Quantum Science and Technology Hub

The first quantum revolution brought a completely new understanding of the physics behind everything we observe and the nature itself of our universe.

Phenomena like quantum superposition (the ability of a particle to be in two states at the same time), entanglement between two particles (the ability to instantaneously change the state of one particle by measuring its entangled counterpart, even at large distances) and quantum interference (in which particles interfere as waves) have been puzzling scientists around the world ever since – including Einstein.

With the advent of the second quantum revolution, these counterintuitive quantum phenomena have continued to trigger a global development of quantum technologies, with the capability of providing strategic benefits to the security, health and wellbeing of our society.

There's a rising global demand for faster computing power, more secure communication protocols, and high-precision metrological schemes for use in medical, environmental, and engineering settings, and this is stimulating a parallel demand for highly-skilled, knowledgable and capable quantum scientists, engineers, and AI, computing and biomedical experts.

And it's this need – along with the necessity to find industrial partners to take the growing quantum technological revolution forward – which has led to the creation of the Quantum Science and Technology Hub (QSTH), under the direction of Dr. Vincenzo Tamma.

The QSTH connects the University's core quantum science and technology staff with experts in related departments across the University – such as artificial intelligence (AI), biomedical engineering, medicine, computing, environmental science and gravitation – and with external collaborators on four continents.

Through the QSTH, we're working to achieve a deeper understanding of quantum science, to develop novel quantum technologies, and to boost the industrial use of quantum technologies at the crossover between different disciplines.

Strategic role

The QSTH aligns with the UK National quantum strategy and responds to the predicted further growth of the worldwide quantum technology market ($53.2B investment predicted by 2028).

The work of the centre also engages with the University's overall Strategy and with four of the University's Research Themes – Future & Emerging Technologies; Health & Wellbeing; Security & Risk; and Sustainability & Environment. The QSTH contributes to the UK Quantum Landscape and aligns with the UK Government's Industrial Strategy – in which Quantum Technology plays a major role – and responds to the predicted growth of the worldwide quantum technology market ($13.3B investment predicted by 2023).

The work of the QSTH overlaps with many of the University's research areas of expertise – including the two areas listed below within our Physics research.

The QSTH has also contributed to our excellent Research Excellence Framework 2021 results for Physics:

• 100% of our research was judged to be internationally excellent or world-leading.
• 100% of the impact was rated as having very considerable or outstanding reach and significance.
• 100% of the research environment was judged as having the vitality and sustainability to produce internationally excellent or world-leading research and very considerable or outstanding impact.

We were ranked top among modern UK universities and 6th among all UK universities for Physics.

Research Excellence

With a network of international collaborations across four continents, the QSTH has established the University of Portsmouth as a centre of excellence in quantum science and technology.

Our research in quantum science and technology was recognised as world-leading or internationally excellent in the REF2021 Research Excellence Framework. 

The work of the QSTH overlaps with many of the University's research areas of expertise – including Quantum Optics and Quantum Foundations and Quantum Information and Sensing Technologies – and with our overall Physics research.

QSTH members (by School)

International collaborators

• Prof. Xiao-Hui Bao, University of Science and Technology of China
• Prof. Paolo Facchi, University of Bari, Italy
• Dr. Eran Ginossar, Department of Physics, University of Surrey, UK
• Prof. Elizabeth Goldschmidt, University of Illinois, US
• Prof. Mohammad Hafezi, University of Maryland College Park, U.S
• Dr. Yonatan Israel, Physics Department, Stanford University, California, USA
• Prof. Kurt Jacobs, U.S. Army Research Laboratory
• Prof. Hyunseok Jeong, Department of Physics, Seoul National University, S. Korea
• Prof. Jaewan Kim, Korea Institute for Advanced Study, South Korea
• Prof. Yoon-Ho Kim, Pohang University of Science and Technology, South Korea
• Prof. Jinhyoung Lee, Department of Physics, Hanyang University, South Korea
• Prof. Alberto Marino, University of Oklahoma, US
• Dr. William Munro, Nippon Telegraph & Telephone Basic Research Labs, Japan
• Prof. Frank Narducci, Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, U.S
• Prof. Kae Nemoto, National Institute of Informatics, Japan
• Dr. Daniel Oi, Department of Physics, University of Strathclyde, UK
• Prof. Janwei Pan, University of Science and Technology of China
• Prof. Francesco Pepe, University of Bari
• Prof. Ernst Rasel, Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany
• Prof. Terry Rudolph, Department of Physics, Imperial College London, UK
• Prof. Wolfgang P. Schleich, University of Ulm, Germany
• Prof. Yanhua Shih, University of Maryland, Baltimore
• Prof. Tim Spiller, Department of Physics, University of York, UK
• Prof. Alejandra Valencia, Universidad De Los Andes. Colombia
• Prof. Andrew White, University of Queensland, Australia

Work with us

Prospective PhD students are welcome to contact QSTH anytime and to look at projects advertised in our Physics postgraduate research pages.

Further schemes available for post-doctoral prospective applicants keen to join the QSTH – including Royal Society, Leverhulme Trust, EU Marie Curie Fellowships.

We're also very keen to welcome anytime at our QSTH visiting scientist interested in joint collaborations.

Funding

The QSTH has secured funding for quantum sensing technologies from the US Department of Defence and from industry (Xairos) and is also currently engaging with UK funding agencies and institutions.

Partnerships and links

We have links with a range of business and organisations in industry, and with other government and academic institutions, including:

• Defence Science and Technology Laboratory
• IBM
• Quantum Engineering Center for Doctoral Training at the University of Bristol
• Quantum Technology Enterprise Centre (QTEC) at the University of Bristol
• Xairos

Press coverage and news

• Scientists demonstrate unprecedented sensitivity in measuring time delay between two photons (2023)
• Ryan Morrison interviews Dr. Vincenzo Tamma at Tech Monitor: Does the Ministry of Defence need a quantum computer?
• Invited Physics Viewpoint: Vincenzo Tamma, 3D Collimation of Matter Waves, Physics 14, 119 (2021)
• Major quantum computational breakthrough is shaking up physics and maths – The Conversation's most-read article for August 2020, by Dr Ittay Weiss

Events

• Quantum Computation & Simulation Workshop 2023 organised by Dr. Jaewoo Joo
  10-12 July 2023, University of Portsmouth
• Public lecture on The quantum mechanics of spacetime by Prof. Daniele Faccio, University of Glasgow;
  7 December 2022 – Organised by the Quantum Science and Technology Hub, the School of Maths and Physics and the Portsmouth District Physics Society
• Public lecture on What is Quantum Technology? by Prof. Peter Knight
  5 Jan 2022 - Organised by the School of Maths and Physics and the Portsmouth District Physics Society, chaired by Dr. Vincenzo Tamma
• International Workshop on High-Precision Quantum Sensing
  14- 17 September 2021 – Organised in collaboration with the Institute of Cosmology and Gravitation (ICG) and the School of Mathematics and Physics