Grant: Canada Research Chairs

The research program proposed by Professor Roberto Morandotti for the renewal of the Canada Research Chair Tier 1 will focus on Smart Programmable Photonics for both classical and quantum computing applications. Programmable smart photonics will be essential for the advancement of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, quantum information processing, and computer model systems of the human brain and nervous system (neuromorphic computing). In quantum computer science, integrated Smart Programmable Photonics has been used to develop unbreakable high-speed quantum secure communications in both free space and fiber infrastructures. The CRC renewal research program will be organized into two themes: (Theme i) Programmable Smart Photonics for reconfigurable all-optical artificial neural networks and (Theme ii) Programmable Smart Photonics for quantum enabled high speed and secure data transmission. Committed to reduce Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) inequalities in research, the trainees will work in both academic and industrial environments. Industrial internships will be available to trainees supported by the Canada-wide training programs. The research program will be supported by a knowledge mobilization strategy to facilitate the transfer of research outputs to academia, regulators, industry, and to the public. Research users in the academic community will be engaged during the design and implementation stage, through technical meetings, symposia, and workshops. The outputs from the research program will foster collaborations to generate peer-reviewed publications in high impact factor journal, thus participating to the advancement of knowledge in quantum and AI. It will also support technology transfer with the publication of new patents. The Programmable Smart Photonics research program lead by Professor Morandotti is fully integrated with the Strategic Research Plan (SRP) of the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS). It integrates artificial intelligence and quantum, it involves collaborations with industrial partners and spinoff companies, is multidisciplinary to develop systems and devices that combine the speed and efficiency of photonic artificial intelligence with the security of quantum communication and its trainees receive practical experience in artificial intelligence techniques.