GAME CHANGER Brendan Iribe Continues to Show His Vision from the DEAN
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Fall 2014 OdCOLLEGE OFyss COMPUTER, MATHEMATICAL, ANDey NATURAL SCIENCES GAME CHANGER Brendan Iribe Continues To Show His Vision FROM THE DEAN Dear Friends, This fall marked the fourth anniversary of critical for quantum computers, which could the College of Computer, Mathematical, and be immensely faster than any existing com- Natural Sciences. Coinciding with this puter at solving certain problems. The race is anniversary, we announced the largest single on to build the first quantum computer gift in University of Maryland history. —and, right now, a device in the basement of 4 Brendan Iribe, former student and co-founder the Computer and Space Sciences building is and CEO of Oculus VR, donated $31 million leading the field. You can read more on page 4 to the university. Brendan’s business partner about this device and other quantum comput- ODYSSEY and computer science alumnus Michael ing strategies our researchers are exploring. Antonov, and Brendan’s mother, Elizabeth, Finally, we invite you to join us on March Editor: Abby Robinson also contributed generous gifts of $4 million 10, 2015, for a mathematics conference to 14 Editorial Associates: Rachel Bender, Nancy Grund and $3 million, respectively. honor our dear colleague and leader, William and Mary Kearney These gifts will support construction of E. “Brit” Kirwan. Chancellor of the University Designer: Loretta Kuo a new computer science building on campus, System of Maryland for the past 12 years, he create scholarships and endow professorships. is retiring after more than 50 years in higher DEPARTMENTS The new Brendan Iribe Center for Computer education. Brit joined UMD as an assistant Department of Astronomy Department of Atmospheric Science and Innovation will advance research mathematics professor in 1964 and worked and Oceanic Science in virtual reality, augmented reality, computer his way up to president, a role he held from 16 (formerly Meteorology) vision, robotics and immersive science at the 1988 to 1998. The conference will feature Department of Biology University of Maryland. The facility will lectures on mathematics and education by (formerly Zoology) feature state-of-the-art maker spaces with Brit’s former colleagues, UMD alumni and Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics access to new equipment and resources that renowned mathematicians from across (formerly Microbiology) will enable students and faculty to bring the country. Department of Chemistry and their ideas to life. You can read more about As always, we thank you—our alumni Biochemistry Brendan, these wonderful gifts and the Iribe and friends—for your collective support, Department of Computer Science Center beginning on page 16. which moves us ahead and ensures that our Department of Entomology Department of Geology We also celebrated the launch of our college remains at the forefront of research Department of Mathematics third quantum science research center in and education. Department of Physics October. Called the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science, the Odyssey is published twice a year center expands our long-established partner- for alumni, friends, faculty, staff and students of the College of ship with the National Institute of Standards Computer, Mathematical, and and Technology. Center researchers aim to Jayanth Banavar Natural Sciences. Your comments understand how quantum systems can be Dean and feedback are welcome. Please effectively used to store, transport and process College of Computer, Mathematical, send them to [email protected]. information. This understanding will be and Natural Sciences 2 ODYSSEY Fall 2014 Photo by John T. Consoli CONTENTS Features 4 2015: A Quantum Odyssey The race is on to build the 4 world’s first quantum computer. 14 Young Scientists, Ancient Discoveries K-12 students and UMD researchers join forces to find and identify shark fossils. 16 Game Changer Brendan Iribe continues to show his vision. 14 ON THE COVER BRENDAN IRIBE CO-FOUNDED THE Sections VIRTUAL REALITY COMPANY OCULUS VR AND THEN SOLD 26 Alumni Profiles IT TO FACEBOOK FOR $2 BILLION THIS PAST JULY. IN SEPTEMBER, 28 CMNS News IRIBE PLEDGED THE LARGEST SINGLE GIFT IN UNIVERSITY 30 Faculty, Staff, Alumni OF MARYLAND and Student Highlights HISTORY—$31 MILLION —TO SUPPORT CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW COMPUTER SCIENCE BUILDING AND SCHOLARSHIPS. 16 Photo by John T. Consoli Illustrations by Loretta Kuo / Iribe photo by Mike Morgan Fall 2014 ODYSSEY 3 2 O15: a quantum odyssey 4 ODYSSEY Fall 2014 THE RACE IS ON TO BUILD THE FIRST QUANTUM COMPUTER— AND UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND here is an apparition in the basement of the university’s Computer and Space SCIENTISTS Sciences building. It is not an apparition in the supernatural ARE LEADING sense, or in the Harry Potter novels’ sense of teleportation, though that notion is not so THE WAY. far from reality. Rather, the apparition is the unexpected appearance of a transformational Tinvention with the power to change the world. By Heather Dewar Many scientists think society is on the brink of a second information age, thanks to a new field known as quantum information, sprung from the marriage of quantum physics and theoretical mathematics. The invention that could usher in this second information age is a quantum computer. “Quantum computers will be able to solve some problems dramatically faster than today’s computers and solve difficult problems that are not solvable today,” says Jayanth Banavar, dean of the University of Maryland’s College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences and a physics professor. “They will change our lives in ways that we cannot even imagine.” “A quantum computer is the holy grail of quantum science,” adds UMD Physics Professor Steve Rolston, who co-directs the Joint Quantum Institute (JQI), a research partnership between UMD and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, with the support and participation of the Labora- tory for Physical Sciences. Because of the quantum computer’s potential to alter the field dramatically, scientists are researching every possible application of quantum information—com- munication networks that cannot be tapped; small, powerful sensors with more uses than we can currently guess; and materials with strange and potentially useful properties. The researchers’ goal is to understand how quantum mechanics can store, process and transmit information faster, better and more securely than today’s technology. Illustrations by Loretta Kuo Fall 2014 ODYSSEY 5 Quantum possibilities At 20 qubits, Monroe’s creation is among The race is on to build the first quantum the largest quantum computing devices in the computer. Right now, the device in the world. (A company in Canada has built a 512- basement of the Computer and Space Sciences bit machine, but experts question whether it building is a leader in the field. This futuristic is a true quantum computer, and test results machine is fundamentally different than any are contradictory.) Monroe, who has been computer on the market today. working in the quantum science field for A typical computer stores information in 20 years, plans to build a 50-qubit device in bits—individual digits, all of them either 0s or the next year or two. His sights are set on 1s. A laptop with one gigabyte of memory can eventually building a 100-qubit device, which store 8 billion 0s or 1s. A computer scientist has the potential to do calculations so would describe that memory as 8 x 109 bits. advanced that no conventional computer But a quantum computer takes advantage of could even double-check them. the unseen properties of what physicists call “the quantum realm”—typically, the world “No other place has the of atoms and subatomic particles, things too breadth that we have” small to be seen with the naked eye. In this Physicists worldwide have developed a handful world, a quantum bit—or qubit—can be a of different design strategies for a quantum 0, a 1 or both at the same time. That means computer, many of which are being advanced a single qubit could give a quantum com- by work at UMD. In fact, UMD boasts top puter’s operating system the capacity to do innovators in three of the approaches, as well two calculations at once. And unlike a laptop, as researchers working on hybrid approaches which adds computing power in a linear way and young experimentalists who are about to as more bits are added, a quantum computer launch new strategies. grows exponentially. A program using two Together, UMD’s quantum scientists qubits can do four calculations at once (22), have as much collective knowledge as their one using three qubits can do eight (23) and peers at any university in the world and more so on. A quantum computer with 300 qubits versatility than at any other research center, could represent vastly more information than says Sankar Das Sarma, a Distinguished a conventional computer, 2300 or about University Professor who holds the Richard E. 1090 numbers. Prange Chair in Physics at UMD. “That is more than the number of “No other place has the breadth that we particles in the universe,” says Christopher have,” says Das Sarma, a quantum theorist Monroe, Bice Zorn Professor of Physics and a who developed the concepts underlying two JQI fellow (a title given to research scientists of the design strategies. “The University of on the institute’s permanent staff). “A Maryland really is number one in quantum quantum computer that big could deal with science.” He cites two important reasons. massive amounts of data in a way nothing “The university and the college have been else can.” extremely supportive of quantum science, and Monroe intends to build that quantum ION TRAPPER: the JQI has become much more than the sum computer. The apparition in the basement of CHRIS MONROE of its parts.” the Computer and Space Sciences building is MONROE’S ION TRAP IS A FRACTION Spooky action at a distance his device—an array of lasers, lenses, mirrors, OF A MILLIMETER IN SIZE.