6th generation (6G) mobile broadband communications will transform the communications industry, leading to high speed networks capable of linking integrated communication, sensing, and computing capabilities to fuse the physical, biological, and cyber worlds. However, 6G infrastructure will require a significant increase in data transfer rate (>10 times larger than current standards), ultra-low power consumption (100GHz), high sensitivity, small footprint and low power consumption, represents an ideal solution able to meet all the requirements for the realization of a MIMO system operating at unprecedented frequencies. TERACOMM envisions the realization and the demonstration of the receiver module of a graphene-based wireless MIMO system able to reach data rates >100Gbps for short range applications. Industrial links, protection of intellectual property, and commercial exploitation will lie at the heart of the project from the outset, in order to maximize the potential for this technology to realize a significant social and economic impact.

A central goal of quantum optics is to realize efficient, controlled quantum interfaces between atoms and photons. Such interfaces enable broad applications from quantum information processing to quantum nonlinear optics to metrology, and also open a route toward creating exotic quantum states of light and matter. Today, our major paradigm for realizing an efficient interface is based upon the concept of collective enhancement, where using a large number of atoms creates an enhanced coupling to a preferred optical mode over undesired emission into other directions. However, our known error bounds for applications decrease very slowly as a function of system resources, such as the optical depth, thus posing a great challenge for future technologies. In NEWSPIN, we propose a remarkable new way forward, based upon the realization that these conventional error bounds are derived without accounting for multiple scattering and wave interference between emitting atoms. We aim to establish that interference in light emission is in fact a much more powerful resource than the level that we currently exploit it. In particular, beyond the usual collective enhancement, it can simultaneously enable a much stronger collective suppression of emission into undesired directions, and which can yield exponentially better error bounds than was previously known. Underlying this powerful paradigm shift will be the development of a quantum many-body theory of multiple scattering involving photons and atoms, which takes advantage of state-of-the-art tools from condensed matter physics. Beyond robust new routes toward applications, our theory will also reveal exotic new quantum phenomena and lead to new insights into fundamental questions in optics, such as the physical limits to how large the refractive index of an optical material can be. In total, we anticipate that NEWSPIN could greatly enrich our understanding of atom-light interactions and their realm of possibilities.

IRQUAL addresses the critical need for compact, integrated lasers operating in the short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectrum (1.3 – 2.5 μm) for diverse applications such as consumer electronics, automotive, IoT, and AR/VR. Specifically, lasers in the eye-safe window (around 1.4 μm and > 2 μm) are crucial for LIDAR systems, 3D face recognition, and environmental monitoring. Current technologies, including solid-state lasers and III-V semiconductor laser diodes, face limitations in size, cost, performance and scalability. IRQUAL aims to develop a versatile heterogeneous-integrated laser platform. This platform will exploit SWIR CQD laser technology pumped by established GaAs-based high-power laser diodes to develop a device that covers the range 1.5 to 2.5 μm. IRQUAL will further focus on the commercialization and exploitation of the technology described above. To achieve this aim, efforts will be made to develop a strong intellectual property portfolio and also engage with leading industrial figures that could assist in the development and validation of the technology. Achieving IRQUAL’s objectives will revolutionize SWIR light applications, enabling widespread use in automotive, mobile phones, machine vision, and sensing. Eye-safe illumination systems aligned with safety standards will further enhance commercial prospects. The technology's low-cost and compatibility with consumer electronics laser technology will transform LIDAR, 3D imaging, and remote sensing, contributing to a significant socioeconomic impact. In essence, this project pioneers a new era in SWIR laser technology, introducing unprecedented compactness, cost-effectiveness, and scalability for a multitude of high-impact applications.

Nonlinear optical processes are at the foundation of many applications in modern science and engineering. The emerging field of Quantum Technologies is now demanding that we push these processes into the realm of Quantum Nonlinear Optics (QNLO) where nonlinear effects occur at the level of individual photons. Achieving such a regime would allow the generation and manipulation of non-classical states of light and would open exciting new scenarios involving quantum many-body physics of light. Despite the great efforts that have been invested along this line of research, significant improvements are still necessary to fully achieve the QNLO regime. QUANLUX aims to tackle this challenge by proposing a novel light-matter interface consisting of ordered atomic arrays as an ideal platform to implement QNLO processes. The ultimate objectives consist in identifying new strategies for QNLO protocols that can possibly surpass previously established performance bounds as well as investigating the complex emergent behaviour of strongly interacting photons. To tackle and solve these demanding problems the fellow will make use of advanced numerical and theoretical techniques developed in condensed matter and many-body physics (e.g. tensor networks and diagrammatic approaches) that will be acquired through dedicated training visits to experts in the field. The proposed dissemination and outreach program will progressively spread the outcome of the action to the scientific community and to the general public reinforcing the impact of the research’s results. The originality and multidisciplinary nature of the proposal have the potential to revolutionize the major paradigms currently used to implement QNLO processes and drive a technological innovation in the construction of light-matter interfaces. The action will be conducted by Giuseppe Calajò who will join the Theoretical Quantum Nanophotonics group lead by Prof. Darrick Chang at ICFO, Spain.