Overview
The Quantum Photonics Laboratory (QuLab) is devoted to research and development of quantum information processing devices. It is part of the Quantum Physics of Information (QPI) group in Instituto de Telecomunicações. QuLab focuses on photonic experiments, with different applications in quantum technologies. The applications we work on include quantum communication, quantum cryptography, quantum sensing, quantum computing, and quantum machine learning.
The main focus of our activities is quantum communication and cryptography, both in fiber and in free-space environments. We study the foundations of quantum information theory experimentally, such as Bell nonlocality and contextuality tests. These foundations are at the heart of the development of new protocols for quantum communication, computing and sensing.
On the more applied side, we work on large-scale quantum networks for quantum communication, participating in the development of the European Quantum Communication Infrastructure (EuroQCI). Recently, in September 2025, we demonstrated quantum-secure time transfer over the national fiber infrastructure, connecting Portugal and Spain [1].
We also work on quantum sensor networks, for example, for acoustic sensing, and to develop new generations of atomic interferometers for gravitational wave detection, in collaboration with CERN.
Finally, the QuLab is part of the Quantum Information and Quantum Optics (QIQO) Laboratory, which is a collaborative effort between Instituto Superior Técnico (Instituto de Plasmas e Fusão Nuclear) and Instituto de Telecomunicações, to develop quantum technologies. In QIQO, we study cold atom physics and develop quantum simulation platforms and optical quantum memories.
[1] https://www.ipq.pt/portugal-realiza-primeira-transferencia-quantica-de-tempo-seguro-e-liga-se-a-europa-do-futuro/
