Two Faculty of Science Professors are among the recipients of a joint Canada-UK grant that brings together industry, government and academia to accelerate the development of quantum technologies.
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) announced the recipients of the funding at the UK National Quantum Technologies Showcase today.
Raymond Laflamme and Thomas Jennewein from Physics and Astronomy will receive funding for their projects.
Laflamme’s
team
will
collaborate
with
researchers
at
the
University
College
London
(UCL)
and
with
two
start-up
companies,
UK-based
Phasecraft
and
Kitchener,
Ontario-based
Quantum
Benchmark,
as
part
of
a
project
to
make
noisy
quantum
processors
practical
for
industry
and
research
applications.
“We
will
develop
robust
implementations
of
quantum
algorithms
that
can
run
successfully
on
today’s
error-prone
quantum
computers,”
said
Michael
Vasmer,
a
postdoctoral
fellow
in
Laflamme’s
group
and
at
the
Perimeter
Institute
for
Theoretical
Physics.
“Our
work
will
speed
up
the
demonstration
of
quantum
advantage
for
industrial
relevant
problems
such
as
the
simulation
of
quantum
systems.”
Jennewein’s
team
will
collaborate
with
the
Canadian
Space
Agency,
UK-based
aerospace
company
CraftProspect,
and
researchers
at
the
University
of
Calgary,
Strathclyde
University
and
the
University
of
Bristol
to
demonstrate
the
use
of
quantum
technology
for
protecting
commercial
and
national
communications
networks.
The project will implement a new approach and protocol that improves the integration and alignment of a quantum transmitter on a satellite. The quantum key distribution technology developed in this project is targeted to fly onboard Canada’s Quantum Encryption and Science Satellite, extending the scope of the mission and demonstrating links to ground stations on both sides of the Atlantic.
“It is crucial that we combine and expertise from both sides,” said Jennewein. “Our UK partners are contributing their quantum key distribution source, while we will work with our Canadian partners to integrate that source for flight on QEYSSat. Both partners will conduct theory and experimental analysis for a new protocol that aims to simplify the satellite link.”
Michele Mosca, from the Faculty of Math is also a recipient of this award.
The funding will total $4,000,000 over three years, with a maximum of $400,000 per project, from NSERC. It will also include up to £2,000,000 in funding over three years, with a maximum of £300,000 per project, from Innovate UK.