The Department of Physics & Astronomy is proud to congratulate Dr. Rajibul Islam on his election as Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), a prestigious recognition reserved for those who make groundbreaking contributions to physics and science education. In addition to this prestigious recognition, Dr. Islam was awarded the Excellence in Science Teaching Award for his innovative and inspiring approach to teaching quantum mechanics and optics.
A faculty member at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) and in our Faculty of Science, Dr. Islam has achieved international acclaim for his pioneering work in quantum simulation and precision ion qubit control. As the Principal Investigator at the Laboratory for Quantum Information with Trapped Ions, he leads a team conducting cutting-edge research on quantum simulators, exploring both fundamental physics and their potential to revolutionize fields such as materials science and drug discovery. Their work combines laser-cooling and ion-trapping techniques to precisely manipulate individual atoms close to the absolute zero temperature. The latest research from his group is featured in the prestigious journal Nature Communications.
Dr. Islam’s selection as an APS Fellow recognizes his role in founding Open Quantum Design (OQD), a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting open-access quantum computing, as well as his unwavering commitment to advancing science literacy on a global scale. Among the co-founders of OQD alongside Dr. Islam are two other distinguished researchers from the Department of Physics and Astronomy: Prof. Roger Melko and Prof. Crystal Senko. “The unique inventor-owned intellectual property laws at the University of Waterloo, combined with a multi-million-dollar investment in trapped ion research, inspired the creation of OQD. This organization is dedicated to sharing open-source hardware and software designs to accelerate the development of quantum computers by breaking down barriers to collaboration between academia, industry, and government.”, explains Dr. Islam.
Beyond his groundbreaking research, Prof. Islam is celebrated for inspiring young minds in underserved regions. In 2014, while a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard, he co-founded Bigyan (bigyan.org), one of the largest science outreach platforms in Bengali. The initiative connects scientists with grassroots educators, fostering curiosity and engagement through resources such as visually captivating posters, hands-on events, peer-reviewed popular science articles, and videos, including interviews with Nobel laureates. Over the years, Bigyan articles have garnered a significant online readership, with approximately 2 million pageviews, including a substantial audience in neighbouring Bangladesh. It has played a vital role in bridging gaps in science education and fostering a love for learning in regional communities. Dr. Islam shares his excitement about a recent experience: “When I visited my high school in rural West Bengal, I was thrilled to see an article from Bigyan displayed on the school wall. It featured my Waterloo colleague Roger Melko’s insights on machine learning in physics, translated into Bengali. The thought that we can bring the wonders of cutting-edge science to remote corners of the world and inspire young minds fills me with immense joy!”
Dr. Islam’s passion for teaching extends beyond the classroom. He encourages students to connect theoretical concepts to real-world applications, often sparking classroom discussions with questions like, “Which apps on your phone use an atomic clock?”, “Do we have more photons or atoms in a classroom?”, or “If light reflects almost entirely off a perfect mirror, is there a clever way to use a second perfect mirror behind it to somehow transmit most of the light instead?” In fact – can you answer these? Send your answers to Patricia (printjema@uwaterloo.ca), our Alumni Engagement Officer!
Congratulations to Dr. Islam for these remarkable honours and his continued impact on the scientific community, both locally and internationally!
