Europium and light: An innovative platform for quantum computers and communications

The ability to interact with light provides important functionalities for quantum systems, such as communicating over large distances, a key ability for future quantum computers. However, it is very difficult to find a material that can fully exploit the quantum properties of light. A research team from the CNRS and l’Université de Strasbourg, with support from Chimie ParisTech-PSL and in collaboration with German teams from KIT, has demonstrated the potential of a new material based on rare earths as a photonic quantum system. The results, which were published on 9 March 2022 in Nature, show the potential of europium molecular crystals for quantum memories and computers.