Dissipationless topological channels for information transfer and quantum metrology

Informations projet

TOCHA

N° de convention de subvention: 824140

DOI

10.3030/824140

Projet clôturé

Date de signature de la CE 23 Octobre 2018

Date de début 1 Janvier 2019

Date de fin 30 Juin 2024

Financé au titre de

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Future and Emerging Technologies (FET)

Coût total

€ 4 997 803,75

Contribution de l’UE

€ 4 997 803,75

Coordonné par

FUNDACIO INSTITUT CATALA DE NANOCIENCIA I NANOTECNOLOGIA
Spain

Periodic Reporting for period 4 - TOCHA (Dissipationless topological channels for information transfer and quantum metrology)

Période du rapport: 2023-07-01 au 2024-06-30

Résumé du contexte et des objectifs généraux du projet

The TOCHA project, funded under the Horizon 2020 EU research and development programme, aims to harness topological concepts for next-generation devices and architectures enabling lossless information flow. This conceptually simple yet technologically demanding requirement is crucial for the development of technologies in fields ranging from information processing to quantum communication and metrology. In each of these areas, the dissipation of information presents a major challenge, causing issues such as excessive thermal loads and elevated error rates.

TOCHA investigates topological protection in novel materials and nanoscopic structures to empower electrons, phonons, and photons to flow with minimal or no dissipation, ultimately interconnecting them within a hybrid platform. This entails the design of novel topological photonic and phononic waveguides and the engineering of heterostructures comprising topological insulators and ferromagnetic materials.

Through its highly interdisciplinary approach, involving electronic materials, optics, thermal management and metrology, TOCHA advances multiple stages of the value chain, from fundamental science to engineering and technology.

Travail effectué depuis le début du projet jusqu’à la fin de la période considérée dans le rapport et principaux résultats atteints jusqu’à présent

The overarching goal of TOCHA is to nurture a paradigm shift by developing a new generation of topological devices based on novel materials and technologies that can provide a unique leap forward towards a deeper level of basic understanding of topological systems. The resulting advancement of manipulation of their topological states will enhance the handling and transport of (quantum) information and metrology. To this end, the TOCHA project proposes a radically new technology taking advantage of the unique properties of emerging materials, such as topological insulators and two-dimensional materials, novel heterostructures based on photonic/photonic crystals, as well as hybrid devices combining those systems.

Objectives include:

i) To develop low-loss waveguides based on photonic crystals hosting topological edge states with arbitrary shape.

ii) To advance the use of topological-insulator materials and devices to higher operating temperatures and currents

iii) To develop quantum resistance standards based on the QAHE.

iv) To gain a radically new fundamental knowledge of the interactions and correlations between photons, phonons and electrons in hybrid topological systems.

The consortium has demonstrated ground-breaking technical and scientific progress for quantum metrology (including a new world record in resistance standard at zero magnetic field, and a novel approach to increase the applied current and signal to noise ratio). It has further demonstrated promising advances in alternative systems for the observation of the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE), and experimental and theoretical analyses of topological phases and of the magnetic properties of magnetic topological insulators. The consortium has also achieved significant progress in topological bosonics, including the design and characterization of new types of topological waveguides (for photons and phonons) and the development of open codes for the efficient calculation of bands structures of bosonic systems. It has further identified topological bosonic modes, benchmarked chiral (topologically trivial and non-trivial) photonic waveguides, and experimentally demonstrated co-localization of topological and phononic modes and the emission of path-entangled photons from a single emitter.

Progrès au-delà de l’état des connaissances et impact potentiel prévu (y compris l’impact socio-économique et les conséquences sociétales plus larges du projet jusqu’à présent)

The TOCHA project represents the first internationally EU coordinated multi-physics consortium on topological matter and its application in interconnects and quantum metrology. Because of the very early state of research into topological matter and on ferromagnetic topological insulators, topological photonics and topological phononics, significant impact in the fundamental understanding of these systems has been achieved.

The work carried out by the consortium is beyond the state of the art in several fronts. Some examples include a world record in resistance standard at zero magnetic field, the improvement of the signal to noise ratio in quantum resistance metrology-grade measurements, novel approaches to investigate spin textures in topological materials and new opportunities for topological devices, making use of ballistic chiral transport. In bosonic (photonic/phononic) systems, the consortium has demonstrated novel designs of planar topological waveguides, the co-localization of topological photons and phonons, and the emission of path-entangled photons from a single emitter. The potential advantages of topological protection to disorder, in comparison to conventional waveguides, and means to quantify it, have been established, while new models to analyse the robustness of light transport in fully-three-dimensional photonic nanostructures, and open access codes, have been developed.

The technology and know-how resulting from TOCHA could radically change our view of Information and Communication Technologies and Metrology, specifically by offering:


i) Novel solutions to transfer information with low dissipation.

ii) Topology in nano-photonics and -phononics devices, which are expected to significantly improve their performance and bring new functionalities.

iii) New techniques to control photon-phonon coupling, which is of paramount importance not only in the quantum regime but also for optomechanics.

iv) Novel approaches to quantum resistance standards for metrology, which might represent the first concrete application of topological insulators.

tocha-logo.jpg