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Atoms and molecules are the building blocks of chemistry and are important to our understanding of the world. By cooling atoms and molecules to ultracold temperatures it opens up a new understanding of quantum chemistry. Working with nanokelvin temperatures, one billion times colder than Antarctica during winter, researchers can observe and control particles in ways not possible at room temperature. When really cold, particles behave in strange and exciting ways. Researchers are discovering unexpected results by looking at particles from a quantum perspective.

Firas Kamal Mansour, 50, passed away on December 29, 2021. An exceptional teacher and colleague, Firas dedicated his professional life to physics education and to the well-being of his students. With a larger than life personality replete with wit and charm, Firas had a passion for physics and physics education.

The graphics processing unit (GPU) was a windfall for artificial intelligence, as the architecture turned out to be well-suited for deep learning. What if quantum computing enabled an even more advanced form of artificial intelligence (AI)?

Congratulations to Professor Richard Epp for being awarded the 2021 CAP Medal for Excellence in Teaching Undergraduate Physics, and to Professor Roger Melko for being awarded the 2021 CAP/DCMMP Brockhouse Medal.

Prof. Alan Jamison likes looking at what happens when individuals become groups. Do behaviours change? Or do the groups act as expected? He examines these questions in his lab where he sticks laser-cooled atoms together to create molecules. It’s a frigid temperature — around 100 nanoKelvin cold — one billion times colder than Antarctica in winter.

Nine University of Waterloo professors are in the top one per cent of citations for their field of study and publication based on Clarivate Analytics’ 2021 Highly Cited Researchers list.

A team of researchers led by Professor Christine Muschik from Physics and Astronomy performed the first-ever simulation of baryons—fundamental quantum particles—on a quantum computer.

Vision is one of our most dominant senses, and our world is often built around our ability to see. Despite this, the World Health Organization reports that more than one third of people around the world suffer from some form of vision impairment or blindness. Of these estimated 2.2 billion people, at least one billion of these cases could have been prevented or have not been addressed yet.

A satellite to test in-orbit laser annealing was sent into orbit from the International Space Station (ISS) today, marking an important step towards the realization of secure quantum communication using satellites and a global quantum internet.

University of Waterloo Professor and Nobel Laureate Donna Strickland has been named a Fellow of the Hagler Institute for Advanced Study at Texas A&M University.