The international Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Summer School is a five-day program focused on theoretical and experimental aspects of quantum communication with a focus on quantum cryptography. Established in 2008, QKD occurs every other year and was last held in 2022.
Applications for the 2025 QKD Summer School closed on July 6, 2025.
Speakers
Co-founder and faculty, IQC
Executive director and faculty, IQC
Head of the Institute for Theoretical Physics, ETH Zurich
Associate, IQC
PhD student, IQC
Schedule
Monday, August 11
The lecture sessions will be held in QNC 1501. If this is your first visit to the University of Waterloo’s campus, you can find the location of QNC on our campus map.
| Time | Lecture | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 12:00 | Cryptography Foundations | Sam Jacques |
| 12:00 - 13:30 |
Lunch at St. Jeromes |
|
| 13:30 - 14:30 | Need for Quantum Safe Encryption | Michele Mosca |
| 14:30 - 16:00 | Quantum Mechanical Structures | Norbert Lütkenhaus |
Tuesday, August 12
| Time | Lecture | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 11:00 | Intro to QKD principles | Norbert Lütkenhaus |
| 11:00 - 12:00 | Tutorial on QKD | Norbert Lütkenhaus |
| 12:00 - 13:30 |
Lunch at St. Jeromes |
|
| 13:30 - 16:30 | QKD Fundamental Theory | Renato Renner |
| 18:30 - 20:30 |
Dinner at The Bauer Kitchen |
|
Wednesday, August 13
| Time | Lecture | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 12:00 | QKD Fundamental Theory | Renato Renner |
| 12:00 - 13:30 |
Lunch at St. Jeromes |
|
| 13:30 - 16:30 | QKD Applied Theory - Optical Implementations | Norbert Lütkenhaus |
Thursday, August 14
| Time | Lecture | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 12:00 | QKD Implementations | Thomas Jennewein |
| 12:00 - 13:30 |
Lunch at St. Jeromes |
|
| 13:30 - 14:30 | QKD Sidechannels | Thomas Jennewein |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | QKD Theory Sidechannels | Shlok Nahar |
| 15:30 - 18:00 |
Excursion (weather dependent) |
|
Friday, August 15
| Time | Lecture | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 - 10:00 | QKD Theory Wrap-up | Norbert Lütkenhaus |
| 10:00 - 12:00 | QKD Protocol Zoo | Norbert Lütkenhaus |
| 12:00 - 13:30 |
Lunch at St. Jeromes |
|
| 13:30 - 14:30 | Panel: QKD, PQC and Symmetric Key | |
| 14:30 - 15:30 | Open Questions Session | |
| 15:30 - 17:30 |
Lab tours at IQC |
|
The Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) is proud to support IYQ Canada and the International Year of Quantum Science & Technology (IYQ).
