The University of Oxford is one of the world’s leading academic institutions, and the Department of Physics is among the most highly rated in the UK, with over 100 full-time faculty engaged in research and teaching. The Optical Quantum Technologies (OQT) and Ultrafast (UF) quantum optics groups, led by Professors B. J. Smith and I. A. Walmsley, respectively, are based in the Clarendon Laboratory and housed in the Atomic and Laser Physics (ALP) Sub-Department at the University of Oxford. The OQT and UF groups work in the areas of ultrafast quantum optics and quantum information with a history of strong collaboration. The research of the two groups spans the engineering of quantum light sources, manipulation of light in integrated networks, and development of new detectors for quantum state characterization. The recent achievements directly relevant to this project include: the first ultra-pure heralded photon source by spectral engineering of parametric down conversion; quantum state characterization with a high-performance ultrafast balanced homodyne detector; quantum light source engineering in waveguides including fiber-based sources with record heralding efficiency; broadband quantum memories using caesium vapour; implementation of novel controllable quantum circuits and applying this technology to on-chip quantum computation. Recent results have examined fundamental limits in phase estimation when losses destroy quantum coherence, integrated quantum circuits for photonic state manipulation, and quantum detector calibration.
