The launch addresses a growing divide in quantum publishing. Much of the existing literature focuses on fundamental theory, mathematical models, or highly controlled demonstrations of quantum behavior. While this work remains essential, many researchers are now confronting a different set of challenges: how to manufacture quantum devices reliably, preserve delicate quantum states, integrate optical components, reduce system noise, and operate complex platforms outside specialized research environments. AQP is positioning itself as a venue for studies that examine these practical questions alongside the underlying science, creating a bridge between quantum physics and deployable technology.

Quantum photonics uses individual particles of light, or photons, to generate, transmit, process, and measure quantum information. Unlike classical optical signals, quantum states can encode information through properties such as polarization, phase, arrival time, and path. Photons can also exhibit entanglement, a uniquely quantum correlation that links measurement outcomes even when particles are separated. These characteristics make photonic systems promising for secure communications, precision sensing, quantum computing, and the exchange of information between quantum processors. Yet the same states that give quantum systems their power are often extremely fragile, making the transition from proof-of-concept experiments to stable devices a demanding engineering task.

AQP is seeking contributions that show how quantum research can function in real technological settings. The journal will welcome work involving quantum materials, optical sources, detectors, components, architectures, and complete systems, particularly when studies explain the path from experimental result to implementation. Researchers are encouraged to describe technological context, identify engineering limitations, and discuss the applications their work could ultimately support. Such details may include the efficiency and stability of a photon source, the performance of a single-photon detector, the losses introduced by an optical circuit, or the methods used to control and measure a quantum device with high precision.

The emphasis on implementation reflects the rapid expansion of the quantum technology sector. Quantum communication platforms are being developed to distribute information through quantum states of light, while quantum sensors are being explored for applications ranging from navigation and medical imaging to geological surveys and environmental monitoring. Photonic approaches are also being investigated for quantum computing, where optical elements can generate and manipulate quantum states. In each case, progress depends not only on demonstrating a quantum effect but also on solving practical problems involving fabrication, packaging, calibration, scalability, energy consumption, and compatibility with existing telecommunications or computing infrastructure.

“ We are thrilled to invite the global research community to share their most groundbreaking discoveries in Advanced Quantum Photonics,” said Uriel Levy, the journal’s editor-in-chief. He described the publication as a dedicated platform for work emerging as quantum technologies move from foundational physics toward practical applications. According to Levy, optics and photonics are central to this transition because they provide the tools used to create, control, transmit, and detect quantum states. He also emphasized that SPIE’s peer-review process, international reach, and publishing infrastructure are intended to give authors broad visibility while maintaining rigorous scientific evaluation.

The journal’s scope is also designed to bring different communities into closer contact. Quantum research increasingly involves physicists, optical engineers, materials scientists, computer scientists, electrical engineers, manufacturers, and technology developers. An academic group may develop a new material for producing single photons, while an industrial team may be focused on integrating that material into a compact device. By encouraging contributions from industry as well as universities and national laboratories, AQP aims to highlight the full chain of development, from materials and components to demonstrations that operate under realistic conditions. Each issue is expected to include contributions from the quantum industry, including implementation and application demonstrations.

SPIE’s decision to establish the journal follows the society’s expanding involvement in quantum science and technology. The organization has added Quantum West to the Photonics West program and has also developed Quantum Catalyst, extending its conference activities into a field that is attracting major scientific and commercial investment. These initiatives provide researchers with opportunities to present emerging work, exchange technical knowledge, and build collaborations. AQP is intended to offer a natural publication route for research presented at such events, particularly studies whose focus is practical development rather than purely theoretical analysis.

The journal will also consider proposals for review articles and perspectives that evaluate progress across quantum materials, components, and systems. These contributions are expected to examine not only advances but also limitations, unresolved technical barriers, and opportunities for future research. That perspective could be especially valuable in a field where impressive demonstrations can sometimes obscure the difficulty of achieving repeatable performance at scale. Clear assessments of reliability, error sources, manufacturing constraints, and application requirements may help researchers distinguish between promising laboratory results and technologies ready for wider adoption.

For authors, SPIE is offering open-access publication at no cost during the journal’s first two years, a policy intended to increase the visibility and international circulation of accepted research. Open access allows readers to consult published studies without a subscription, potentially enabling faster exchange among academic groups, companies, policymakers, and the broader public. Manuscripts can be submitted through the SPIE Digital Library, which hosts the society’s journals, conference proceedings, and books. With quantum technologies developing across national and disciplinary boundaries, the new publication is seeking to become a central forum for research that explains not only what quantum devices can do, but also how they can be engineered to work in the real world.

Subject of Research: Applied quantum photonics, including quantum materials, components, systems, implementation challenges, and practical applications.

Article Title: SPIE Opens Submissions for Advanced Quantum Photonics, a New Journal for Applied Quantum Research

News Publication Date: 13 August 2026

Web References: SPIE; Advanced Quantum Photonics; Quantum West; Quantum Catalyst

References: SPIE announcement concerning the launch and submission opening of Advanced Quantum Photonics.

Image Credits: SPIE

Keywords

Quantum photonics, quantum technology, photonics, quantum computing, quantum communication, quantum sensing, quantum materials, optical engineering, SPIE, peer-reviewed journals, open access, applied physics

To function correctly, superconducting quantum computers must be cooled to temperatures approaching absolute zero, roughly -273 degrees Celsius. At such ultra-low temperatures, electrons in the circuit move without resistance, enabling the formation and stability of quantum states. Despite the advancements in cryogenic technology, the cooling systems themselves ironically introduce unwanted noise and energy fluctuations. This noise interferes with quantum coherence and degrades the information stored within qubits, threatening the reliability and scalability of quantum devices.

Recognizing this paradox, researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have pioneered a radically new approach to refrigeration at the quantum scale. Their breakthrough device is a minimalistic quantum refrigerator that intriguingly utilizes noise itself as the engine of cooling. This innovative concept turns the conventional challenge of noise into an opportunity, enabling exquisite control over minute heat and energy flows within quantum circuits that conventional refrigeration methods cannot achieve.

At the core of this pioneering quantum refrigerator is an engineered superconducting artificial molecule. Unlike molecules formed from atoms, this artificial molecule is constructed from nanoscale superconducting circuits that imitate molecular properties. This unique system is coupled to two microwave channels acting as thermal reservoirs with distinct temperatures, one hot and one cold. The researchers manipulate thermal energy transfer between these reservoirs by injecting controlled microwave noise through auxiliary ports, effectively using fluctuating signals to drive heat flow and refrigeration.

This process exploits an elusive and theorized phenomenon called Brownian refrigeration, where random thermal fluctuations—previously considered a nuisance—can induce and power a directed cooling effect. The Chalmers team’s work stands as the closest experimental realization of this concept. By finely tuning the noise spectrum in a narrow band of microwave frequencies, they successfully orchestrate the energy exchange pathways, transforming random fluctuations into a resource for thermal management in superconducting systems.

Remarkably, the refrigerator operates with extraordinary sensitivity, detecting heat currents as feeble as attowatts—a scale so minuscule that warming a water droplet by one degree Celsius using this heat flow would take longer than the age of the universe. The precision in measuring and manipulating thermal currents at this scale represents a significant technical milestone, pushing the limits of control over quantum thermodynamics and fostering new possibilities for managing heat in quantum hardware.

Beyond refrigeration, this quantum device exhibits multi-modal functionality. By adjusting reservoir temperatures and noise intensity, it can transition between acting as a refrigeration unit, a heat engine, or an amplifier of thermal transport. This versatility holds profound implications for future quantum computing architectures, where local heat management is vital as quantum processors grow larger and more intricate. Heat generated during qubit operations must be carefully controlled to prevent decoherence and maintain computational integrity.

The ability to direct and harness thermal energy at such a nanoscale addresses a critical bottleneck in scaling quantum technologies. Classical cooling methods, though effective at macroscopic levels, lack the finesse to manage energy fluxes within individual quantum circuits. The Chalmers quantum refrigerator exemplifies a new paradigm where cooling mechanisms are integrated directly into the quantum device and driven by the system’s intrinsic noise properties, enabling unprecedented robustness and stability.

This breakthrough also provides fundamental insights into quantum thermodynamics—a field exploring how energy and information intersect at quantum scales. Understanding how to exploit noise, dissipation, and fluctuations not simply as obstacles but as functional resources reshapes our approach to quantum machine design. Devices like this refrigerator open the door toward engineered quantum heat engines and refrigerators that can operate autonomously and efficiently within quantum computing environments.

Fabricated at Chalmers’ Nanofabrication Laboratory, the artificial molecule that underpins this quantum refrigerator comprises superconducting circuits engineered to carefully mimic two coupled qubits. The design ingeniously enables the controlled injection of noise, with the illegal flow of heat contingent upon this noise driving the transfer between thermal reservoirs. Through extensive experimental calibration, the researchers confirmed the delicate balance required to achieve refrigeration powered purely by stochastic fluctuations.

Simon Sundelin, the doctoral student leading this project, highlights how understanding energy transport pathways at the quantum level is paramount for future device design. Their findings enable the anticipation and regulation of heat flows, paving the way for quantum devices in which thermal energy is not a destructive byproduct but a parameter that can be predictably manipulated to enhance device performance.

The study’s co-author, Aamir Ali, underlines the importance of this work for practical quantum technology. By removing heat at scales unreachable by conventional refrigeration, this method could make quantum processors more reliable and scalable. It enhances prospects for building larger, more complex quantum computers that retain coherence for longer operational cycles, accelerating progress toward practical quantum advantage.

Simone Gasparinetti, associate professor and senior author, points out that this work is a major step in realizing Brownian refrigeration, a concept long thought to be only theoretical. By converting random thermal fluctuations into a cooling force, their experiment not only solves a pressing engineering problem but also deepens our fundamental understanding of thermodynamic processes in quantum systems.

As the quantum revolution unfolds, innovations like the noise-powered quantum refrigerator underscore the importance of marrying fundamental physics with engineering ingenuity. By harnessing the very noise that threatens quantum coherence, researchers have revealed a new pathway toward stable, scalable, and efficient quantum machines—ushering in an era where quantum heat management becomes a controllable asset rather than an insurmountable hurdle.

Subject of Research: Not applicable

Article Title: Quantum refrigeration powered by noise in a superconducting circuit

News Publication Date: 26-Jan-2026

Web References: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67751-z

References: Sundelin, S., Aamir, M. A., Kulkarni, V. M., Castillo-Moreno, C., & Gasparinetti, S. (2026). Quantum refrigeration powered by noise in a superconducting circuit. Nature Communications.

Image Credits: Chalmers University of Technology / Simon Sundelin

Keywords: Quantum computing, Quantum information, Qubits