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about the board
| about the technology
Qucor Pty Ltd is a start-up company activated
in 2003 to commercialise pathway technologies developed from quantum
computing research undertaken in Australia. Qucor is backed by the
very substantial technical expertise and infrastructure of Australia’s
Centre for Quantum Computer Technology, headquartered at the University
of New South Wales and headed by Professor Robert Clark.
Qucor works in atom-scale information technology.
It connects extreme nanotechnology - work at the level of individual
atoms and photons - with the emerging demands of the semiconductor
and optoelectronics industries. Qucor undertakes technology demonstrations
with industry, to apply single-atom and single-photon expertise
to creating the foundations for the next generation of IT products.
who needs atom-scale and photon-scale IT?
The semiconductor industry’s technology
roadmap envisages a continuing increase in computer chip speed,
and a continuing decrease in chip size. This means that manufacturing
the critical regions of transistors will require control of materials
at the few-atom level. Similarly, data encryption techniques currently
rely on ever-increasing complexity of the security “key”
to combat interception. By contrast, using the specific physical
properties of single photons enables the sender and recipient of
an encrypted message to know with certainty that it has not been
intercepted.
Qucor is currently working with a major global
corporation on a joint project in the semiconductor area, and is
part of a joint venture relating to data security. Qucor’s
integral relationship with the Centre for Quantum Computer Technology
also gives the company strong connections to Defence and Government
in Australia and overseas.
what are the short and long term product expectations?
Nearer-term products are expected to emerge
in the area of security, first as single photon sources and detectors,
then as Quantum Key Distribution systems. In the medium term, single
atom control has application to sensor manufacture, precise doping
of transistors, and could underpin novel customised semiconductor
devices. Over the medium to longer term, “few qubit” devices
are expected to emerge, exploiting the quantum physical properties
of individual atoms. First applications are most likely to exploit
their unique advantages to enable secure data transmission in the
financial and entertainment industry sectors.
The company’s shareholders are NewSouth
Innovations Pty Limited (the commercialisation company of the University
of New South Wales), UNSW itself, and the research team.
Qucor has secured initial financial backing to
position itself early in the nanotechnology field, an area set for
explosive growth over the coming five to ten years. Enquiries regarding
possible investment or industry partnering are welcomed.
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