Abstract
The INFN Research Network (Iniziativa Specifica) QUANTUM involves 10 research groups: Bari, Bologna, Camerino, Catania, Palermo, Milano (Como), Napoli, Salerno, Padova and Trieste, affiliated with 7 INFN theory divisions: Bari, Bologna, Catania, Milano, Napoli, Padova and Trieste.
The research activity focuses on the outstanding developments of the last two decades that have changed the status of Quantum Mechanics, in particular in the emerging fields of Quantum Information and Quantum Technologies. The major objective of QUANTUM is the investigation of typical quantum mechanical effects and phenomena via three major, interrelated avenues: Entanglement and other Quantum Correlations, Quantum Simulation, and Quantum Control.
The topics investigated have a foundational character, but are of interest also in view of possible applications in quantum science and technologies, as means to achieve new or radically enhanced functionalities.
We mention the links of entanglement with complexity and information theory, its key role in quantum phase transitions, and the analysis of many-body systems. In addition, the emerging field of quantum simulations, with ground-breaking applications to high-energy physics, lattice gauge theories, many-body systems, and quantum field theories, makes full use of quantum-inspired techniques in order to tackle the challenges of complex situations. Finally, the development of new measurement and control techniques for open quantum systems, requires strategies to improve the efficiency of thermodynamics processes at the quantum scale, sub-shot-noise imaging and quantum metrology.
The theoretical effort is interdisciplinary and highly synergic, involving close collaborations among the partners, exchange of students, post-docs and young researchers, and the use of analytical techniques and numerical methods from quantum field theory, statistical mechanics and quantum information theory.
