Research 

The Quantum Information and Computing lab at the Raman Research Institute Bangalore is one of the first labs in India to manufacture and establish the usage of heralded and entangled photon sources towards various applications in quantum technologies. We are at present concentrating on three broad themes of research.

1. Fundamental tests of quantum mechanics

Quantum mechanics is a cornerstone of modern physics. Just as the 19th century was called the Machine Age and the 20th century the Information Age, the 21st century promises to go down in history as the Quantum Age. However, can we really claim to fully understand quantum mechanical principles? How much do we really believe of what we know? Answers to such questions require us to revisit the fundamental postulates of quantum mechanics and perform precision theoretical and experimental investigations to come up with the right bounds. In our group, a part of our focus is to attempt such investigations using single light particles i.e. single photons as our tools. Such tests carry a lot of importance in the current theoretical physics scenario where a lot of importance is being given to unification of quantum mechanics and general relativity. Such unification attempts would also be benefited if one can have a more precise understanding of the principles involved in at least one of the theories i.e. quantum mechanics.

2. Quantum Information and Quantum Computation

The main thrust of our lab is research on aspects of quantum information and quantum computation using the technology of single and entangled photon sources based on spontaneous parametric down conversion in bulk non-linear crystals. We use the single photons and their various degrees of freedom to investigate aspects of quantum optics, quantum information and quantum computation. Current aspects of investigation include studies of Entanglement dynamics, weak interaction and quantum measurements, studies of quantum correlations as well as  qudit based higher dimensional quantum computing based on novel spatial degrees of freedom of the single photon.

3. Quantum Communication

Photons are massless, chargeless particles and as such perfect for communication purposes. Our lab has taken a giant leap forward in contributing towards national and international efforts on absolute security through our new and existing projects on quantum communication with aims to develop both terrestrial and satellite based technologies. We currently have four ongoing projects in this area with many more to come in the near future:

1. Quantum Experiments using Satellite Technology (QuEST) in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

2. Project on integrated photonics based experimental quantum communication which is a bilateral collaboration with Italy under the India Trento Programme on Advanced Research (ITPAR) programme.

3. Project on long distance quantum communications under the DST network programme on quantum technologies "Quantum Enabled Science and Technology".

4. Project on long distance quantum teleportation as well as device independent random number generation under the Centre for Excellence in Quantum Technologies from the Ministry of Electronics and Information technology. 

Grants received:

1. Templeton Foundation, USA (2015 - 2018)

2. Indian Space Research Organisation, India (2018 -)

3. India Trento Programme on Advanced Research, DST, India ( 2019-)

4. Quantum Enabled Science and Technology, DST, India (2019 - )

5. Centre for Excellence in Quantum Technologies, MEITY, India [PI from RRI] (2020 - )