Using light to process quantum information is one of the most promising approaches to building future quantum computers. Light particles, known as photons, are excellent carriers of quantum information, but their lack of natural interactions has created a major challenge for researchers seeking to build systems capable of performing a full range of computations.

Now, researchers from Imperial’s Department of Physics and external collaborators have developed a new architecture, called Clavina, that overcomes this longstanding limitation.

Published in Nature Photonics, the study demonstrates a programmable platform that combines both linear and nonlinear quantum operations within a single system, expanding the capabilities of quantum computers that use light.