption of their approaches. I am strongly engaging with European quantum SMEs to encourage participation from Europe; at the moment, the membership of the group overwhelmingly European (85%).

This activity will strengthen European influence on quantum standards and by assuming a strong position on quantum technologies from industrial, academic and standardisation angles, Europe will be in a stronger position to establish a global competitive edge in this field.

• Building New Standardisation Working Group for Quantum Interconnect

Quantum Technologies

I have built up the membership of this group, which at the time of the final report now has 39 members including 17 members from Europe, which includes some SMEs. The membership is therefore overwhelmingly European (45%).In particular through my fellowship I have consulted with many European quantum and photonic SMEs including Wave Photonics, Bay Photonics and Lumino to actively promote participation through BSI, which is a relatively easy process compared to other European NCs.

European participation and influence in quantum standards groups will be critical to provide a boost across the European supply-chain enabling a larger European quantum market. The potential benefits to society of quantum networks and quantum computers will be huge. Quantum safe networks will be required to send confidential data securely over appreciable distances and quantum computers will allow impossible world-scale simulations to be carried out in reasonable times. Europe is already a world-leader in the scientific research and industrialisation of quantum technologies, especially with regards to quantum communication and quantum computation technologies. The key outcome of this fellowship was the successful establishment of IEC TC86 WG11 on Quantum Optical Interconnect as an active and growing Working Group. This new WG11 is strategically critical as its standards will strongly underpin quantum communication and networks, as well as contributing to all other quantum pillars. By ensuring European SMEs participate actively in this new WG to apply Europe aligned positions on quantum technologies from ethical, industrial and academic angles, European influence on quantum standards will be strengthened and European society will be in a stronger position to establish a global competitive edge in this field. These areas align well with strengths and expertise in European academic institutions and smaller start-up companies. Thus I have during this fellowship leveraged my extended network to increase involvement of the nascent European quantum industry, drawing primarily on UK. Swiss and EU entities for future support of and contributions to the new working group, thereby establishing strong European influence from the outset. I have successfully grown the membership to 39 members and I expect this to continue to grow rapidly now that we have started developing strategically critical new standards, in particular for quantum grade connectors.