The Popular Quantum Computing Research Institutes in India

Governments worldwide have proposed outlays and built strategies to be the first to harness quantum power.

Quantum is setting out to disrupt computing as we know it. Governments worldwide have proposed outlays, built strategies, and formed collaborations to be the first to harness quantum power. And India is no exception. The National Mission on Quantum Technologies & Applications (NMQTA) is programmed to take advantage of the disruptive potential of quantum technologies in computation, communication, and security. 

Since World Quantum Day has just passed, Ayush Jain with a team from Analytics India Magazine sought to identify a few eminent institutions in the quantum space that are helping India advance its quantum mission. 

Raman Research Institute (RRI)

Awarded a grant from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, RRI’s project currently targets three areas: quantum communications, quantum sensing, and quantum interactions, in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Center for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC). The project was formed with two more Bangalore-based institutes to develop quantum technology in secure quantum communication as well as quantum computing-related methods. 

Earlier this month, RRI’s Quantum Information and Computing (QuIC) Lab headed by Urbasi Sinha, successfully demonstrated a secure satellite-based quantum communication in collaboration with ISRO. The lab will also lead the research efforts in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) techniques for secure maritime communications. 

International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad

The Centre for Quantum Science and Technology (CQST) at IIIT Hyderabad carries out research on the role of quantum science in computation, information processing, quantum thermodynamics, and on the foundations of physics. The division is headed by Arun Kumar Pati, co-author of a fundamental theorem related to quantum information theory. 

Together with RRI, the institute also represented India at this year’s World Quantum Day (celebrated on April 14), which aimed to promote public understanding of Quantum Science and Technology globally and involved participation from 65 other nations.

Harish-Chandra Research Institute

Located in Prayagraj, the institute has a strong research presence on arXiv, an online repository of scientific research papers. Spearheaded by professors like Ujjwal Sen and Aditi Sen De, the Quantum Information and Computation (QIC) Group is actively involved in research surrounding quantum algorithms, quantum communication, quantum cryptography, and the theory of entanglement, and is also exploring the interface between quantum many-body physics and quantum information, an emerging field of research.

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), Mumbai 

The Quantum Measurement and Control Laboratory (QuMaC) at TIFR was founded by Dr R Vijayaraghavan, who also currently heads it. The primary objective of the laboratory is to develop techniques for stabilizing quantum states against decoherence. It explores quantum phenomena in superconducting circuits, which can store and process information. This research aims to address the fundamental challenges of building and controlling quantum systems that can offer exponential speed up for solving mathematical problems.

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Mohali

The NMR Research Group at IISER, Mohali is involved in diverse research areas including experimental quantum computing, multipartite entanglement characterization, tomography via machine learning, decoherence mitigation, and experimental implementation of quantum algorithms. The group was able to achieve the first experimental demonstration of the super-Zeno effect to free evolution of quantum states, using spin-1/2 particles to represent qubits. 

The group also demonstrated the first experimental exploitation of a single qutrit to achieve a computational speedup on an NMR quantum computer. The IISER team of scientists comprising of Prof Arvind, Prof Kavita Dorai, Dr Mandip Singh and Dr Sandeep Goyal are also involved in building India’s first quantum computer under the Cyber Physical Systems (CPS) programme by the Department of Science and Technology.

Indian Institute of Science

The Center for Excellence in Quantum Technology (CEQT) operates an experimental program that focuses on superconducting qubit devices, single photon sources, and detectors for quantum communications, integrated photonic quantum networks, and quantum sensors. The institute has also launched joint courses on AI and quantum computing in collaboration with QpiAI.

In addition, CEQT regularly hosts workshops and meetings in the field to maintain the quantum momentum. As part of its vision, the institute aims to establish international collaborations in this field and seeks guidance from an international advisory committee to guide its research efforts.

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras

The Centre for Quantum Information, Communication, and Computing (CQuICC) is the research division sponsored by the IT giant Mphasis and works with various partner institutions. The research focus areas include quantum key distribution, quantum sensors, quantum computing, post-quantum cryptography, quantum error communication, quantum communication, and quantum algorithms.

The team also includes Anil Prabhakar, co-founder of QNu Labs and Quanfluence, both incubated by IIT Madras, as well as, Arul Lakshminarayan, who along with IIT Madras’ Suhail Ahmad, and in collaboration with Polish researchers and the Polish Academy of Sciences, provided a quantum solution to the 243-year-old problem proposed by Euler, known as the ‘36 officers problem’. 

Along with IIT Madras, IIT Jodhpur, and IIT Bombay are also making significant strides in quantum research. IIT Bombay’s Prof Kasturi Saha, who is heading the Photonics and Quantum Enabled Sensing Technology (P-Quest) Laboratory, is among the very few in India working with NV-diamond technology to build quantum sensing applications.

by Ayush Jain who is interested in knowing how technology shapes and defines our culture and our understanding of the world. He believes in exploring reality at the intersections of technology and art, science, and politics.

VL-7101

VL-7101 [Digital Signal Processing-II]

1. Discrete time signals and systems: Convolution and frequency response.  Discrete time Fourier and Z-transforms: Properties, analysis of discrete time systems.  
2. The DFT; Definition and properties, circular convolution calculation, FFT and chirp transform. Relationship between continuous and discrete time systems; sampling time and frequency normalization, discrete time processing of continuous time signals.  Difference equation for digital filters: definition and properties.  
3. FIR filters, IIR filters. Digital filter design techniques: Impulse invariance, Bilinear transformation, finite difference, window design methods, frequency sampling optimization algorithms.  
4. Parametric signal modeling: Auto regressive signal modeling based on linear prediction, pole zero modeling.  Time varying auto regressive models, Parametric signal modeling in the presence of noise.  
5. Applications, spectral analysis, Power spectral analysis using DFT, maximum entropy spectral estimation (MEM) adaptive signal processing: time adaptive systems.  
6. LMS algorithm, 2 D signal processing: filter design and implementation. 2 D spectral factorization and analysis, Application of DSP: radar, sonar, biomed, communications, speech and image processing

Texts/References

1. Digital Signal Processing, Algorithms and Applications 3rd edition, Proakis and Manolakis,Prentice Hall of India, New Delhi, 1999. 
2. Emmanual C. Ifeachor et. Al., Digital Signal Processing : A Practical approach, Pearson Education, 2nd edition 
3. Digital Signal Processing, A Computer based Approach, 2nd edition, S.K.Mitra, Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi, 2001. 
4. L.R. Rabiner and B.Gold, Theory and Application of Digital Signal Processing., PHI

EC 4003

MICROCONTROLLERS AND APPLICATIONS

• The 8051 micro controller: Evolution of microcontrollers, overview of the 8051 family.
• Assembly language programming: Arithmetic, logical, jump, loop, call instructions. Input/Output port programming: pin descriptions of the 8051, I/O programming; bit manipulation
• Addressing modes: Immediate and register addressing modes; memory accessing. Timer/Counter programming.
• Serial communication: basics, connection to RS232 and programming. Interrupts: different types and their programming
• Real world interfacing: LCD, ADC, Sensors, stepper motors, keyboards 

Boooks:

1. The 8051 Microcontroller and Embedded Systems, M. A. Mazidi, and J.G. Mazidi, Pearson Education
2. Microcontroller Projects in C for 8051, D. Ibrahim, Newnes

EC-7017

Neural Networks and Applications

Fundamental of Artificial neural networks, biological prototype, Single & Multilayer network Perceptrons, perception learning algorithm, Back propagation, applications, counter propagation, network structure, training the Cohen layer, Grossberg layer, applications, Statistical methods, Boltzman training, Cauchy training application to optimization problems Hopfield nets, Statistical Hopfield nets, Committee machine, Self-organization Map, various applications of ANN.

EC - 7015

Embedded Systems

Introduction to Embedded and Low Power VLSI Systems, Embedded Ubiquitous Control Architecture for Low Power Systems, Power optimization and synthesis at behavioral and Systems level using formal methods, Multi-objective synthesis of low power real-time distributed embedded systems, Memory exploration for low power embedded systems, Dynamic power management, High level power analysis and optimization, RTL synthesis of low power embedded systems. Low power embedded systems in ultra deep sub-micron technologies,

EC 6019

Advanced Digital Signal Processing

1. Review: Discrete-Time Signals and Systems, Sampling, Z-transform, DFT, Filter design techniques- FIR, IIR.
2. Discrete Hilbert transforms: Real and Imaginary Part, sufficiency of the FT for causal Sequences, Sufficiency Theorems for Finite length Sequences, Relationship between Magnitude and Phase, HT Relation for complex sequences.
3. Cepstrum analysis and Homomorphic Deconvolution : Definition of complex cepstrum Homomorphic Deconvolution, Properties of complex Logarithm, Alternative expression for complex cepstrum, The complex cepstrum of exponential sequences, Realization of the Characteristic system, Examples of Homomorphic Filtering, Application to speech processing.
4. Multirate DSP: The basic sample rate Alteration device Filters in sampler rate Alteration System, Multistage Design of Decimator and interpolator. The polyphase Decomposition, Arbitrary rate sampler rate converter, Digital filter banks, Nyquist filters, two channel quadrature mirror filter bank, L channel QMF banks, Cosine modulated L- channel filter banks, Multilevel filter bank, STFT, Wavelet transform, DCT.
5. Adaptive filters: Introduction, Examples of Adaptive filtering, The minimum mean Square Error Criterion, The windrow LMS algorithm, Recursive Least Square Algorithm, Forward and Backward Lattice method, Gradient adaptive Lattice method.
6. Application Oriented introduction to DSP: DTMF Detection, Subband coding , Digital audio sampling rate conversion, Speech and Image Processing

Books:

1. Emmanual C. Ifeachor et. Al., Digital Signal Processing : A Practical approach, Pearson Education, 2nd edition
2. Digital Signal Processing, Algorithms and Applications 3rd edition, Proakis and Manolakis,Prentice Hall of India, New Delhi, 1999.
3. Digital Signal Processing, A Computer based Approach, 2nd edition, S.K.Mitra, Tata McGraw Hill, New Delhi, 2001.
4. L.R. Rabiner and B.Gold, Theory and Application of Digital Signal Processing., PHI
5. Adaptive Filters, Simon Haykin, PHI

Some Studies on Identification and Protection of Multimedia Information

Work: Digital Image Watermarking

Digital media is a craze these days. With the present day internet connectivity the world has become smaller. The copyright protection, of intellectual properties has become a necessity for prevention of illegal copying and content integrity verification. Presently there are many programs that open files only if they have an invisible watermark to support the authentication. Such programs as Adobe Reader and Microsoft Word are examples of this type of notice being displayed upon opening an invisible watermarked-file. Even digital watermark may be used as well to "fingerprint," so to speak, the file with the purchaser's information. If multiple copies are made and distributed, this watermark will be in the file and can be traced back to the purchaser. This watermarking is a method of data authentication by embedding a watermark in any multimedia signal characteristics. Newer data hiding techniques that are imperceptible, robust, have lower complexity, with high data hiding rate and security are therefore being implemented.

The most common type of digital watermark is a particular pattern which may be easily visible in any multimedia data. This pattern is placed in such a manner so that people viewing cannot distribute without it being shown and it cannot be edited out easily. There are two types of digital watermarks: visible and invisible. Visible takes the form of a translucent overlaid, such as described above, whereas invisible is hidden within the coding of the object itself. Imperceptibility, robustness and trustworthiness of the watermarking scheme are the main areas of focus for implementation. For embedding of the watermark for copyright protection in any multimedia data either the spatial domain embedding of watermark or transform domain embedding was normally preferred. The common types being discrete Fourier transform (DFT), discrete wavelet transform (DWT), discrete cosine transform (DCT), singular value decomposition (SVD), etc. and their variants.

Real life watermarking algorithms are purely application oriented copyright protection schemes. So from one field to another the person may have to optimize different criteria in different domains. But from general point of view mainly four parameters must be taken into account while developing a data hiding technique as for e.g. imperceptibility, robustness, capacity and time complexity. Therefore the previous works majorly support, or find solution for any one or two parameters at a time and also the simulation results are good, but major parts are heuristic in nature. Presently the newer breeds of watermarking techniques coming up are in dual or hybrid domain, where the two or more popular transforms or spatial techniques, are being used together with or without modifications. These may be like using DWT-DCT, DWT-SVD, DWT-DCT-SVD, Contulet and Ridgelet Transform, Walsh Transform, LSB (least significant bit) based techniques with QIM (Quantization Index Modulation), PN (pseudorandom noise) sequence, and many more or the other possible combinations of these. The dynamically adaptive watermarking techniques using soft computing skills or algorithms with intelligence are becoming popular as well. Popularized by using neural networks, fuzzy logic, neuro-fuzzy, or watermarking techniques optimized by PSO (particle swarm optimization), GA (genetic algorithm), etc. and many more of these soft computing combinations, or any other optimization scheme. Moreover with the advancement of the multimedia data transfer mechanisms with lower bandwidth, lower cost and higher transmission speed has made the inclusion of communication criteria a must. Thereby present day watermarking techniques are required to provide copyright infringement with better robustness. But the technique must take in to account the speed, ease of implementation, transmission criterions in communication channel, hardware implimentability, mathematical justification, etc both objectively and subjectively. Thereby for the sake of commercial value, and importance of the work best results are required. This is because as due to present day advancements a lot of previous works based on a single transform or more are no longer of any importance due to their various drawbacks and susceptibility to attacks of different forms.

Candidate has already made an extensive survey as well as modification of some work established algorithm to reach the best possible target. The candidate finds that transform domain algorithm with visual information characteristics behavior supports to obtain the best possible openings for the ultimate protection answer. This is done by optimizing the aforesaid parameters for any real time visual information hiding algorithms for practical applications.

Publications:

International Journals:

• 2011: "BPNN and SVD based Watermarking Scheme", International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering [ISSN 1797-9617], Volume 4 No. x , February 2011. (S. Majumder, T. S. Das, S. Sarkar, S. K. Sarkar)
• 2010: "SVD and Lifting Wavelet Based Fragile Image Watermarking", International Journal of Recent Trends in Engineering [ISSN 1797-9617], pg 97-100 of Volume 3 No. 1 May 2010. DOI: 01.IJRTET.2010.03.01.83 (S. Majumder, T. S. Das, S. Sarkar, S. K. Sarkar)

International Conferences:

• 2011: "DWT and SVD based Image Watermarking Scheme using Noise Visibility and Contrast Sensitivity", pg 938-942 proceedings of IEEE International Conference on Recent Trends in Information Technology (ICRTIT 2011) ISBN-978-1-4577-0590-8/11 , held on 3rd to 5th June 2011, organized by Madras Institute of Technology, Anna University, Chromepet, Chennai. (S. Majumder, T. S. Das, S. K. Sarkar)
• 2011: "Spread Spectrum Embedding of Colluder Traceable Codeword in Multimedia", pg 190-193 of proceedings of 2nd International Conference on Emerging Applications of Information Technology (EAIT 2011), organized by Computer Society of India Kolkata Chapter on 18th to 20th February 2011 in Kolkata. (M. Saikia, S. Majumder)
• 2010: "Coded Fingerprinting Based Watermarking to Resist Collusion Attacks and Trace Colluders", pg 120-124, proceedings of International Conference in Advances in Computer Engineering(ACE-2010) ISBN - 978-1-4244-7154-6 DOI 110.1109/ACE.2010.36 published by IEEE CS DL on 21st and 22nd June 2010, in Bangalore. (M. Saikia, S. Majumder, T. S. Das, Md. A. Hussain, S. K. Sarkar)
• 2010: "SVD and Neural Network based Watermarking Scheme", pg 1-5, Volume 70, Springer Communications in Computer and Information Science DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-12214-9 ISSN: 1865-0929 (Print) 1865-0937 (Online), Book on Information Processing and Management as the proceedings of International Conference on Recent Trends in Business Administration and Information Processing (BAIP 2010), organized by ACEEE, held at Trivendrum 26th and 27th march 2010, India. ISBN: 978-3-642-12213-2 (Print) ISBN: 978-3-642-12214-9 (Online)(S. Majumder, T. S. Das, V. H. Mankar, S. K. Sarkar)
• 2009: "SVD and Error Control Coding based Digital Image Watermarking", ID 61, pg 60-63, in International Conference on Advances in Computing, Control and Telecommunication Technologies'2009(ACT 2009), organized by ACEEE and published by IEEE Computer Society, held at Trivendum, India. ISBN 978-0-7695-3915-7 (S. Majumder, T. S. Das, V. H. Mankar, S. K. Sarkar)

National Conferences:

• 2009: "Image Watermarking by Fast Lifting Wavelet Transform", pg TS-5.2.1-4, proceedings of 3rd National Conference Mathematical Techniques: Emerging Paradigms for Electronics and IT Industries (MATEIT '10), held at Department of Electronics, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, (University of Delhi), New Delhi 30th-31st January 2010. (S. Majumder, T. S. Das, S. Sarkar, S. K. Sarkar)
• 2008: "A Hybrid SVD and Wavelet based Watermarking", pg 197-201, proceedings of 2nd National Conference Mathematical Techniques: Emerging Paradigms for Electronics and IT Industries (MATEIT '08), held at Department of Electronics, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya College, (University of Delhi), New Delhi 26th-28th September 2008.(S. Majumder, M. Mishra, and A.D. Singh)