Institute for Quantum Computing
| Type | Research institute |
|---|---|
| Director | Raymond Laflamme |
| Location | Waterloo , Ontario , Canada 43°28′44″N 80°33′17″W / 43.478865°N 80.554853°W |
| Affiliation | University of Waterloo |
| Website | iqc.uwaterloo.ca |
The Institute for Quantum Computing, or IQC, located in Waterloo, Canada, is an affiliate scientific research institute of the University of Waterloo with a multidisciplinary approach to the field of quantum information processing.
Mission statement
IQC's Mission
Our mission is to develop and advance quantum information science and technology at the highest international level through the collaboration of computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians and physical scientists.[1]
Strategic Objectives
The IQC has stated three strategic objectives:[2]
- To establish Waterloo as a world-class centre for research in quantum technologies and their applications.
- To become a magnet for highly qualified personnel in the field of quantum information.
- To establish IQC as the authoritative source of insight, analysis and commentary on quantum information.
History
The idea for founding a large-scale quantum information program in Waterloo was a result of discussions among Mike Lazaridis, founder and co-CEO of Research in Motion (RIM); Michele Mosca, a professor at the University of Waterloo and St. Jerome's University; and Howard Burton, founding executive director of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics.[3]
In the fall of 1999, the University of Waterloo was exploring the possibility of expanding the quantum computing group started by Mosca to include the physicist and quantum computing researcher Raymond Laflamme, potentially with the help of the newly established Canada Research Chair program. The initial concept was to also establish the theory of quantum information as an area of research at the Perimeter Institute.
While the Perimeter Institute was in the process of recruiting Laflamme, it became clear that it would be advantageous to develop a large-scale program in computer science and experimental physics to complement their research programs in theoretical physics. Discussions between Lazaridis and University of Waterloo President David Lloyd Johnston led to the creation of the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) and the appointment of Laflamme as IQC's founding director.
IQC was established in October 2002 with the approval of the University of Waterloo Senate. It was founded with a complement of five researchers from the University of Waterloo faculties of science and mathematics. The University has committed to funding 30 faculty positions at IQC.
In 2005, IQC led the creation of QuantumWorks[4], an NSERC-funded national consortium of university, government and industry researchers committed to the development of practical applications of quantum information science and technology.
IQC is funded by contributions from the University of Waterloo, various government agencies at the provincial and federal levels and private donors, including $101 million from Lazaridis and his wife, Ophelia.
In its 2009 budget, the Canadian federal government allocated $50 million to IQC over five years through an Industry Canada grant.[5]
Research
Research at IQC encompasses the physical sciences, mathematics and engineering from both theoretical and experimental perspectives. Research focus has eight main areas:[6]
- Quantum information theory
- Quantum algorithms
- Quantum complexity
- Quantum error correction and fault tolerance
- Spin-based quantum information processing
- Nanoelectronics-based quantum information processing
- Optical quantum information processing
- Quantum cryptography
Facilities
IQC is currently the principal occupant of the Research Advancement Centre, located in the University of Waterloo’s Research & Technology Park.
The permanent home of the IQC will be in the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, currently under construction in a central location on the university’s main campus.[7] On June 9, 2008, Mike Lazaridis, together with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, UW President David Johnston and other guests officially broke ground on the $160 million project. When completed, the centre will consist of three buildings: one to house IQC, one for the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, and a clean fabrication and metrology suite to be shared between the two institutes. The budget for IQC's building is $80 million. It will house offices, laboratory space and areas for interaction among researchers. QNC is scheduled to open September 2012.
People
As of 2012, IQC’s research team consisted of 16 faculty members, 5 research assistant professors, 29 postdoctoral fellows, and 100 students. The Institute has expressed intentions to expand to include 30 faculty members, 50 postdoctoral fellows and 125 students.[8]
Faculty members have appointments in the departments of Physics & Astronomy, Combinatorics & Optimization, Applied Mathematics, Electrical & Computer Engineering, Chemistry, and the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science at the University of Waterloo. Currently, four IQC faculty members hold Canada Research Chairs in various aspects of quantum information. IQC faculty and postdoctoral fellows also account for 11 of the 26 members of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research’s Quantum Information Processing Program. Four IQC faculty members also have associate membership at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics and another five are affiliate members.
See also
- Quantum cryptography
- Anthony Leggett, winner of the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics, is a part-time faculty member at IQC
- Paul Corkum
References
- ^ IQC Strategic Direction
- ^ IQC Strategic Direction
- ^ Brief History of IQC
- ^ Quantum Information Network Canada
- ^ Government of Canada Makes Strategic Investment in Institute for Quantum Computing, April 7, 2009 [1]
- ^ IQC Faculty & Research
- ^ IQC Expansion
- ^ IQC Introduction