Toward the Fusion of Quantum and Information

I am researching the field of quantum information technology. Current information technology is also based on devices rooted in quantum mechanics, such as semiconductors and lasers. However, quantum information technology is different in that it treats information itself quantum mechanically. When bit information is represented in a quantum system, it can be expressed not only as the values 0 and 1 but also in a superposition state that can hold both simultaneously. This unit of information is called a quantum bit, or "qubit" for short. Computers composed of qubits can instantly solve problems that would take current computers an enormous amount of time, thanks to superposition. Furthermore, the uncertainty and special correlations (quantum entanglement) of quantum information are expected to enable communication and sensing with unprecedented performance and functionality. Research in this area has been advancing rapidly worldwide in recent years, with some applications already being commercialized.

Incidentally, the name "bit," the unit of digital information, is said to have been first used in Shannon's famous 1948 paper that established information theory, the fundamental principle of digital information processing, including data compression and error correction. In fact, the name "quantum bit (qubit)" was also first used in Schumacher's 1995 paper on quantum information compression. This was one of the important papers that fused quantum mechanics with Shannon's information theory, developing it into quantum information theory. Quantum information theory is not only a natural extension of the information theory that underpins modern information technology, but it also leads to a new understanding of quantum theory itself through an information-theoretic perspective. Above all, it is a very exciting and still-developing field.

Now, we are a new laboratory established in 2022. While exploring the theory of quantum information, we are also conducting experimental research in quantum communication and quantum optics to embody that theory and network quantum information. As a technology, quantum information is still in its early stages, and there are various technical challenges in computation, communication, and sensing (which also means there are many rewarding opportunities). Furthermore, what a single laboratory can achieve in modern research is limited. We aim to pioneer new possibilities in quantum information through collaboration with various research groups in Japan and abroad, in fields such as information science, photonics, and atomic physics.