Celebrating 20 Years of Quantum at IQC

We're celebrating 20 years of quantum information science research at IQC

We're turning 20 in 2022! Over the past two decades, the Institute for Quantum Computing's (IQC) leading quantum research has powered the development of transformative technologies, from ideas to commercialization, through research in theory, experiment and quantum applications.

IQC launched in 2002 thanks to the pioneering vision and incredibly generous personal investment of Mike Lazaridis. The BlackBerry creator understood that truly revolutionary technologies can only emerge when scientists are given the resources and intellectual freedom to pursue trailblazing research. With the support and entrepreneurial spirit of the University of Waterloo, IQC has grown into the most interdisciplinary quantum centre with the scale, expertise and talent required to position Canada as a quantum leader globally. 

Celebrate 20 years of quantum at IQC with us, and peek into the future of this fascinating field that is already impacting the world around us through powerful new technologies and applications.

Quantum Perspectives: A Panel Series

This year, we’re offering a panel series exploring all perspectives of quantum, including sensing, materials, communication, simulation and computing to celebrate IQC's 20th anniversary. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming – mark your calendars and check back for more details.

Upcoming panels

Past panels

Quantum Perspectives: Simulation

Thursday, December 1
12:00 PM EST
Live on YouTube

Quantum mechanics is the most successful theory of physics, giving us the rule book to model phenomenon at the sub-microscopic scale. Knowing the rule book doesn’t necessarily mean it’s easy to follow though. Calculating and modelling quantum systems like complex molecules or materials is computationally demanding for modern computers. However, by mimicking the system of interest with another quantum system, we can explore their properties efficiently and learn a great deal about quantum mechanics itself.

Research in quantum simulation is highly multidisciplinary, with important contributions being made from computer scientists, mathematicians, physicists, chemists, engineers, and more. In this panel, we’ll learn from three researchers at the forefront of the field studying both theoretical quantum simulation capabilities and experimental progress in trapped-atom and solid-state platforms:

  • Na Young Kim, Associate Professor, Institute for Quantum Computing and Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Jinglei Zhang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute for Quantum Computing and Department of Physics and Astronomy
  • Alexandre Cooper-Roy, Senior Technical Lead in Quantum Simulation, Transformative Quantum Technologies

We'll see you live on YouTube! Set your reminder now.