A new £12.6 million UK research programme has been launched to accelerate the development of next-generation photonic and quantum technologies. Funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the programme will use atomic-scale materials engineering to unlock new capabilities in communications, sensing and computing.
The programme will focus on technologies that could underpin future secure communications systems, ultra-sensitive quantum sensors and scalable quantum computing – all areas recognised as strategically important to the UK's future economic prosperity, security and technological resilience.
The five-year Materials Engineering for Advanced Devices (MEAD) EPSRC Programme Gran t will bring together researchers from The University of Manchester, Imperial College London and the University of Leeds to address one of the most significant challenges facing modern technology: how to engineer materials with such precision that their properties can be controlled at the level of individual atoms to realise new devices and capability.
Materials underpin every advanced electronic and optical device. However, translating breakthroughs made at the atomic scale into technologies that can be manufactured reliably and at scale remains a major challenge.
MEAD will exploit deterministic single-atom doping and isotopic engineering to create materials with entirely new functionalities, demonstrating they can be manufactured and deployed in devices for future technologies.
Professor Richard Curry Principal Investigator of MEAD and Associate Vice-President for Research and Innovation at The University of Manchester said: “MEAD will build on the internationally recognised strengths in advanced materials, device engineering and quantum technologies in Manchester, Leeds and Imperial, with the ambition of delivering technologies relevant to sovereign security, next-generation sensing and future quantum computing systems. Among its goals are more resilient terrestrial communication networks and quantum sensors capable of detecting extremely small changes in gravitational fields.”
The programme will draw on an extensive network of national research facilities and expertise across the three partner institutions, underpinned by more than £150 million of existing infrastructure investments in advanced materials characterisation, semiconductor fabrication and quantum technologies. Together, these facilities provide a unique environment for translating fundamental scientific discoveries into technologies with real-world impact.
Professor Neil Alford of Imperial College London said: "Many of the technologies that society will depend on in the coming decades will require levels of precision and performance that cannot be achieved using today's materials alone. MEAD is about creating the materials, devices and measurement capabilities needed to unlock the next generation of communications, quantum technologies and sensing systems."
Professor Edmund Linfield of the University of Leeds added: "The UK is already globally renowned in areas such as quantum technologies, semiconductor engineering and advanced materials. MEAD brings these strengths together with a shared ambition to create technologies that will support future economic growth, scientific discovery and national capability."
As countries around the world compete to secure leadership in quantum technologies and advanced materials, MEAD represents a significant investment in the scientific capabilities that could shape future generations of communications, computing and sensing systems. The programme's ultimate goal is to transform atomic-scale engineering into practical technologies capable of addressing some of society's most pressing technological challenges.
Further details: https://mead-research.org/
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Notes for editors
Programme scope includes:
Development of a new generation of highly sensitive "masers", the microwave equivalent of lasers, in work led by Imperial College London. These devices are capable of amplifying extremely weak signals with exceptionally low noise, making them attractive for both advanced communications and quantum technologies. They are likely to play a vital role in future terrestrial communications systems that are less reliant on satellites, offering greater resilience in an increasingly connected world.
Design and fabrication of quantum devices based on precisely engineered semiconductor materials, including advanced "qudits", which can carry more information than conventional quantum bits. Using the fabrication capabilities of the Bragg Centre for Materials Research at the University of Leeds, and selective deterministic ion implantation at The University of Manchester, MEAD will create devices with previously unachievable levels of atomic control, providing a pathway towards more scalable and efficient quantum computing systems.
Investigation of new approaches to measuring motion, gravity and environmental changes by harnessing the properties of quantum systems. The programme will aim to generate sensing performance improvements of up to five orders of magnitude beyond current state-of-the-art technologies.
Development of new AI-powered imaging and characterisation techniques capable of helping scientists identify and analyse materials at the scale of individual atoms. This will provide insight into how atomic-scale changes influence device performance, accelerating the development of future technologies.
UK materials expertise
Today’s announcement builds on Manchester, Imperial and Leeds’ long-standing leadership in advanced materials engineering and quantum technologies, with recent research highlights including:
Highly 28Si enriched silicon by localised focused ion beam implantation, Nature Communications, 10.1038/s43246-024-00498-0
A High-Resolution Versatile Focused Ion Implantation Platform for Nanoscale Engineering, Advanced Engineering Materials, 10.1002/adem.202300889
“Maser-in-a-shoebox”: A portable plug-and-play maser device at room temperature and zero magnetic field, Applied Physics Letters, 10.1063/5.0181318
Exploring the spin dynamics of a room-temperature diamond maser using an extended rate equation model, Journal of Applied Physics, 10.1063/5.0164930
Analysis of plasmon modes in Bi2Se3/graphene heterostructures via electron energy loss spectroscopy, Scientific Reports, 10.1038/s41598-024-81488-7
Optimizing Hot Electron Harvesting at Planar Metal–Semiconductor Interfaces with Titanium Oxynitride Thin Films, Applied Materials and Interfaces, 10.1021/acsami.3c02812