An agreement signed between IQC and Singapore's Centre for Quantum Technologies will foster the exchange of leading-edge expertise, personnel and resources.
In quantum research, "entanglement" refers to a powerful relationship between two distant particles.So entanglement might be a fitting term to describe the newly inked relationship between two of the world's leading quantum computing research institutes" the University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) and the National University of Singapore's Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT).
During a ceremony at IQC Monday morning, four distinguished guests from the Singapore institute were on hand for the signing of a memorandum of understanding that will foster the exchange of ideas, personnel and resources between IQC and CQT. Both institutes employ top physicists, mathematicians, computer scientists and other scholars in the quest to build a new breed of supercomputer that harnesses the strange powers of quantum mechanics.
"It's really an honour to take this big step forward in collaborating with the Institute for Quantum Computing," said Tan Eng Chye, provost and deputy president of academic affairs at the National University of Singapore." (Both institutes) have a critical mass right now. If we put them together, the chances we will be successful are much higher. "The group of scholars who travelled from Singapore for the occasion also included Artur Ekert (director of CQT), Lai Choy Heng (deputy director of CQT) and Kuldip Singh (administrative director of QCT).
The memorandum of understanding formalizes an existing partnership between the two institutes, which have collaborated on experiments and research papers for several years. "We've helped each other a lot over the years, and we want to continue sharing expertise," said Michele Mosca, deputy director of IQC. "It's an example of UW's long history of international projects and collaboration."Monday's signing event, held in the nuclear magnetic resonance lab at IQC, drew a number of distinguished academics, politicians and dignitaries.
University of Waterloo President David Johnston lauded the event as "another big step forward" in the university's history of international cooperation. "I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about the next 10 years and what we are going to do together," Johnston said of the collaboration. In an interview with the Waterloo Region Record, CQT Director Ekert said the collaboration symbolized that "there is now a feeling of working in a global village" in the field of quantum computing.
About IQC: Founded in 2002, the mission of the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) is to aggressively explore and advance the application of quantum mechanical systems to a vast array of relevant information processing techniques.
A part of the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ont., Canada, IQC creates a truly unique environment fostering cutting-edge research and collaboration between researchers in the areas of computer, engineering, mathematical and physical sciences.
At the time of this release, IQC has 17 faculty members, 22 postdoctoral fellows and over 55 students and research assistants, as well as a support staff of 18.
The Institute for Quantum Computing acknowledges the support of the Government of Canada through Industry Canada and the Government of Ontario through the Ministry of Research and Innovation.