Gisin group (Geneva) — academia dossier

Gisin group (Geneva)

QKDQuantum memory active spinout: id-quantique
Institution
University of Geneva
Lab / Centre
Group of Applied Physics — Optique (GAP-Optique) · Department of Applied Physics
Also
ID Quantique (spinout, 2001) shares lineage and several staff
Location
Geneva, Switzerland
Group founded
1988

Foundational European experimental QKD group. Nicolas Gisin (now emeritus) ran the long-distance Bell-test and fibre-QKD programme through the 1990s–2010s, including the 1998 Lake Geneva installed-fibre Bell-violation test, and co-founded ID Quantique in 2001 with Grégoire Ribordy and Hugo Zbinden. The experimental line continues under Hugo Zbinden at GAP-Optique, which delivered the Boaron et al. 405 km field-fibre QKD record (PRL 121.190502, 2018). Current thrusts are long-haul fibre QKD and rare-earth-doped crystal quantum memories under Rob Thew.

Current focus: Quantum information and communication — Per the group's own framing (unige.ch/gap/qic): the applied physics department at the University of Geneva studies a wide range of subjects in quantum information and communication, organised around four areas — quantum technologies, quantum repeaters and memories, quantum networks, and quantum theory — as a collaborative effort spanning theory and experiment, fundamental and applied research.

Milestones

  1. 2018-11 Secure-key QKD over 405 km of field-deployed ultra-low-loss fibre (Boaron et al.) paper
  2. 2007-10 First commercial QKD-secured election count, Geneva canton (with ID Quantique) press
  3. 2001 Co-founded ID Quantique (Gisin, Ribordy, Zbinden) — first commercial QKD vendor press
  4. 1998 Long-distance Bell-state violation over 10 km of installed Swisscom fibre (Tittel et al.) paper
  5. 1995 Underwater Bell test over installed Lake Geneva telecom fibre (4 km) paper

People

  • Nicolas Gisin — Founder, Professor Emeritus (since 1988) ↗
  • Hugo Zbinden — Professor, head of experimental QKD line (GAP-Optique) (since 1995) ↗
  • Rob Thew — Professor, quantum memories and photon-pair sources (since 2003) ↗
  • Félix Bussières — Former group member; CTO at ID Quantique (since 2014) ↗

Funding

References