At QRDC, we are enabling a transition of the lab scale innovation to chip scale. Our ongoing projects include design IP generation and productization of photonic computing technology on chip scale. The key selling point of chip scale implementation is the ability to align design IP with manufacturing infrastructure, potential for energy efficiency due to reduced power consumption of photonic domain and the scalability potential of chip technology. These points create a strategic impact of the QRDCs ongoing chip development initiatives, and we are positioned to align the tech development use cases directly with the UAE National program 2031.

A Next-Generation Photonic Accelerator for Energy-Efficient AI and Intelligent Optimization. The on-demand Photonic Intelligence Processing Unit (PIPU) represents a paradigm shift in computational physics—an optical accelerator and decision-making engine where light itself becomes the processor of intelligence. Built upon a Spatial Light Modulator (SLM) coupled with a CCD feedback loop and a Diffractive Optical Element (DOE) acting as a tunable phase mask, the PIPU transforms spatiotemporal optical chaos and quantum fluctuations into a high-dimensional information reservoir. Within this self-referential nonlinear feedback system, photons interact through deterministic chaos and quantum noise to execute massively parallel multiply–accumulate operations, enabling ultrafast AI model training, inference, and optimization of complex datasets. The DOE introduces structured randomness that enriches phase diversity and mode coupling, while quantum noise injects irreducible unpredictability, granting the system both stability and adaptability. Operating on femtosecond timescales and exploiting photonic entropy as a computational resource, the PIPU achieves learning and decision-making directly in the optical domain—a self-organizing photonic brain that fuses chaos, coherence, and quantumness to redefine the frontier of intelligent computing.

In this project, we generate a high-quality entropy pool using the chaotic dynamics of a semiconductor laser, where intrinsic quantum fluctuations are amplified by nonlinear interactions. The broadband chaotic optical signal is detected, digitized, and refined to remove residual correlations, ensuring unbiased randomness. This entropy pool serves as the foundation for a quantum random number generator (QRNG), producing bitstreams with high entropy and independence. Validated through industry-standard test suites such as NIST SP 800-22 and Diehard, the system provides a scalable and reliable application for cryptography, cybersecurity, and secure data systems.

Our project focuses on the development and miniaturization of Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) devices. The work advances through staged R&D: starting with short-range free-space systems, progressing to long-range fiber-based QKD integrated with an in-house QRNG, and extending to time-phase and entanglement-based protocols. The ultimate goal is chip-level integration using photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology, enabling secure, scalable, and deployable quantum communication solutions.

The aim of the project is to investigate light–matter interactions at atomic scales, with silica glass serving as a well-controlled test bed. Glass, as an amorphous dielectric material, provides an ideal platform for studying modifications induced by high-intensity femtosecond pulses. By monitoring processes such as multiphoton absorption, self-focusing, and the generation of color centers, the project aims to establish benchmark results that can later be extended to more complex crystalline and nanostructured materials. This approach will also enable systematic exploration of how electronic and lattice responses evolve under extreme field strengths, bridging fundamental physics with potential applications in photonics and laser-based nanofabrication.

The project focuses on developing a compact and portable Laser-Induced Water Evaporation System (LIWES) for applications in the desalination, distillation, cooling, drying and energy industries. The goal is to enhance and ultimately replace conventional systems in these industries by significantly reducing energy consumption and operational costs. By precisely controlling light–water interactions at the quantum level, the LIWES will accelerate and optimize the evaporation process, thereby improving overall efficiency across these industries.

In the Quantum Biophotonics Group, we are harnessing the phase, spectral, polarization, and quantum properties of light to develop advanced optical imaging systems for biomedical screening and diagnostic applications. Our imaging platforms primarily utilize hyperspectral and phase imaging techniques to capture detailed structural and biochemical information from biological tissues, which can be used for early disease detection. In the quantum domain, we are employing single photon imaging technologies and developing cutting edge quantum imaging setups. These include correlation based quantum imaging, interference based quantum imaging, such as ghost imaging and imaging with undetected light. These techniques aim to expand the limits of imaging sensitivity and resolution, opening new possibilities for non-invasive diagnostics and biological research.