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BMBF funds first quantum communication link in Lower Saxony with 2 million euros

BMBF funds first quantum communication link in Lower Saxony with 2 million euros

© Michael Zopf/LUH

Research team from Leibniz University Hannover and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Braunschweig to develop quantum repeaters

Scientists at Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (Braunschweig) have received a grant of 2.1 million euros for the construction of the "Niedersachsen Quantum Link" - the first quantum communication fiber optic link in Lower Saxony.

The project is part of the research consortium "Quantum Repeater.Link" (QR.X), which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). More than 20 partners in Germany will jointly develop novel quantum repeaters and investigate their use in real-world scenarios. The goal is to develop innovative approaches based on three technological platforms: trapped atoms and ions, color centers in diamond, and semiconductor nanostructures. This will lead to the development of modularized, system-integrated and portable components for quantum repeaters.

In the project, the teams led by Prof. Fei Ding (Hannover), Prof. Stefan Kück and Dr. Harald Schnatz (Braunschweig) aim to demonstrate time- and frequency-stabilized transmissions of single photons over the 70-kilometer optical fiber link between the two cities. This will enable field tests of quantum photonic semiconductor devices in long-distance quantum communication networks.