Laflamme explores quantum revolution in public lecture

Thursday, February 16, 2012

IQC Executive Director Raymond Laflamme spoke about the quantum information revolution during a public talk in Vancouver, where the international science community is gathering for the annual AAAS conference.

IQC Executive Director Raymond Laflamme delivering a public lecture
On the eve of an international scientific conference, IQC Executive Director Raymond Laflamme delivered a public lecture about the transformative force of quantum information research.

"We are learning to think in different ways — to really harness the power of quantum information," Laflamme said during a special talk in Vancouver hosted by the University of British Columbia and the Canada Foundation for Innovation.

The public lecture was a precursor to the Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), which hosts thousands of scientists, journalists and policy-makers through to Sunday.

Being held in Canada for the first time since 1981, the AAAS Annual Meeting is an ideal occasion to spotlight Canada's leadership in quantum information science, Laflamme said.

Laflamme spoke about Waterloo's Region's emergence as "Quantum Valley" — a globally recognized hub for innovation in quantum information science and theoretical physics.

"Canada's quantum leadership comes from a diverse range of expertise — chemistry, physics, computer science," Laflamme said.

In the hour-long talk, Laflamme explored several branches of research being conducted at IQC, from quantum computing and sensors to global communications networks protected by quantum cryptography.

Laflamme is among a number of IQC researchers who will speak at the AAAS conference about quantum information research and quantum communications.

Watch the IQC website and follow IQC on Twitter for all the latest news from the AAAS Annual Meeting.