Overview

• The facility was inaugurated on May 27 by DRDO chairman Samir V Kamat to bolster indigenous quantum research for strategic defence applications.
• Housed at Metcalfe House in Delhi, the centre features experimental set-ups for characterising vertical-cavity surface-emitting and distributed feedback lasers.
• Solid State Physics Laboratory and the Scientific Analysis Group will lead work on ultra-small atomic clocks and optically pumped atomic magnetometers for precise timekeeping and field detection.
• Researchers will use dedicated test-beds to evaluate single-photon sources, micro-fabricated alkali vapour cells and quantum key distribution techniques for ultra-secure communication.
• As a key stakeholder in the National Quantum Mission, DRDO aims to foster sovereign innovation in quantum sensing, secure communications and post-quantum cryptography at the operational QTRC.