This advancement, framed within the EPICO project, brings the University of Valencia (UV) closer to building the kind of quantum technology that, as the project itself points out, can change the rules of cybersecurity and significantly improve how we transmit sensitive information. The project is part of the Valencian Community's Quantum Communication Plan, a collaborative effort between the University of Valencia, the Polytechnic University of Valencia, the University of Alicante, and CEU Cardenal Herrera University. Together, these institutions are driving a new wave of innovation to position the Valencian Community as a leader in quantum technologies applied to fields such as telecommunications, cybersecurity, and healthcare.
Quantum technologies have become one of the major drivers of global innovation. In recent years, both the theory and experimental systems based on quantum mechanics have advanced remarkably, opening new avenues for computers capable of processing massive amounts of data in less time, highly precise sensors, and secure communications.
Within this context, photonics, and especially integrated optics, provides the necessary platforms to implement the essential areas of modern quantum technology. Even so, integrating all the functions required to generate, process, and detect quantum information into a single device remains a challenge. This is precisely what the University of Valencia (UV) is addressing with the EPICO project: the implementation of a complete quantum transmitter that combines the emission of individual photons and the modulation of their properties in a single system. This capability is key for quantum communications, advanced cryptography, and interconnections between quantum processors. A hybrid technology to overcome current limitations. Current monolithic platforms, based on a single material, have significant limitations: they require very high power or exhibit low efficiencies, hindering their practical use.
EPICO proposes a hybrid alternative: integrating semiconductor nanostructures produced from perovskite-type semiconductors and enclosing them within dielectric waveguides. These semiconductors, studied by the UV research group in recent years, have already demonstrated excellent emission efficiency and very high nonlinear properties. EPICO leverages these characteristics to create a high-performance integrated quantum emitter and, for the first time, add direct modulation using optical mechanisms. This advancement will allow for the control of key parameters such as the phase and polarization of the emitted photon, an essential step for applications in quantum processing and secure communications.
“We are taking an important step towards more accessible and efficient quantum technologies. With EPICO, we aim to integrate functions that were previously separate onto a single chip, representing a decisive advance for future quantum communications,” stated the researchers from the University of Valencia.
A project aligned with European and national priorities: EPICO is fully aligned with the priorities set by the Quantum Flagship and the European Quantum Communications Infrastructure (EuroQCI), European initiatives that promote the development of advanced quantum hardware and new, more secure and efficient forms of communication. It also addresses several strategic lines of the National Plan for integrated quantum and photonic technology. A university looking to the future through research. This project is one of eleven that make up the Quantum Communication Plan, led by four prestigious universities: the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV), the University of Valencia (UV), the University of Alicante (UA), and the CEU Cardenal Herrera University (CEU-UCH). Together, these initiatives encompass a wide range of research and development lines with the aim of promoting quantum technology and its applications in strategic areas such as telecommunications and cybersecurity, thus consolidating the Valencian Community as a benchmark for technological innovation at the national and international levels. With more than five centuries of history, the University of Valencia has established itself as a leading institution in research, teaching, and knowledge transfer.
Its participation in the Quantum Communication Plan reinforces its commitment to scientific excellence and innovation, positioning the Valencian Community as a hub for technological and scientific development at the national and international levels.
“Thanks to this collaboration between universities, the Valencian Community is positioning itself on the international map as a territory that promotes the technology of tomorrow,” said researchers from the University of Valencia.

About the Valencian Quantum Communication Plan:
The Complementary Quantum Communication Plan is part of the EU Resilience Plan and has a total budget of €76 million. This plan aims to promote research and development in the field of quantum communications, a key technology for the future of telecommunications. The Valencian Community is one of the regions participating in this project since 2022, along with Castile and León, Catalonia, the Basque Country, Galicia, and the Community of Madrid, as well as the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). In the case of the Valencian Community, the funding for this plan comes mostly from the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, which contributes 65% of the funds, equivalent to €1,169,671.10, while the remaining 35%, approximately €629,822.90, is financed by the Regional Ministry of Education, Culture, Universities and Employment.