Multi-Qubit Devices and Quantum Internet with Nika Akopian

Prof. Nika Akopian from DTU is pioneering multi-qubit devices with photonic interfaces—a key technology in advancing quantum computing and the quantum internet. His research on crystal phase control at the atomic layer is solving scalability challenges in quantum dot applications.

In this episode

• What a multi-qubit device with a photonic interface is, and why it matters for a future quantum internet
• What a qubit is, and why quantum information travels in a single photon that cannot be copied
• Why making several identical quantum dots in a row has been so hard for 30 years, and how crystal phase quantum dots, made from one material with different atomic arrangements, could solve it
• How in situ electron microscopy lets collaborators in Paris and Lund watch nanowires grow atom by atom
• Nika’s path from Technion in Haifa via Delft and Eindhoven to the Technical University of Denmark, and why quantum dots are called artificial atoms
• Why the freedom to create keeps him in science, and his wishes: more funding, less bureaucracy and successful projects

Key Takeaways

⚛️ Multi-Qubit Device Innovation — Pioneering the development of multi-qubit devices with photonic interfaces, enabling breakthroughs in quantum networks and quantum internet technology.

🔬 Crystal Phase Quantum Dots — Controlling crystal structures at the atomic layer solves scalability challenges and advances quantum dot applications.

🌌 Applications of Quantum Networks — Single photons can securely transmit quantum information, paving the way for quantum communication and next-generation technologies.

🤝 Global Collaboration — Collaborative work with the University of Paris-Saclay and Lund University pushes the boundaries of nanotechnology and quantum science.

🎓 From Theory to Technology — Fundamental research on artificial atoms (quantum dots) leads to practical applications in scalable quantum systems and secure communication.

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About the guest

Nika Akopian is an Associate Professor and Group Leader of Quantum Networks at DTU, the Technical University of Denmark, and leads the MultiQubit project, building a solid-state platform for multi-qubit devices with a photonic interface. Nika’s path ran from entanglement research at the Technion through crystal-phase quantum dots in Delft and Eindhoven to DTU.