Photons in Space: the Next Frontier! These are the voyages of Canada's first Quantum Satellite Mission - the Quantum EncrYption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat). Its upcoming mission: To explore strange new physics, and enable secure communication across Canada and around the world. To seek out new discoveries and new ways to communicate... To boldly send photons where none have gone before!
The Canadian Space Agency is preparing to launch Canada’s first Quantum Science Satellite, QEYSSat, which will circle the Earth in low-earth orbit (500km above the ground), and measure individual packets of light (photons) sent from telescopes on the ground up to the satellite. QEYSSat will demonstrate secure communication across Canada using quantum laser links, and help us explore foundational concepts in physics that cannot be tested on Earth. But how do we catch a photon in the stars? I will discuss challenges we face when bridging the gap between Quantum and Space, and review the current Quantum Space Race, including work being done in Waterloo on QEYSSat.
About the speaker
Katanya Kuntz, PhD, is a Research Associate at the Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo. She is the QEYSSat Science Team Coordinator for Canada’s first quantum satellite mission. She received her PhD in Electrical Engineering (Quantum Optics) from the University of New South Wales, Australia (2013), and BSc in Physics from the University of Calgary (2008). She works in the field of experimental quantum optics, such as generating quantum states of light using lasers and non-linear crystals to study quantum entanglement. She is active in promoting STEAM education via outreach in schools, the community, and volunteer work.