The Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science has allocated DKK 20 million (EUR 2.7 million) for new quantum technology research facilities at the University of Copenhagen and DTU. The grant will be spent in part on a number of advanced instruments to maintain and develop Denmark's leading position in the field.
Quantum technology offers many opportunities for the development of new technologies such as computers with previously unseen computing power, extremely sensitive sensors, and energy-saving technology. However, the great development potential requires a correspondingly large investment in new research facilities.
DTU will use the new grant to acquire a 'dilution fridge'. This is a freezer which can cool to such low temperatures that mechanical objects are put into a quantum state with no interactions with their surroundings—and can then be used for quantum communication and as quantum sensors.
DTU's special expertise is in the areas of quantum communication (particularly quantum cryptography), quantum data processing and quantum sensors. The University also has a focus on quantum engineering and training the quantum engineers of the future.
"The installation of new infrastructure has great significance for the quantum technology agenda at DTU. Quantum technology is attracting great international focus and is a high priority research field at DTU which has been expanding in recent years," says Professor Ulrik Lund Andersen from DTU Physics, who is coordinating the new infrastructure installation at DTU.
"At the same time, I cannot refrain from noting that many more installations will be necessary if we are to be at the leading edge globally and ensure new Danish companies and jobs are created, as the Minister for Higher Education and Science hopes to achieve through the grant, as things are moving very fast in this field.
Four Danish universities are involved in the project—called QUANTECH—and are co-financing with a corresponding sum, such that the investment in new research facilities at the University of Copenhagen and DTU is expected to amount to almost DKK 41 million. The other participating universities are the University of Southern Denmark and Aarhus University.
The Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science is financing QUANTECH with funds from the 2016 Pool for Research Infrastructure.