A scientist at Heriot-Watt University has been awarded £2.5 million to lead a groundbreaking study into the potential of quantum communications.

Professor Mehul Malik is just one of four academics in the UK to be recognised by the Royal Academy of Engineering Chair in Emerging Technologies programme.

Funded by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the programme aims to identify global research visionaries and provide them with long-term support.

Each £2.5m award covers employment and research costs, enabling researchers to focus on advancing their technology over a period of up to 10 years.

Understanding Quantum Entanglement

Professor Malik is leading a project aimed at exploring the mysterious properties of quantum entanglement. The pioneering study hopes to develop new network technologies capable of delivering the most secure form of communication.

It is believed that quantum technology could have significant long-term benefits for communications and data security, making it almost impossible for cybercriminals to access sensitive information.

Key to its success is the ability to utilise what is known as quantum entanglement. This is when two particles, such as light photons, remain strongly connected over enormous distances.

While this tech offers unconditional data security, it is notoriously susceptible to background interference, known as noise. This can include weather or signal loss in a communications network that jeopardise the security of a quantum network.

To counter this, Professor Malik and his team are developing advanced methods to control the quantum structure of light in space and time.

Professor Malik explained: “My research aims to harness these high-dimensional properties of light to maximise the information capacity of a quantum network and simultaneously enable it to operate in a noisy, real-world environment.

“With support from project partners BT Group and the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, my 10-year research programme is poised to take fundamental advances developed in my lab and translate them to technologies that will have a direct impact on our modern society.”

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Professor Malik said he was ‘incredibly honoured’ to receive the award, adding: “The sustained 10-year support provided by the Academy is an esteemed endorsement of my research programme on quantum technology.

“To be recognised in this way is a privilege but also underlines the enormous potential of the technology I am developing to benefit our society in the near future.

“We have made tremendous strides in fundamental quantum science in recent years and I am particularly excited about the opportunities offered by the Royal Academy of Engineering to help us translate this work into disruptive applications.”

Professor Sir Jim McDonald, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, commented: “I am truly delighted that we are able to support these four outstanding engineers and visionary individuals who will champion these emerging technologies and the significant opportunities they offer to make the world a better place for everyone.

“The Academy places huge importance on supporting excellence in engineering and sometimes the key to engineers fulfilling their potential in tackling global challenges is the gift of time and continuity of support to bring the most disruptive and impactful ideas to fruition.”

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