Physicist Johannes Fink and his team at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA, quantA Board of Directors) have been awarded a prestigious ERC Proof of Concept Grant to advance their research toward commercial application. The team recently demonstrated a fully optical readout of superconducting qubits using an electro-optic transducer, a development that could pave the way for a future optics-based quantum internet.
Superconducting qubits are among the leading platforms in quantum computing. They operate at ultracold temperatures and use microwave signals, which makes long-distance communication and practical scaling extremely challenging. Fink’s team addressed this by converting these microwave signals into optical signals, enabling transmission via standard optical fiber at room temperature.
Their approach significantly reduces the complexity of superconducting quantum systems and introduces the possibility of linking quantum processors across separate devices. The breakthrough, published earlier this year in Nature Physics, now moves one step closer to practical use, thanks to the ERC grant of 150,000 euros.
The project, titled CoupledEOT – Integrated optical coupling for low-loss electro-optic interconnects, aims to transform the lab prototype into a compact, user-friendly device. ISTA postdoctoral researcher Rishabh Sahu, who played a key role in the proposal, emphasized the goal of creating a plug-and-play solution that does not require specialized knowledge to operate.
Such a device could become a key building block for a scalable quantum internet. In addition, the electro-optic technology may find applications in classical fields such as radar, remote sensing, and spectroscopy, where detecting microwave and terahertz frequencies with optical precision is highly valuable.
The Proof of Concept (PoC) scheme is part of Horizon Europe and is open exclusively to ERC grantees. It supports projects that show strong potential for commercial or societal impact. This latest recognition adds to Johannes Fink’s track record, which already includes an ERC Starting Grant and an ongoing Consolidator Grant.
With the support of this new grant, ISTA’s researchers are now positioned to move from pioneering science to real-world innovation, strengthening Europe’s role in shaping the next generation of quantum technology.
