Cleveland, OH, August 4, 2020 – The Marconi Society is happy to recognize Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique (INRS) PhD candidate Piotr Roztocki as a 2020 Paul Baran Young Scholar for his innovative work in developing scalable quantum resources that can be used within existing telecommunications networks. The Marconi Society Young Scholar Award recognizes the world’s most innovative young researchers who are creating tomorrow’s information and communications technology in service of a digitally inclusive world.
Piotr’s contributions take quantum photonics, which can offer major advances in next-generation information security, from the lab to global telecommunications networks. These innovations may be key in ensuring that critical security infrastructures for banking, online transactions, and the like will continue to be safe, even as today’s public key cryptography approaches may become vulnerable to attacks from increasingly-mature quantum computing capabilities.
“While quantum mechanics gives rise to this security problem, we can also leverage its unique physics to help realize future-proof security,” says Roztocki. “A unique feature of our work is in the use of integrated photonics chips and fiber optics, rather than fragile and expensive setups, meaning that our quantum tools are scalable and compatible with existing communications infrastructures.”
Roztocki’s pioneering work in generating quantum frequency combs (QFCs), which are sources of quantum light comprising photons with different colors/frequencies, via photonic chips is a significant step to reducing the footprint and costs associated with quantum photonics.
“While Piotr’s focus includes high-impact fundamental research targeting long-term pay-offs, a majority of his work centers on applications critical to emerging industrial sectors and telecom markets,” said INRS Professor Roberto Morandotti and Roztocki’s advisor. “Piotr’s interdisciplinary perspective bridges physics and telecommunications for truly creative results.” Roztocki’s work is now being commercialized as part of a Montreal start-up, Ki3 Photonics Technologies, where he is co-founder and Chief Technical Officer.
“Piotr’s research focus on quantum photonics that can be mass-produced and work with existing communications infrastructures is a key step towards digitally inclusive and accessible quantum resources for secure networks” said Marconi Society Chair and Internet pioneer Vint Cerf,. “We are proud to honor Piotr and his work.”
About the INRS
The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) is the only institution in Québec dedicated exclusively to graduate level university research and training. The impacts of its faculty and students are felt around the world. INRS proudly contributes to societal progress in partnership with industry and community stakeholders, both through its discoveries and by training new researchers and technicians to deliver scientific, social, and technological breakthroughs in the future.
Contact
Audrey-Maude Vézina
Service des communications et des relations gouvernementales de l’INRS
418-254-2156
audrey-maude.vezina@inrs.ca
