Quantum Information Processing is an emerging science. Although it is often characterized as dealing with information processing or computation, its remit covers essentially any physical process in the universe. The supervisors currently work on a diverse range of topics, from quantum technology such as methods to improve the storage and readout of ordinary information on CDs or DVDs, to foundational questions in physics, such as better understanding black holes.

One of the most advanced applications of quantum information processing involves the ability to securely transfer information, known as quantum cryptography. Its security is unbreakable, since it relies on the uncertainty principle. Very recently, quantum cryptography has been developed in the continuous variable setting, where the carriers of information are quantum systems with continuous physical variables, such as position and momentum, electric field strengths, etc. This new approach has remarkable potentialities in terms of realising high-speed distribution of unconditionally secure keys.

Work will focus on studying and designing novel protocols, analysing their security against the most general eavesdropping attacks. The final aim of the project is to realise long distance secure quantum communication under completely general conditions.

We envisage applications will be in areas such as quantum optics and continuous variable quantum information.

Supervisors: Prof. Samuel L. Braunstein and Dr Stefano Pirandola

More details at: http://www-users.cs.york.ac.uk/~pirs/QIPphd/PhD.html