News

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The National Killam Program administered by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) announces Dr. Adam Wei Tsen as the recipient of the 2024 Dorothy Killam Fellowship. This prestigious honour provides $80,000 for up to two years in support for dedicated research time to scholars “whose superior, ground-breaking, best-in-class research stands to have significant impact on a national or global scale.” 

Tsen is a professor at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo. His research focuses on the study of various two-dimensional (2D) quantum materials and making new magnetically active molecules for quantum material applications, including quantum computing and quantum information.

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The Government of Canada has invested nearly $7M into quantum projects at the University of Waterloo through recently announced NSERC Alliance Grants. The grants, awarded by the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), encourage university researchers to collaborate with partner organizations from across the private, public or not-for-profit sectors.

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With a focus on collaboration and community, the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) is proud to host regular social events for our members. While media and popular culture often portray the image of a lone researcher working late nights in a lab or at a computer to make breakthroughs, the more realistic portrayal of new ideas and discoveries can be encompassed through partnerships and teamwork.

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Since 2017, the Quantum Quest Seed Fund (QQSF) has awarded more than $2.88 million to quantum researchers across the University of Waterloo. This winter’s round of funding has been awarded to three Waterloo professors, as they explore and innovate new ideas and applications for quantum devices.

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What do you do when your lab space is too small to test the distance requirements for a new long-range sensor and detector in development? Alex Maierean and Luke Neal, graduate students at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) recently navigated this challenge for their latest project.

Their project is looking to advance one application of quantum sensing by incorporating techniques from quantum key distribution into light detection and ranging (LiDAR) sensors. These sensors are commonly used without quantum components for a wide variety of applications, including 3-dimensional imaging for self-driving vehicles, but have a very limited range and require bright laser beams with many photons to take a measurement.

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Federal funding will accelerate quantum startups’ products and solutions for domestic and global markets.

The Government of Canada announced on February 22 it is investing more than $17.2 million in funding through the Regional Quantum Initiative to support startup companies in Southern Ontario’s quantum technology sector, including two companies that have spun out from the University of Waterloo, High Q Technologies Inc., with an investment of $3.7 million and Foqus Technologies Inc., with an investment of $601,975.  

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Researchers from IQC, MIT, and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a technique for better identification and control of microscopic defects in diamond, as detailed in PRX Quantum, paving the way for the creation of larger qubit systems for enhanced quantum sensing. This breakthrough, led by Alexandre Cooper-Roy, represents a significant advancement in quantum sensing, offering potential revolutionary impacts across various industries and scientific fields.

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Congratulations to Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) faculty members Dr. David Cory, Dr. Thomas Jennewein and Dr. Chris Wilson, who have each received approximately $3 million in funding for advancing their research into the real-world applications of quantum technology.

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Researchers at the Institute for Quantum Computing are leading Canada’s first quantum satellite to protect tomorrow’s data.

In our increasingly digital and interconnected world, graduate students like Kimia Mohammadi constantly innovate to stay ahead of emerging security risks. She is part of a national team creating Canada’s first quantum satellite, currently scheduled for launch in 2025. The Quantum EncrYption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat) mission will be a demonstration of secure ground-to-space quantum communication.

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Diamonds are one of the most sought-after and versatile gemstones in the world, with purposes beyond jewelry and drill tips. In quantum research, diamonds are frequently studied because of the presence of special defects called colour centers, which can act as a quantum bit, or qubit, to store information in quantum systems.

Dr. Mohammad Soltani, a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) is studying ways to implement patterns in diamonds for quantum applications. Recently, his experiments led to a miniscule but recognizable pattern: IQC’s logo, etched into a 2.5 mm square diamond. The smallest logo produced measured just 20 micrometers — about one fourth the width of a single human hair.