BUILDING THE QUANTUM VALLEY
ANNUAL REPORT 2016 “IQC AND THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
ARE POSITIONING CANADA TO LEAD THE
WORLD IN QUANTUM RESEARCH AND IN
DEVELOPING THE NEW COMPANIES THAT
WILL BUILD THE QUANTUM INFORMATION
SCIENCE INDUSTRY.”
FERIDUN HAMDULLAHPUR,
PRESIDENT AND VICE-CHANCELLOR,
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
PUBLISHED BY IQC INSTITUTE FOR QUANTUM COMPUTING COMMUNICATIONS UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO AND STRATEGIC 200 UNIVERSITY AVENUE WEST INITIATIVES WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA N2L 3G1
Tobi Day-Hamilton PHONE: 1-519-888-4021 Kathryn Fedy FAX: 1-519-888-7610 Alex Rollinson Jodi Szimanski EMAIL: [email protected] BUILDING THE QUANTUM VALLEY
ANNUAL REPORT 2016
6 THE DRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE 28 LEADING THE NEXT AND INNOVATION QUANTUM REVOLUTION
6 OUR VISION 28 THE SCIENTIFIC LEADERS
7 CORE AREAS OF RESEARCH OF TOMORROW
9 A MESSAGE FROM THE 29 COURSES
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR 29 GRADUATE STUDENTS
10 A MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR 30 POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
11 A MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF 31 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 32 IQC ALUMNI
33 A STREAM OF IDEAS 12 A MAGNET FOR THE WORLD’S BEST 34 IQC TO THE WORLD; THE WORLD TO IQC 12 IQC RESEARCH GROUPS
13 FACULTY
14 ATTRACTING WORLD-CLASS PEOPLE 34 SCIENTIFIC OUTREACH
15 POWERED BY PEOPLE 36 CELEBRATING LIGHT
16 AFFILIATES AND ASSOCIATES 39 UNDERGRADUATE SCHOOL
17 VISITORS ON EXPERIMENTAL QUANTUM
INFORMATION PROCESSING WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH 20 40 QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY
SCHOOL FOR YOUNG STUDENTS
20 FROM THEORY TO EXPERIMENT THE YEAR IN REVIEW 22 THE QUANTUM NEUTRON 42
24 PUTTING THEORY TO THE TEST
ONE PHOTON AT A TIME 42 IQC BY THE NUMBERS
26 THE TURBULENCE EFFECT 44 ENABLING QUANTUM RESEARCH
27 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE 45 IQC GOVERNANCE
47 A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT,
UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO THE DRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION
THE DRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION AT THE INSTITUTE FOR QUANTUM COMPUTING
OUR VISION
HARNESSING QUANTUM MECHANICS WILL LEAD TO TRANSFORMATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES
THAT WILL BENEFIT SOCIETY AND BECOME A NEW ENGINE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
IN THE 21 st CENTURY.
6 OUR MISSION STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES
TO DEVELOP AND ADVANCE 1. TO ESTABLISH WATERLOO AS A WORLD-CLASS
QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE CENTRE FOR RESEARCH IN QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES
AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE AND THEIR APPLICATIONS.
HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL LEVEL 2. BECOME A MAGNET FOR HIGHLY QUALIFIED PERSONNEL THROUGH THE COLLABORATION IN THE FIELD OF QUANTUM INFORMATION. OF COMPUTER SCIENTISTS,
ENGINEERS, MATHEMATICIANS 3. TO BE A PRIME SOURCE OF INSIGHT, ANALYSIS AND
AND PHYSICAL SCIENTISTS. COMMENTARY ON QUANTUM INFORMATION.
CORE RESEARCH AREAS
QUANTUM QUANTUM QUANTUM QUANTUM COMPUTING COMMUNICATION SENSING MATERIALS
Exploring quantum Developing ultra- Using the laws of Engineering materials information, using secure communication quantum mechanics to that exhibit quantum atoms, molecules and channels, low-noise develop new sensors properties for robust particles of light to transmission protocols with exponential quantum information create new bits of and satellite-based precision, sensitivity, processors and information – qubits – global networks by selectivity and other devices. instead of electrical harnessing the power of efficiencies. circuit elements to the quantum world. create 0s and 1s for computing.
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 7 THE DRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION
8 GROWING A QUANTUM INDUSTRY
MESSAGE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
FOURTEEN YEARS AGO A SEED WAS PLANTED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO. WHAT STARTED
AS A VISION TO TRANSFORM FUNDAMENTAL DISCOVERIES INTO PRACTICAL TECHNOLOGIES, THE
INSTITUTE FOR QUANTUM COMPUTING (IQC) HAS GROWN AND FLOURISHED INTO THE ROBUST,
VIBRANT SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY IT IS TODAY.
Our research is strongly The University of Waterloo As we move into our 15th year, rooted in fundamental science. provides catalytic support I reflect on how far we’ve come. Nourished by the Quantum through its entrepreneurial I can’t help but look ahead with Valley ecosystem in Waterloo environment and strategic anticipation for what discoveries region, our researchers are academic and industry are next. Our extraordinary translating quantum information partnerships needed to move people will continue seeding concepts into real world research advances from the lab the way for the next quantum applications with widespread, to the market. The philanthropic revolution. Thank you to all the societal impact. We are growing support of Mike and Ophelia individuals and organizations a research industry here that Lazaridis along with generous whose support allows IQC takes the collaboration and the federal and provincial funding to proudly lead the growing contribution of many brilliant makes this possible. Canada’s quantum technology industry. minds. I am proud to see the Quantum Valley vision is a progress our faculty members, reality here in Waterloo; Raymond Laflamme postdoctoral fellows, students, it is an exciting time at IQC. Executive Director associates and affiliates are Institute for Quantum Computing making in the field. University of Waterloo
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 9 THE DRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE AND INNOVATION
AS THE WORLD READIES FOR THE SECOND QUANTUM REVOLUTION, IQC AND ITS PARTNERS IN THE QUANTUM VALLEY PREPARE TO PLAY A LEADERSHIP ROLE
MESSAGE FROM THE BOARD CHAIR
It has been a great year for the advancement of The Magnetic Field Lab will be strategically situated physics and an exciting year in the Quantum Valley. beside the Quiet Labs and will enable IQC researchers’ ready access to tools that previously could only be Around the world, we continue to see large scale accessed by booking appointments at a few US investment from governments, research facilities and National Labs. many of the largest technology companies toward the advancement of physics and the development of new IQC is the result of a strong and longstanding public quantum technologies. private partnership with the Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario who have been fundamental In May of this year, Europe announced a new $1 billion partners and investors in IQC since its inception. There euro Flagship program focused on elevating their is no question that the development of quantum quantum technology effort. The following is a quote technologies and the commercialization of these from their “Quantum Manifesto”: technologies in Canada is a national priority. I want to thank both government partners for their continued “[T]he second quantum revolution [is] investment and support for IQC and the Quantum Valley. now unfolding worldwide, bringing In particular, I want to acknowledge the $76 million transformative advances to science, award to IQC as part of the federal government “Canada industry and society. It will create new First Research Excellence Fund”. I have no doubt that commercial opportunities addressing global the research capability and resources represented by this challenges, provide strategic capabilities CFREF funding will bring IQC, the Quantum Valley and Canada a major step closer to establishing ourselves as a for security and seed as yet unimagined global leader in the Second Quantum Revolution. capabilities for the future.” These things don’t just happen. I want to acknowledge the efforts and the contributions by our Founding IQC The US Government seems to share this view on the Director, Raymond Laflamme and that of IQC’s deputy importance of these new quantum technologies as noted director and Principle Investigator for the Transformative in a recent US government report prepared by top US Quantum Technologies CFREF program, David Cory. scientists and science policymakers. I also wanted to acknowledge the leadership of University IQC and its partners in the Quantum Valley continue President, Feridun Hamdullahpur and his team. Finally, to take the necessary steps to enable Waterloo and I want to thank the members of the IQC Board of Canada to play a leadership role in the Second Quantum Directors and the IQC Scientific Advisory Committee Revolution and there have been some very exciting for their efforts in support of IQC. advances at IQC over the past year that deserve mention. The Second Quantum Revolution will change how we Let me start by acknowledging a number of new view and manipulate matter and energy, manufacture researchers from around the world that have chosen new materials, vastly improve simulation and IQC as the place where they will make their contribution measurement, computation and communication, data to this exciting field of discovery. Faculty members storage and data security, medical diagnostics and Vern Paulsen joined IQC in July from the University of medicine and enable advances that would be impossible Houston; William Slofstra moved from University of with even the best classical technologies. California, Davis to Waterloo in August; Wei Tsen joined The Second Quantum Revolution promises to create IQC from Columbia University in January; and Na Young whole new industrial super cycles on the order of Kim joined IQC from Apple and Stanford University. the industrial and information revolutions of the past Also, we continue to ensure that IQC researchers have century and the University of Waterloo’s investments access to state-of-the-art labs and equipment including and strategic focus in Quantum Information Science and a growing number of cutting edge tools and equipment Technology will ensure that Canada, its industry and its that have been invented by IQC researchers. In that citizens will benefit. regard, I am pleased to advise on the completion of Sincerely, the new “Quiet Labs” at the RAC2 facility on the North Campus of the University of Waterloo. The acoustics and vibrations ratings for these labs are so low that Mike Lazaridis, OC, OOnt, FRS, FRSC they are less than the lowest ratings published by NIST Chair, Board of Directors and we believe that these labs are the “quietist” of their Institute for Quantum Computing kind in the world. We also have started to build the University of Waterloo Magnetic Field Lab complete with a 20 Tesla magnet.
10 BUILDING ON A FOUNDATION OF EXCELLENCE
MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
BUILDING THE QUANTUM VALLEY
THE BREADTH AND QUALITY OF IQC’S RESEARCH
INFRASTRUCTURE ALLOWS QUANTUM INFORMATION
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY ADVANCEMENT AT THE
HIGHEST INTERNATIONAL LEVEL. RESEARCHERS AT IQC
COLLABORATE TO HARNESS THE QUANTUM WORLD,
REVOLUTIONIZE TECHNOLOGY AND DRIVE FUTURE
ECONOMIES. FUNDAMENTAL IDEAS ARE MOVING FROM THE
WHITEBOARD INTO THE LAB FOR TESTING, EMERGING AS
Mike Lazaridis had a vision. He saw NEW APPLICATIONS AND ENTERING THE MARKET. quantum information science as a budding area of research and recognized the need to transform fundamental Ultra-powerful computers, unbreakable cryptography, quantum discoveries into practical technologies devices, new materials and nanotechnologies of unprecedented with beneficial impact for our world. efficiencies are some of the discoveries being pioneered at IQC. He chose the University of Waterloo to Together, we are leading the next quantum revolution. set down the roots for the Institute for Quantum Computing, a collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment, We are building the Quantum Valley. to make his vision a reality.
Fourteen years later, IQC is a fundamental part of Waterloo’s transformational research plan and its research is leading in an international community of quantum information science and technology research. Over the next five years, IQC’s strengths will help propel Waterloo towards a single goal: to be recognized as one of the top innovation universities in the world.
Charting this course is made possible by the collaboration and dedication of many. Thank you to the Faculties of Engineering, Mathematics and Science for your dedication to IQC. Thank you to the fellow members of the executive committee for your expertise and guidance. And thank you, Mike Lazaridis, for your bold, ambitious vision and recognizing the University of Waterloo as the right place to make it happen.
Together, we will build the University of Waterloo as one of the top innovation universities in the world.
George Dixon Chair, IQC Executive Committee Vice-President, University Research University of Waterloo
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 11 A MAGNET FOR THE WORLD’S BEST
IQC RESEARCH GROUPS
COHERENT SPINTRONICS GROUP QUANTUM INFORMATION AND Jonathan Baugh COMPUTATION THEORY GROUP Richard Cleve
ENGINEERED QUANTUM Joseph Emerson SYSTEMS LAB Raymond Laflamme Christopher Wilson Debbie Leung Michele Mosca FUNCTIONAL QUANTUM MATERIALS Ashwin Nayak Guo-Xing Miao Vern Paulsen John Watrous LABORATORY FOR DIGITAL
QUANTUM MATTER QUANTUM MATERIALS AND Matteo Mariantoni DEVICES LAB Wei Tsen LABORATORY OF ULTRACOLD
QUANTUM MATTER AND LIGHT QUANTUM OPTICS AND QUANTUM Kyung Choi INFORMATION LAB Kevin Resch MATHEMATICS OF QUANTUM
INFORMATION QUANTUM PHOTONIC DEVICES LAB William Sloftsra Michael Reimer
NANO-PHOTONICS AND QUANTUM QUANTUM PHOTONICS LAB OPTICS LAB Thomas Jennewein Michal Bajcsy
QUANTUM PROCESSORS LAB NANOSCALE MAGNETIC RESONANCE David Cory IMAGING LAB Raffi Budakian QUANTUM-SAFE CRYPTOGRAPHY GROUP QUANTUM CONTROL AND Michele Mosca ERROR CORRECTION Raymond Laflamme QUANTUM SOFTWARE GROUP Michele Mosca OPTICAL QUANTUM COMMUNICATION THEORY GROUP Norbert Lütkenhaus RELATIVISTIC QUANTUM INFORMATION GROUP Eduardo Martín-Martínez QUANTUM HACKING LAB Vadim Makarov SUPERCONDUCTING QUANTUM DEVICES GROUP QUANTUM INNOVATION (QUIN) LAB Adrian Lupascu Na Young Kim
12 FACULTY
Research at IQC is fundamentally interdisciplinary, spanning theory and experiment to pursue every avenue of quantum information science. IQC fosters collaborations across the sciences and across borders. Our researchers are appointed to both IQC and one of seven departments across three faculties at the University of Waterloo: Applied Mathematics, Combinatorics and Optimization, Computer Science or Pure Mathematics in the Faculty of Mathematics; Chemistry or Physics and Astronomy in the Faculty of Science; and Electrical and Computer Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering.
FACULTY
Michal Bajcsy Jonathan Baugh Raffi Budakian Andrew Childs Kyung Soo Choi Richard Cleve Electrical and Computer Chemistry Physics and Combinatorics Physics and School of Computer Engineering IQC member since Astronomy and Optimization Astronomy Science IQC member since 2007 IQC member since IQC member since IQC member since IQC member since 2014 2014 2007 2014 2004
David Cory Joseph Emerson Thomas Jennewein Na Young Kim Raymond Laflamme Debbie Leung Chemistry Applied Physics and Electrical and Physics and Astronomy Combinatorics IQC member since Mathematics Astronomy Computer Engineering IQC member since and Optimization 2010 IQC member since IQC member since IQC member since 2002 IQC member since 2005 2009 2016 2005
Adrian Lupaşcu Norbert Lütkenhaus Matteo Mariantoni Guo-Xing Miao Michele Mosca Ashwin Nayak Physics and Physics and Physics and Electrical and Combinatorics Combinatorics Astronomy Astronomy Astronomy Computer Engineering and Optimization and Optimization IQC member since IQC member since IQC member since IQC member since IQC member since IQC member since 2009 2006 2012 2011 2002 2002
Vern Paulsen Michael Reimer Kevin Resch Wei Tsen John Watrous Christopher Wilson Pure Mathematics Electrical and Computer Physics and Chemistry School of Computer Electrical and IQC member since Engineering Astronomy IQC member since Science Computer Engineering 2015 IQC member since IQC member since 2016 IQC member since IQC member since 2015 2006 2006 2012
RESEARCH ASSISTANT PROFESSORS
Vadim Makarov Eduardo Dmitry Pushin William Slofstra Physics and Martín-Martínez Physics and Astronomy IQC Astronomy Applied Mathematics IQC member since IQC member since IQC member since IQC member since 2010 2015 2012 2014
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 13 A MAGNET FOR THE WORLD’S BEST
ATTRACTING WORLD-CLASS PEOPLE
NA YOUNG KIM VERN PAULSEN
NA YOUNG KIM leads the VERN PAULSEN joined the Quantum Innovation (QuIN) University of Waterloo as a laboratory, aiming to professor in the Faculty of build large-scale quantum Mathematics and as a faculty processors based on novel member of IQC in July materials and advanced technologies. 2015. He received his PhD in Mathematics from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Prior to joining IQC in March 2016, Kim was Prior to joining IQC, Paulsen was a John and at Apple Inc., working on the development of Rebecca Moores professor at the University small display products. She received a BSc of Houston. in Physics from Seoul National University and pursued her graduate studies exploring Paulsen’s mathematical research explores mesoscopic transport properties in low- quantum information theory. He has been dimensional nanostructures in the Department involved in Quantum Information Technology of Applied Physics at Stanford University. (QIT) programmes at Sweden’s Mittag-Leffler During her postgraduate research, she Institute and Cambridge’s Isaac Newton expanded her scope to the fields of quantum Institute. His research has resulted in over optics and nanophotonics, working on several 100 research articles. He has written four experimental and theoretical projects. She graduate level textbooks in mathematics and attended the Quantum Innovators workshop won several teaching awards. at IQC in 2014.
WEI TSEN WILLIAM SLOFSTRA
WEI TSEN completed his WILLIAM SLOFSTRA received PhD in Applied Physics at his PhD in Mathematics from Cornell University under the University of California, the guidance of Jiwoong Berkeley in 2011. After Park. He then joined spending part of 2012 at the the Department of Physics at Columbia University of British Columbia as a Research University as a postdoctoral associate with Associate, Slofstra returned to California ABHAY PASUPATHY and PHILIP KIM, where he as the Krener Assistant Professor at the studied atomically thin quantum materials University of California, Davis. Slofstra moved and incorporated them in nanoscale to the University of Waterloo in August 2015 electronic devices. as a Research Assistant Professor at IQC.
Tsen has continued to explore these His research interests have focused materials and develop novel quantum on algebra, specifically in Lie theory/ devices based on their exotic properties. representation theory, Schubert calculus and After attending Quantum Innovators in connected areas, as well as non-local games. 2015, he joined IQC and the Department of Chemistry at the University of Waterloo as an assistant professor in January 2016.
14 POWERED BY PEOPLE
A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH WITH GLOBAL REACH
COLLABORATION IS A CATALYST FOR DISCOVERY. IQC RESEARCHERS WORK CLOSELY WITH PEERS FROM
AROUND THE GLOBE. IQC’S INTERNATIONAL NETWORK CONTINUES TO EXPAND, MAKING CONNECTIONS
AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE LAYING THE GROUNDWORK FOR EXCITING FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS.
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS EXCHANGE
IQC has signed nine official The University of Waterloo supports IN 2015-2016, agreements to facilitate exchange opportunities for IQC IQC RESEARCHERS: collaborative research projects, students, postdoctoral fellows joint research and the pursuit of and researchers that promote the common scientific interests: advancement of education and research in quantum information processing COLLABORATED INSTITUT NATIONAL DE LA through a student exchange agreement with 485 researchers RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE with the following institutions: from 108 institutions in Quebec 26 countries
PARTICIPATED INSTITUT TRANSDISCIPLINAIRE UNIVERSITÄT INNSBRUCK D’INFORMATION QUANTIQUE Austria in 140 external Quebec conferences
ÉCOLE NORMALE SUPÉRIEURE WELCOMED TSINGHUA UNIVERSITY DE LYON scientific visitors China France 157 from 94 leading
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND UNIVERSITÉ PARIS DIDEROT institutions and 360 TECHNOLOGY OF CHINA France conference attendees China to exchange ideas and
FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER- research in quantum RAMAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE UNIVERSITÄT ERLANGEN-NÜRNBERG information. India Germany
TECHNION – ISRAEL INSTITUTE UNIVERSITÄT DES SAARLANDES OF TECHNOLOGY Germany Israel
UNIVERSITY OF LATVIA KOREA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE Latvia AND TECHNOLOGY
Korea DELFT TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY The Netherlands DELFT TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
The Netherlands NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE CENTRE FOR QUANTUM Singapore TECHNOLOGIES Singapore
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 15 A MAGNET FOR THE WORLD’S BEST
AFFILIATES AND ASSOCIATES
AN INTERDISCIPLINARY UNDERSTANDING THE APPROACH QUANTUM WORLD
IQC affiliate and associate BEI ZENG’s theoretical “Designing a quantum computer provides a means research aims to construct a class of quantum-error to explore deeper aspects of quantum theory,” says correcting codes to achieve reliable transmission SHOHINI GHOSE, IQC affiliate and Professor in the and processing of quantum information by a Department of Physics and Computer Science at quantum computer. With degrees in both physics Wilfrid Laurier University. “Achieving the realization and mathematics from Tsinghua University and the of a quantum computer would also mean a better Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Zeng understanding of the quantum world.” values an interdisciplinary approach to quantum When Ghose joined Laurier in 2005, she saw IQC as a information research: “In this field, one person cannot nearby hub for quantum research. She was appointed be an expert in everything; collaboration is a useful tool.” an affiliate member at IQC and an adjunct professor Zeng first joined IQC in 2009 as a postdoctoral in the University of Waterloo’s Department of Physics fellow, working with supervisors ASHWIN NAYAK and and Astronomy. Ghose co-supervises IQC PhD JOHN WATROUS. Now an associate professor in the student MEENU KUMARI, who is working on a joint Department of Mathematics and Statistics at the project with Research Assistant Professor EDUARDO University of Guelph, Zeng’s affiliation with IQC keeps MARTÍN-MARTÍNEZ and IQC associate ACHIM KEMPF. her connected to the institute and the channels open “Discussing quantum information science with other for collaborative research. She has explored quantum researchers leads to new ideas; this is how research cryptography with NORBERT LÜTKENHAUS and bridged progresses,” Ghose said. Her research in quantum theoretical concepts for experimental testing with information science focuses on quantum chaos and RAYMOND LAFLAMME and KEVIN RESCH. multi-partite entanglement. She is investigating how Currently, Zeng is working on the first-of-its-kind to use entanglement as a resource for quantum textbook that introduces the application of quantum information, in particular for controlled teleportation information science to the study of condensed matter and large-scale network entanglement that could physics. The textbook is a collaboration with researchers lead to the development of a quantum internet. from the California Institute of Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It will be published as part of a Quantum Science and Technology book series with Springer.
WOMEN IN PHYSICS
When Ghose faces a research challenge, she considers established evidence, finds required expertise and then proceeds with a clear plan of attack. She approaches the under-representation and participation of women in physics and science research fields the same way. As founding Director of the Centre for Women in Science at Wilfrid Laurier University, Ghose is building “a strong community for women in science through research, communication and action.”
16 ACADEMIC & SCIENTIFIC VISITORS
APRIL 1, 2015 TO MARCH 31, 2016
Scott Aaronson, Nai-Hui Chia, Mary Hockaday, Junan Lin, William Paul, Christoph Simon, Massachusetts Institute Pennsylvania State Los Alamos National McGill University IBM Research University of Calgary of Technology University Laboratory Jorma Louko, Mark Paulsen, Ajit Singh, Alvaro Martin Shen Chiu, Andreas Hülsing, University of Nottingham Canadian Imperial Bank Indian National Science Alhambra, University Government of Canada Eindhoven University of Xiaodong Ma, of Commerce Academy College London Franklin Cho, Technology University of Science and Corsin Pfister, Urbasi Sinha, Dimitrios Antsos, University of Southern K. Rajibul Islam, Technology Centre for Quantum Raman Research Institute National Aeronautics and California Massachusetts Institute of Dirk van der Marel, Technologies Daniel Terno, Space Administration Jerry Chow, Technology University of Geneva Marco Piani, Macquarie University Headquarters IBM Research Nitin Jain, John Martinis, University of Strathclyde, Wei Tsen, Bhashyam Balaji, Ethan Clements, Northwestern University University of California, Glasgow Columbia University Government of Canada Miami University Hamid Javadi, Santa Barbara Michele Piscitelli, Mukund Vengalattore, Jean-Daniel Bancal, Xingshan Cui, National Aeronautics and Serge Massar, Royal Holloway, University Cornell University University of Michigan University of California, Space Administration Université libre de of London Headquarters Sebastian Verschoor, Ben Baragiola, Santa Barbara Bruxelles Liam Pleven, Eindhoven University of University of New Mexico Anthony Damini, Stacey Jeffery, Christian Mastromattei, The Wall Street Journal Technology Howard Barnum, Government of Canada California Institute of Queen’s University Britton Plourde, Technology Cameron Vickers, University of New Mexico Tal David, Matthew McKague, University of Syracuse University of Connecticut Tim J. Bartley, Defence Research and Sajeev John, University of Otago Marzio Pozzuoli, University of Toronto Saeqa Vrtilek, National Institute of Development, Israel Igor Mekhov, Ryerson University Harvard University Standards and Ying Dong, Archana Kamal, University of Oxford Kathy Prestridge, Technology Massachusetts Institute of Frank Wilhelm-Mauch, Hangzhou Normal Piotr Migdal, Los Alamos National Saarland Univeristy Stefi Baum, University Technology Laboratory The Institute of Photonic Aye Lu Win, University of Manitoba Helen Fay Dowker, Phil Kaye, Sciences Hao Qin, Government of Canada Old Dominion University, Stefanie Beale, Imperial College London Carl Miller, Télécom ParisTech USA Acadia University Chris Erven, Viv Kendon, University of Michigan Sadegh Raeisi, Joint Quantum Centre Erik Woodhead, Shalev Ben-David, University of Bristol Rajat Mittal, Friedrich-Alexander The Institute of Photonic Massachusetts Institute Chris Ferrie, Nathan Killoran, Indian Institute of Universität Erlangen- Sciences of Technology Ulm University Nürnberg The University of Sydney Technology, Kanpar Xingyao Wu, Mario Berta, Karsten Flensberg, Na Young Kim, András Molnár, Cosmic Raj, University of Michigan California Institute of Niels Bohr Institute, Stanford University Max Planck Institute of Tata Institute of Technology Fundamental Research Ben Yager, University of Piotr Kolenderski, Quantum Optics Royal Holloway, University Jean-François Biasse, Copehnhagen Nicolaus Copernicus Christopher Monroe, Bertrand Reulet, of London University of South Fabian Furrer, University University of Maryland Universié de Sherbrooke Florida Dong Yang, NTT Basic Research Robin Kothari, Dana Moshkovitz, Pablo Rodriguez- University of Barcelona Immanuel Bloch, Laboratories Massachusetts Institute of López, Laboratoire de Massachusetts Institute of Badri Younes, Max Planck Institute Dorian Gangloff, Technology Technology Physique Théorique et of Quantum Optics Modèles Statistiques National Aeronautics and Massachusetts Institute of Aleksander Kubica, Yasunobu Nakamura, Space Administration Boris Braverman, Technology California Institute of University of Tokyo Joseph Salfi, Headquarters Massachusetts Institute Ankit Garg, Technology University of New South of Technology Matthieu Nannini, Wales Nan Yu, Princeton University Paul Kwiat, McGill University National Aeronautics and Harry Buhrman, University of Illinois at Valerio Scarani, Barry Geldzahler, Tracy Northup, Space Administration University of Amsterdam National Aeronautics and Urbana-Champaign Centre for Quantum Headquarters University of Innsbruck Technologies Brandon Buonacorsi, Space Administration Catherine Laflamme, Anton Zeilinger, University of California, Headquarters University of Innsbruck Ibrahim Nsanzineza, Crystal Senko, Syracuse University University of Vienna Davis Sevag Gharibian, Eric Larson, Harvard University Gerardo Ortiz, Heping Zeng, Tommaso Calarco, University of California, University of Michigan Pascale Sevigny, East China Normal Ulm University Berkeley Indiana University Government of Canada Minsoo Lee, Bloomington University Edward Chen, Goh Koon Tong, Korea Institute of Science Si-Hui Tan, Jingfu Zhang, Massachusetts Institute Centre for Quantum and Technology Juliana Park, Singapore University of Seoul National University Technische Universität of Technology Technologies Gaby Lenhart, Technology and Design Dortmund Lily Chen, Chris Granade, European Hakop Pashayan, Jamie Sikora, National Institute of The University of Sydney Telecommunications The University of Sydney Centre for Quantum Standards and Markus Grassl, Standards Institute Raj Patel, Technologies Technology Max Planck Institute for Joshua Levin, Griffith University the Science of Light Boston University
LONG-TERM VISITORS
APRIL 1, 2015 TO MARCH 31, 2016
Vineeth S. Bhaskara, Juan Carlos García Shun Kawakami, Zhengfang Liu, Eric Metodiev, Aarthi Sundaram, Indian Institute of Escartín, Universidad The University of East China Jiaotong Harvard University Centre for Quantum Technology Guwahati de Valladolid To kyo University Dominique Pouliot, Technologies, National Mitchell Brickson, Luis Garay, Linghang Kong, Benjamin Lovitz, University of Illinois at University of Singapore Goshen College Universidad Tsinghua University Bates College Urbana-Champaign Jonathan Lu Cong, Complutense de Tony Leggett, Lyu Ming, Yihui Quek, Vandermause, East China Jiao Tong Madrid University of Illinois at Tsinghua University Massachusetts Institute Dartmouth College University Cheng Guo, Urbana-Champaign Morgan Mastrovich, of Technology Qingping Wu, Matthew Coudron, Tsinghua University, Keren Li, Harvey Mudd College, Fred Shultz, East China Jiaotong Massachusetts Institute University of Tsinghua University Claremont California Wellesley College University Technology Sydney of Technology Fen Liu, Laura Córdova Frederick Strauch, Qian Xue, Emilie Mai Elkiaer, Markos Karasamanis, East China Jiaotong Matte, Pontifical Williams College Qingdao University University of University College University Catholic University of Chan Ho Yoon, Copenhagen London Rio Grande do Sul Columbia University Thomas Kauten, University of Innsbruck
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 17 A MAGNET FOR THE WORLD’S BEST
A ROYAL VISIT
On May 28, the University of Waterloo welcomed the King and Queen of the Netherlands. Their Majesties KING WILLEM-ALEXANDER and QUEEN MÁXIMA signed two memoranda of understanding: the first, with the University of Waterloo and Delft University of Technology, and secondly with the Region of Waterloo and the Brainport Eindhoven Region.
The King and Queen also announced the Liberation Scholarship program in celebration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands during the Second World War. IQC Master’s student MADELAINE LIDDY was among the first of 70 Canadians who received the Liberation Scholarship. Studying under DAVID CORY, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Quantum Information Processing, Liddy is researching Nitrogen-Vacancy (NV) chemical sensors.
18 TOURING QUANTUM VALLEY
AS PART OF THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ENVIRONMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, IQC PLAYS
A CONTRIBUTING ROLE IN WATERLOO REGION’S RICH ECOSYSTEM OF DISCOVERY AND TECHNOLOGY
GROWTH. MOVING INDUSTRY FORWARD HAPPENS BY SHARING FUNDAMENTAL SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERIES;
IQC IS BUILDING PARTNERSHIPS AND SHOWING QUANTUM SCIENCE TO QUANTUM VALLEY VISITORS.
Delegates from Finance Canada came to IQC during a tour of Waterloo BILL MANTEL, Assistant Deputy Minister Region on September 30. At IQC, RICHARD BOTHAM, Assistant from the Ontario Minister of Research Deputy Minister from the Economic and Fiscal Policy Branch along and Innovation and his group visited the with representatives from the Microeconomic Policy Analysis Division Quantum NanoFab and the RAC 2 labs at including SOREN HALVERSON, EVELYN DANCEY and EVA AUDY saw the IQC on October 7. Quantum NanoFab and toured the labs at RAC II.
On January 17, members of the federal government met with IQC members and were given a tour of the facilities. The delegation included the Honourable NAVDEEP BAINS, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, the Honourable BARDISH CHAGGER, Minister of Small Business and Tourism, and MPs RAJ SAINI and MARWAN TABBARA of the Kitchener Centre and Kitchener South-Hespeler districts respectively.
March 2, KIRSTY DUNCAN, Minister of Science and members of the department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED) Canada visited the Quantum NanoFab and researcher KEVIN RESCH’s lab to learn about the research done at IQC.
The Honourable REZA MORIDI, Minister of Research and Innovation and Minister of Training, Colleges, and Universities, visited IQC January 25 to become acquainted with the researchers and their work.
JOHN TORY, Mayor of Toronto, DAVE JAWORSKY, Mayor of Waterloo, and BERRY VRBANOVIC, Mayor of Kitchener toured the labs in the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre on March 23. The visit was part of a larger effort to promote the Toronto-Waterloo ‘innovation corridor’.
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 19 WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH
FROM THEORY TO EXPERIMENT
FACULTY MEMBER NORBERT LÜTKENHAUS MAKES CONNECTIONS BETWEEN ABSTRACT
THEORY AND EXPERIMENTAL IMPLEMENTATION. HE STARTED EXPLORING THEORETICAL
CONCEPTS, THE BASIC LAWS OF PHYSICS AND THE FUNDAMENTAL STRUCTURES OF
QUANTUM MECHANICS, WHILE CONSIDERING WHAT CAN ACTUALLY BE REALIZED IN A LAB
SETTING DURING HIS Ph D RESEARCH AT THE UNIVERSITY OF STRATHCLYDE IN SCOTLAND –
AND HASN’T LOOKED BACK SINCE.
20 TRANSLATING A However, the challenge is to This is another area where QUANTUM ADVANTAGE calculate the theoretical allowed Lütkenhaus is translating theory length of the secret key and the into practical implementation, Now, as a professor at IQC and experimentally observed distance considering current tools and the Department of Physics and for any given protocol. technology. “We look at the heart Astronomy at the University of of the protocol and propose Waterloo, his research focuses on Recently, postdoctoral fellow something simpler for experimental finding advantageous quantum PATRICK COLES, undergraduate implementation, something that will communication protocols. research assistant ERIC METODIEV have the same effect but is more Lütkenhaus and the Optical Quantum and Lütkenhaus developed the first accessible for experimentalists.” Communication Theory Group act available MATLAB software program Using this approach, Lütkenhaus as translators, bridging the gap at to evaluate the security of any QKD and collaborators used laser the interface between a theoretical protocol. The software program pulses, a standard tool in optical computer sciences-based approach completes the security evaluation, communication, in place of to quantum communication and its giving researchers more time for complicated signal structures to physical implementation. exploring new QKD protocols and perform a communication protocol. implementations. They have plans to
TOOLS FOR QUALITY introduce a guide for users – other researchers who will use this tool – FUNDAMENTAL RESEARCH FUELS A pioneer in the field of quantum on how to enter the data using a SOLUTIONS communication, Lütkenhaus has new protocol into the software. Progress is promising, but there’s been studying Quantum Key still more work to do. “It’s important Distribution (QKD) for more than to explore basic research at the two decades. QKD protocols allow TOOLS FOR QUANTITY fundamental level,” said Lütkenhaus. secure communication between two Communication complexity explores “Fundamental research will not parties, Alice and Bob, who establish certain problems where using quantum happen on its own, we need to make it a shared secret key by exchanging mechanics provides a quantitative happen. The applications, though, will photons. If an eavesdropper (Eve) advantage – using fewer resources or emerge from fundamental research.” attempts to intercept the key, Alice improving efficiency – compared to and Bob detect the disturbance. If solving the same problem classically. there is no disturbance, the security “There are some communication tasks of their shared key is guaranteed. that show an exponential advantage WEB QKD relies on the properties of theoretically if we use quantum quantum mechanics; this provides a mechanics instead of classical physics, Numerical approach for unstructured quality of advantage over classical which is a very exciting prospect,” quantum key distribution communication methods since the explained Lütkenhaus. “The challenge http://bit.ly/numerical-QKD establishment of keys cannot be is to find an implementation to realize accomplished by classical physics. the advantage.”
THE EVOLUTION OF
Quantum technologies are rapidly evolving. The ability solutions to protect their data and information technology to disrupt traditional cybersecurity methods poses infrastructure from future quantum attacks. “We saw that serious risk to the confidentiality of information. companies were looking for full-package solutions in this
NORBERT LÜTKENHAUS and MICHELE MOSCA saw a space,” said Lütkenhaus. “That is something that we can need for quantum-safe solutions. Their joint expertise offer with our knowledge of the quantum-safe scene.” in Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and conventional He also sees evolutionQ as a landing spot for graduate quantum-safe cryptography is the perfect mix for bringing students and postdoctoral fellows who choose to move quantum-safe cybersecurity solutions into the market. from academia to a career in industry. “We are building a Lütkenhaus and Mosca launched evolutionQ in 2015, a workforce. The need is clearly there and will continue to startup that provides organizations with quantum-safe grow,” notes Lütkenhaus.
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 21 WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH
THE QUANTUM NEUTRON
THE PERFECT CRYSTAL NEUTRON
INTERFEROMETER MEASURES ONLY
10 TO 15 CENTIMETRES IN LENGTH,
BUT IT IS A POWERFUL DEVICE THAT
MEASURES FORCES OF NATURE
SUCH AS GRAVITY, NUCLEAR AND
ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERACTIONS.
NEUTRONS ARE MASSIVE, SUBATOMIC,
ELECTRICALLY NEUTRAL PARTICLES
THAT CARRY SPIN AND HAVE UNIQUE
PENETRATING ABILITIES – PROPERTIES
THAT MAKE NEUTRONS USEFUL FOR
PROBING ALL TYPES OF MATTER.
Research Assistant Professor DMITRY PUSHIN is using neutron interferometry to study quantum information science. His neutron source is a nuclear reactor at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST) Center for Neutron Research (NCNR) in Maryland, United States; one of only two facilities in the world currently working with perfect crystal neutron interferometers.
The source sends a beam of neutrons into the interferometer. The interferometer creates two separate paths that cross and mix at the exit, so the neutron can travel through both paths at the same time. In other words, the neutron’s wavefunction can be described as a coherent superposition of the two interferometer paths, which allows neutrons to self- interfere and reveals a measureable quantum phase due to the neutron’s interaction with forces and materials.
“Neutrons are a unique tool,” said Pushin. “We are using neutrons and neutron interferometry to develop new technologies, study new materials and improve our understanding of the world.”
22 BUILDING A RESEARCH DEVICE PROBING FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE
Initially, the sensitivity of the Quantum theory is the focus of interferometer required a massive a second collaboration with IQC vibration isolation system to faculty member JOSEPH EMERSON. prevent interference from any kind Neutrons can probe fundamental of environmental disturbances, aspects of quantum mechanics, including passers-by and even subtle deepening our understanding of the temperature changes. Using quantum universe. Pushin is using neutron algorithms, Pushin proposed a new interferometry to test the linearity design to make the interferometer of quantum mechanics. Similar less sensitive to vibrations. Now, the experiments have been conducted improved decoherence-free subspace using photons; neutrons offer a new neutron interferometer sits on a method of measurement that is not standard optical table and is closer limited by the same type of errors. to the neutron source, increasing the number of neutrons that flow into the TALKING THE SAME LANGUAGE SEARCHING device at once, called the neutron flux. Pushin’s collaborations span across FOR NEUTRINOS:
different fields of physics, from ADVANCING TECHNOLOGY FOR EXPLORING MATERIALS fundamental to applied research. FUNDAMENTAL DISCOVERIES Recently, Pushin led an experiment “We may be using different research to test the concept of controlling tools, but we are using the same neutron orbital angular momentum language to communicate. We see (OAM). This control of OAM can reveal the same effect described by a DMITRY PUSHIN is one of 68 magnetic properties of materials, mathematical language,” Pushin said. scientists and engineers from as well as provide a more sensitive “It’s the same physics, same language, 10 universities and four national probe of superconducting and but with a completely different laboratories collaborating to build chiral materials. experimental setup.” a first-of-its-kind, short detection The quantum control of neutrons Tools for neutron interferometry device for the Precision Oscillation is also promising for the study and research are about to become and Spectrum Experiment engineering of quantum materials. more accessible. Pushin is leading (PROSPECT), a project funded IQC faculty member GUO-XING MIAO is the experiments at a new neutron by a $3 million grant from the U.S. developing new topological insulator interferometry beam line at NCNR. Department of Energy. materials for quantum information Pushin is excited about future research The detection instrument will processing. Pushin is working with possibilities: “Opening this facility for have unparalleled sensitivity to Miao to use interferometry techniques researchers and companies will open the study the energy distribution of to characterize and improve the doors to novel neutron interferometry neutrinos, subatomic particles that quantum stability of new materials research and applications.” move through the universe with that Miao is growing in his lab. almost no mass and no electrical charge. Studying the properties and the behaviour of neutrinos may unlock the answers to fundamental WEB Controlling neutron orbital angular momentum questions about the nature of http://bit.ly/neutron-oam matter in the universe.
BUILDING NEXT GENERATION DEVICES
NEUTRON OPTICS BUILDS COMPONENTS FOR NEXT GENERATION NEUTRON DEVICES FOR MATERIAL STUDIES. IN PARTICULAR, IT PROVIDES COMPONENTS FOR NEUTRON INTERFEROMETRY.
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 23 WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH
PUTTING THEORY TO THE TEST ONE PHOTON AT A TIME
SEEING IS BELIEVING FOR IQC AND DEPARTMENT OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY
FACULTY MEMBER KEVIN RESCH, DEPUTY DIRECTOR, ACADEMIC. HIS NATURAL
CURIOSITY ABOUT INTERACTIONS BETWEEN LIGHT AND MATTER AT THE QUANTUM
LEVEL DREW HIM TOWARDS EXPERIMENTAL RESEARCH IN QUANTUM OPTICS, THE STUDY
OF LIGHT PHENOMENA THAT CANNOT BE EXPLAINED BY CLASSICAL PHYSICS.
24 TOOLS OF THE TRADE of Waterloo, studies quantum STARTING WITH foundations, exploring the Resch’s lab is outfitted with AN IDEA concepts and mathematics of a collection of tools used for quantum theory. Spekkens, designing and implementing along with PI postdoctoral optics experiments to explore researcher the quantum realm. Most MATTHEW PUSEY and from The experiments begin with a RAVI KUNJWAL Institute of Mathematical laser, either continuous or Sciences, India, lifted the pulsed, depending on the theoretical limitations and particular application. Other proposed an experiment that tools anchored to large could test for noncontexuality, optics tables include: mirrors taking the realities of for directing laser beams; experiment into account. nonlinear optical crystals that create entangled photons or Resch and his research group allow different light beams put the improved theory to to interact; half- and quarter- the test. IQC PhD student wave plates for manipulating MICHAEL MAZUREK constructed photon polarization; sensitive the experimental setup out Often a single conversation is all it takes to detectors for measuring single of single photon emitters and spur an idea. A brief chat at a conference photons; and spectrometers for detectors. “We found a failure in 2012 was the beginning of collaborative characterizing their spectra. of noncontextuality, without research between KEVIN RESCH and BEN experimentally unachievable Investigating the fundamental SUSSMAN, Research Officer at the National theoretical assumptions,” principles of quantum Research Council of Canada (NRC). said Resch. “Violation of mechanics, Resch, Canada Sussman’s research group at NRC was noncontextuality as a witness Research Chair in Optical working with diamond as a type of quantum of quantumness could have Quantum Technologies, uses memory by storing a pulse of light, or a widespread applicability, even these tools to test physical vibration, in a regular diamond lattice. broader than the well-known theories and probe the The first idea was to replace the laser Bell’s inequality violation.” basic ideas of quantum with a single photon source to see if the information science. Determining how the universe photon can be stored and retrieved from is quantum at the fundamental the diamond and maintain its quantum properties. IQC PhD students KENT FISHER DETECTING QUANTUMNESS level helps researchers and JEAN-PHILIPPE MacLEAN built the IN THE LAB understand how quantum photon source for the experiment. The mechanics can be used for Noncontextual models experiment was successful in demonstrating applications such as quantum assume that systems have the storage and retrieval of a photon in the cryptography and quantum definite properties and that diamond quantum memory, promising to be computing. By continuing to two systems that are identical, a possible light-matter interface for quantum make advances in fundamental as far as any experiment could processing applications. research, Resch’s research tell, must have the same set group helps shorten the After bringing the IQC and NRC research of properties. It turns out that lead-time to advances in groups together for the first project, more these seemingly reasonable devices and technologies. ideas hatched and the research continues. assumptions are at odds In a complementary experiment, the with quantum mechanics; researchers showed that once a photon was at least one of the theories WEB driven into the diamond for storage by a must be wrong. laser, retrieving the photon using a second laser tuned to a different frequency changed Until recently, it was not An experimental test of the photon’s colour and bandwidth. feasible to test the concept noncontextuality without “Changing the colour of a stored photon of noncontextuality in a lab unphysical idealizations is useful for frequency or wavelength as the theoretical assumptions http://bit.ly/exp- multiplexing, a technique that is used in did not allow for any noncontextuality communications today,” said Fisher. experimental imperfections. IQC affiliate ROB SPEKKENS, “It’s great to see the research take a natural a faculty member at the direction from our groups working together Perimeter Institute for to solve problems,” said Resch. “Sharing ideas and resources is how research Theoretical Physics (PI) and breakthroughs will happen.” the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 25 WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH
THE TURBULENCE EFFECT
TWINKLING TURBULENCE
The thicker the atmosphere, the more stars appear to twinkle. Air currents flying around in the atmosphere interfere constructively and destructively with beams of starlight, causing the light to reach our eyes at different times. The turbulent interaction between the atmosphere and light creates the twinkling star effect.
Kuntz is simulating atmospheric turbulence in the lab to test the security of QKD protocols. When a laser beam hits a small reflective device called a spatial light modulator (SLM), the SLM imparts a phase shift on the light that simulates a beam travelling through turbulence. Turbulence causes a laser beam to bounce around, similar to the twinkling star effect. AT JUST 15, KATANYA KUNTZ STARTED In collaboration with THOMAS JENNEWEIN and
EXPLORING THE PHYSICS LABS AT THE VADIM MAKAROV, Kuntz is searching for the level of turbulence that will prevent hacking and ensure UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY AND MEETING secure QKD. WEEKLY WITH DAVID FRY, WHO WAS A An eavesdropper, Eve, may try to hack the QKD PROFESSOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF receiver to learn about the secret key being shared. The precise angle Eve needs to send her PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY. THROUGH beam to hack the system may be compromised A DISTANCE-LEARNING CURRICULUM IN by atmospheric turbulence. Turbulence causes a
GRADE 10, SHE TOOK ON INDEPENDENT smearing or scattering effect on the light that inhibits Eve’s ability to hack the communication. PROJECTS TO EXPLORE CONCEPTS “Once we find the bound where the strength of SHE WAS CURIOUS ABOUT. ONE EARLY turbulence makes the receiver unhackable, the next
PROJECT WAS INVESTIGATING THE ZEEMAN step is to test it outside,” said Kuntz. Determining this bound will give QKD users more information EFFECT, CAUSED WHEN AN ATOM IS about the minimum safe zone necessary for safe SUBJECTED TO A MAGNETIC FIELD, WHICH communication. For example, a naval fleet can secure a perimeter around each ship, and know for certain SPLITS ITS SPECTRAL LINES INTO MULTIPLE they can exchange a secret key based on the level COMPONENTS. KUNTZ WAS LEARNING of atmospheric turbulence present.
ABOUT THE QUANTUM MECHANICAL HOOKED ON QUANTUM PHYSICS STRUCTURE OF AN ATOM BEFORE SHE Before the QKD device is ready to test with real HAD EVEN TAKEN A SENIOR LEVEL HIGH world atmospheric turbulence, further simulation is SCHOOL PHYSICS COURSE. required. Kuntz readily takes on this mission, fueled by her passion for physics and continuous learning. Her passion for physics has taken her across the She acknowledges the positive impact that strong world. At the University of New South Wales in scientific role models, including Fry, have had on her Canberra, Australia, Kuntz generated quantum academic career. Kuntz hopes that she can play the resource states for quantum communication as same mentorship role for others. “When I am working part of her PhD thesis. Now as a postdoctoral with a student, I aim to improve their confidence,” said fellow at IQC, Kuntz continues research in Kuntz. “I think we should stop stereotyping physics quantum communication, investigating how and math as hard, and encourage kids to get involved atmospheric turbulence plays a role in secure in science at a young age.” Quantum Key Distribution (QKD).
26 EXPANDING KNOWLEDGE
CHARACTERIZING OPTICAL COATINGS
In an optics lab like Jennewein’s, there is usually a collection of miscellaneous optics, like mirrors and lenses, many with different types of coatings. These filters or anti-reflection coatings alter the way light is transmitted or reflected for particular wavelengths, but they are often missing labels or degrade over time. To characterize the optical coatings in an efficient and reliable manner, Hardie built a useful laboratory tool that performs the task: a light emitting diode (LED)-based spectrophotometer.
A microcontroller that rotates a board with 10 LEDs over an optical sample runs the device. A silicon photodetector measures the light transmitted through each LED, identifying the optical coating of the sample based NATURALLY CURIOUS, KAYLA HARDIE LOVES on the amount of light that gets through. The device LEARNING. UNCOVERING NOVEL IDEAS AND could make an excellent teaching tool in the classroom and is an affordable alternative to commercial-grade UNDERSTANDING HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS spectrophotometers, essential for use in the lab. FASCINATES HER. IT’S ONE OF THE REASONS SHE “Everyday I faced a new learning curve in the lab,” said APPROACHED IQC FACULTY MEMBER THOMAS Hardie. “I was part of the full cycle – from the initial idea,
JENNEWEIN IN HER FIRST YEAR AT UNIVERSITY to building the device, and writing and submitting the paper.” Along with Jennewein, collaborators on the paper FOR A MEANINGFUL WORK EXPERIENCE THAT Inexpensive LED-based spectrophotometer for analyzing WOULD ENHANCE HER ACADEMIC CAREER WHILE optical coatings include PhD student SASCHA AGNE and postdoctoral fellow KATANYA KUNTZ. SEARCHING FOR A PART-TIME JOB. Now entering her third year studying physics at the “He was open-minded about what I could do, even University of Waterloo, Hardie is positive that her future though I was a first-year student,” said Hardie. She will include research in some respect. Her experience at jumped right in as an Undergraduate Research Assistant IQC has prepared her for that. She also wants to keep on working with Jennewein’s research group, which focuses learning. “Expanding my knowledge helps me gain a better on long-distance quantum communication. perspective on life. It’s just about living a fuller life.”
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 27 LEADING THE NEXT QUANTUM REVOLUTION
THE SCIENTIFIC LEADERS OF TOMORROW
QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE HAS THE POTENTIAL TO LEAD TO TRANSFORMATIVE TECHNOLOGICAL
ADVANCEMENTS AND A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHYSICAL WORLD IN WHICH WE EXIST.
THE QUANTUM INFORMATION GRADUATE PROGRAM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO IS PREPARING
TOMORROW’S SCIENTIFIC LEADERS TO NAVIGATE THIS EXCITING NEW ENVIRONMENT.
Cross-disciplinary research and collaborations among Our students are well-positioned to move quantum leading computer scientists, engineers, chemists, information research forward. Through their studies mathematicians and physicists at IQC provide a and achievements, they will fuel the realization of learning environment like no other. Students in the real-world quantum technologies and scientific Quantum Information Graduate Program experience advancements that will benefit our society, reflecting the benefits of this setting, engaging in a study of the commitment of IQC and the University of Waterloo quantum information science through a wide range of to scientific curiosity and a spirit of innovation. advanced courses and research projects. The scope of the program is comprehensive, with complementary John Watrous Quantum Information Graduate Program Director perspectives across three faculties — Engineering, Mathematics and Science — providing the next generation of leaders in quantum information science and technology with training in a broad range of disciplines and methodologies.
28 COURSES
GRADUATE STUDENTS 2015-2016
The University of Waterloo, in collaboration with the Institute for Quantum Computing, offers graduate students unique opportunities to learn Sascha Agne Madelaine Liddy about and engage in world-leading research Arash Ahmadi Piers Lillystone in quantum information through a wide range Shahab Akmal Jie Lin of advanced research projects and advanced Rubayet Al Maruf Li Liu Thomas Alexander Kevin Liu courses on the foundations, applications and Omar Alshehri Xudong Liu implementation of quantum information processing. Matthew Amy Guofei Long Vadiraj Ananthapadmanabha Rao Xingliang (David) Lou Elena Anisimova Benjamin Lovitz FALL 2015 Razieh Annabestani David Luong Juan Miguel Arrazola Xian Ma QIC 710 Golam Bappi Jean-Philippe MacLean Quantum Information Processing Marie Barnhill Christian Mastromattei Eduardo Barrera Ramirez Michael Mazurek QIC 820 Jeremy Bejanin Thomas McConkey Marian Berek Corey Rae McRae Theory of Quantum Information Kristine Boone Evan Meyer-Scott Matthew Brown Maryam Mirkamali QIC 880 Brandon Buonacorsi Mohamad Niknam Nanoelectronics for Quantum Information Arnaud Carignan-Dugas Joachim Nsofini Processing Poompong Chaiwongkhot Jean-Luc Orgiazzi Christopher Chamberland Martin Otto QIC 890 Chung Wai Sandbo Chang Satish Pandey Solid State Photonic Devices Jiahui Chen Alex Parent Paulina Corona Ugalde Kyungdoeck Park QIC 890 Alessandro Cosentino Jihyun Park Modern Quantum Optics and Nanophotonics Hillary Dawkins Helen Percival Chunqing Deng Clifford Plesha Rahul Deshpande Jitendra Prakash WINTER 2016 Olivia Di Matteo Chris Pugh QIC 750 John Donohue Daniel Puzzuoli Carolyn Earnest Hammam Qassim Quantum Information Processing Devices Jennifer Fernick John Rinehart Kent Fisher Nayeli Azucena Rodriguez Briones QIC 885 Jeremy Flannery Romain Ruhlmann Quantum Electronics and Photonics Honghao Fu Dolly Natalia Ruiz Amador Zhiwei Gao Vincent Russo QIC 890 Naimeh Ghafarian Allison Sachs Applied Quantum Cryptography Kaveh Gharavi Shihan Sajeed Nicolas Gonzalez Jeff Salvail QIC 890 Matthew Graydon Yuval Sanders Optical and Atomic Implementation Daniel Grimmer Dusan Sarenac Peter Groszkowski John Schanck QIC 890 Aimee Gunther Behrooz Semnani Relativistic Quantum Information Holger Haas Ala Shayeghi Guiyang Han Feiruo Shen QIC 890 Ian Hincks Sumit Sijher Entanglement and Nonlocality Greg Holloway Nigar Sultana Darryl Hoving Yongchao Tang Anqi Huang Alexander Valtchev SPRING 2016 Vinay Iyer Guillaume Verdon-Akzam David Jepson Dhinakaran Vinayagamurthy PHYS 777 Yuantao Ji Sean Walker Sir Anthony Leggett Lecture Series: Topological Tomas Jochym-O’Connor Zimeng Wang Superconductors Sarah Kaiser Chunhao Wang Shitikanth Kashyap Christopher Warren QIC 890/891 Hemant Katiyar Zak Webb Selected Advanced Topics in Quantum Information Sumeet Khatri Kyle Willick Maria Kieferova Christopher Wood QIC 890 Feyruz Kitapli Yihang Yang Quantum Error Correction and Fault Tolerance Hyeran Kong Joshua Young Anirudh Krishna Muhammet Yurtalan QIC 890 Meenu Kumari Mohd Zeeshan Introduction to Noise Processes David Layden Han Le QIC 891 Lin Li Topics in Quantum-Safe Cryptography
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 29 LEADING THE NEXT QUANTUM REVOLUTION
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS AS OF MARCH 31, 2016
Troy Borneman Vlad Gheorghiu Dawei Lu Dave Touchette Jean-Philippe Bourgoin Sandra Gibson Filippo Miatto Joel Wallman Aharon Brodutch Christopher Haapamaki Taisiya Mineeva Ben Yager Franklin Cho Christopher Herdman Ryo Namiki Huan Yang Patrick Coles Brendon Higgins George Nichols Penghui Yao Joshua Combes Jeongwan Jin Ibrahim Nsanzineza Taehyun Yoon Jason Crann Milad Khoshnegar Geovandro Pereira Nengkun Yu Electra Eleftheriadou Katanya Kuntz Michele Piscitelli Hui Zhang Guanru Feng Sangil Kwon Mahmood Sabooni Yanbao Zhang Pol Forn-Diaz Chang Liu Fang Song Ying Dong Ying Liu Rainer Stohr
IQC GRADUATE STUDENT ASSOCIATION
GRADUATES
CONGRATULATIONS TO
OUR 2015 GRADUATES!
Marie Barnhill MMath Applied Mathematics (Quantum Information)
Jean-Philippe Bourgoin PhD Physics
Chung Wai Sandbo Chang MASc Electrical and Computer Engineering (Quantum Information)
Alessandro Cosentino PhD Computer Science
Chunqing Deng PhD Physics
Olivia Di Matteo MSc Physics (Quantum Information)
The IQC Graduate Student Association (GSA) has Christopher Granade PhD Physics (Quantum Information) always ensured that students maintain the right dose of play to go along with their work, and this Peter Groszkowski PhD Physics year was no different. They started the summer off Yuantao Ji right by firing up the barbeques at the Research MASc Electrical and Computer Engineering
Advancement Centre (RAC) and partaking in some Martin Otto mid-June laser tag. The changing seasons ushered MSc Physics in the fourth annual bowling night, board and video Kyungdeock Park PhD Physics (Quantum Information) games nights and the ultimate October activities — Sadegh Raeisi Halloween costume and door decorating contests. PhD Physics (Quantum Information)
Westmount Golf and Country club helped stave Nayeli Azucena Rodriguez Briones off the winter blues with a curling lesson for the MSc Physics (Quantum Information) grad students, and Master’s student CHRISTOPHER Ala Shayeghi MMath Combinatorics and Optimization helped bring the thaw of spring with WARREN (Quantum Information) his hot chili that won the Spiciest Chili award at Alexander Valtchev the second annual Chilli Cookoff in March, where MMath Computer Science (Quantum Information)
MATTHEW BROWN and KEVIN RESCH both earned Christopher Wood the Chili Champion title. The GSA is looking forward PhD Physics (Quantum Information) to bringing even more fun social activities to graduate students in the year to come.
30 AWARDS AND RECOGNITION
FACULTY AWARDS AND GRANTS
MICHAL BAJCSY RAYMOND LAFLAMME EDUARDO MARTIN-MARTINEZ NSERC Discovery Grant (April 2015) Waterloo-Technion Cooperation Program NSERC Discovery Grant (April 2015) 2014 (May 2015) KYUNG SOO CHOI VERN PAULSEN Canada Research Chair – Tier 1 Early Researcher Award (April 2015) NSERC Discovery Grant (April 2016) (February 2016) NSERC Discovery Grant (April 2014) NSERC Discovery Grant (April 2016) MICHAEL REIMER NSERC Research Tools & Instruments NSERC Discovery Grant (April 2016) (April 2014) DEBBIE LEUNG NSERC Discovery Grant (April 2016) KEVIN RESCH DAVID CORY FQXi Physics of What Happens Fellowship of the Royal Society of Canada ADRIAN LUPASCU (September 2015) (September 2015) NSERC Research Tools & Instruments NSERC Research Tools & Instruments Fellow, American Physical Society (April 2015) (June 2016) (October 2015) Waterloo-Technion Cooperation Program 2014 (May 2015) JOHN WATROUS THOMAS JENNEWEIN 2014 Outstanding Performance Award NSERC Discovery Grant (April 2015) MATTEO MARIANTONI (June 2015) American Physical Society Outreach NSERC General Research Fund Mini-Grant (May 2015) (April 2015)
STUDENT AWARDS
EARNED BY IQC MASTER’S AND Ph D STUDENTS IN THE 2015-16 FISCAL YEAR
Earned by IQC Master’s and PhD students in the 2015-16 fiscal year
CAP-OSAF BORIS MIKE & OPHELIA LAZARIDIS ONTARIO GRADUATE P. STOICHEFF FELLOWSHIP SCHOLARSHIP MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP Abel Molina Kristine Boone Christopher Pugh Sumit Sijher Hillary Dawkins Kent Fisher CANADA GRADUATE NSERC ALEXANDER GRAHAM Sumeet Khatri SCHOLARSHIP MASTER’S BELL CANADA GRADUATE David Layden Olivia Di Matteo SCHOLARSHIP — DOCTORAL Christian Mastromattei Jean-Philippe MacLean Matthew Amy Daniel Puzzuoli Michael Mazurek Olivia Di Matteo Sean Walker Michael Mazurek OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT Chunhao Wang Sean Walker IN GRADUATE STUDIES Chunhao Wang Nayeli Azucena Rodriguez Briones DAVID R. CHERITON GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP NSERC ALEXANDER GRAHAM PRESIDENT’S GRADUATE Dhinakaran Vinayagamurthy BELL CANADA GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP SCHOLARSHIP — MASTER’S Matthew Amy IQC ENTRANCE AWARD Hillary Dawkins Kristine Boone Eduardo Barrera Ramirez Honghao Fu Hillary Dawkins Kristine Boone Sumeet Khatri Kent Fisher Brandon Buonacorsi Sumeet Khatri Jennifer Fernick NSERC POSTDOCTORAL David Layden Hyeran Kong FELLOWSHIP Christian Mastromattei Benjamin Lovitz Kent Fisher Daniel Puzzuoli Clifford Plesha MARIE CURIE GRADUATE Nayeli Azucena Rodriguez Briones QUEEN ELIZABETH II STUDENT AWARD Dhinakaran Vinayagamurthy GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP IN Matthew Brown SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IQC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Christian Mastromattei Matthew Brown Hillary Dawkins NSERC VANIER CANADA IQC DAVID JOHNSTON AWARD GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP FOR SCIENTIFIC OUTREACH Jean-Philippe MacLean Juan Miguel Arrazola Carolyn Earnest Sarah Kaiser
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 31 LEADING THE NEXT QUANTUM REVOLUTION
IQC ALUMNI
KALISTA (KELLY) AUDREY DOT GUS GUTOSKI
ITAKURA POSTDOCTORAL MASTER’S 2006, Ph D
MASTER’S 2005, FELLOW 2014 2009, POSTDOCTORAL
P h D 2010 FELLOW 2016
During her time at IQC, former During her time as a Postdoctoral GUS GUTOSKI is using the skills Master’s of Mathematics student Fellow at IQC, AUDREY DOT was he gained at IQC to develop KALISTA (KELLY) ITAKURA focused using four-wave mixing in optical quantum-safe security for on creating a quantum algorithm fibre to convert a single photon conventional computing systems for testing the commutativity of into a pair of photons. Dot, along at ISARA, a Waterloo-based matrices under supervisor ASHWIN with her supervisor THOMAS company founded in 2015. NAYAK. She earned her PhD in JENNEWEIN, PhD student EVAN While earning his Master’s and Computer Science, focusing on MEYER-SCOTT and colleagues PhD degrees at IQC, Gutoski Artificial Intelligence (AI) and at McGill University, Montreal, studied quantum computational Information Retrieval at the sent a single photon through complexity theory and the University of Waterloo. the optical fibre with a strong mathematical foundations of pump beam to produce a pair of quantum information. During his Itakura acknowledges that her photons with increased efficiency time as a postdoctoral fellow, time at IQC helped her prepare compared to previous methods. he gradually shifted focus to for her current position as a risk Dot then brought her knowledge quantum cryptography. manager at Scotiabank in Toronto, and research skills to the smart where she generates and oversees “At IQC, I acquired a level of thermostat company Qivivo, counterparty credit risk measures academic maturity that made it where she worked on machine used by the trading desk. In the easy to identify and transfer the learning algorithms as a future, she hopes that quantum relevant skills and knowledge Physicist Engineer. information science will allow I already possessed and to for the creation of a practical Now she is at the Alternative identify and acquire the new skills quantum trading system so that Energies and Atomic Energy and knowledge necessary for she can start her own quantum AI Commission (CEA) in France, an quantum-resistant cryptography,” trading company. industrial research centre. She he said. This foundation eased is working on 3D time-resolved his transition to ISARA where In the meantime, Itakura continues diffused optical tomographic he evaluates and improves to pursue goals in her professional reconstruction for medical cryptographic algorithms. He is modelling and acting career, which applications, a process used to excited to investigate his ideas includes making an appearance model organs like the heart in about improving lattice-based on the television comedy The order to find problems such as signature schemes in the Big Bang Theory. Itakura has tumours and occlusions quickly near future. previously acted on NBC’s Heroes and without intrusion. Reborn and was featured in a GO Transit marketing campaign. Her Erdős–Bacon number is seven.
32 A STREAM OF IDEAS
IT ALL BEGINS WITH AN IDEA.
The world of research is the domain of ideas, where One example is ISARA Corporation, a startup founded theories are developed, flowing downstream for in 2015 by SCOTT TOTZKE and MIKE BROWN. ISARA is experimental testing and refinement. Often, fundamental designing commercial cryptographic solutions to protect research flows back upstream into the domain of ideas, computers and networks against attacks by quantum to enhance and deepen our understanding of how the computers capable of comprising public-key cryptography. universe works. Other ideas keep flowing downstream, IQC alumni, GUS GUTOSKI and KASSEM KALACH, are two of moving through proof of concept, prototyping and then 19 full-time employees working towards ISARA’s mission to eventually to the domain of services, products and tangible raise awareness of and build solutions to protect systems goods where value accumulates. against quantum threats. “There is an industry need to “It takes about seven to eight years for an emerging turn this research into marketable applications. ISARA was technology to evolve into something that is commercially created as a landing zone for quantum-safe cryptography tangible,” noted MARK PECEN, CEO of Approach Affinity research and researchers emerging from IQC,” said Pecen, Inc. and Entrepreneur-in-Residence at IQC. “Value increases who is also on board as ISARA’s Chief Operating Officer. downstream, so our objective is to move the outputs of an IQC and Canada are positioned to lead the quantum institute such as IQC to a broader community where value cryptography industry. “We have the right ingredients creation downstream is more likely.” here and need to apply the right recipes through At IQC, Pecen helps aspiring entrepreneurs move their standardization,” said Pecen. “The ideas are here. Investing ideas downstream. Building strong connections between in people is the right way to grow an organization like this. research and industry also facilitates the downstream flow IQC is one of the places of the future for Canada.” of technologies to the market. Technologies based on research at IQC are already flowing.
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 33 IQC TO THE WORLD; THE WORLD TO IQC
SCIENTIFIC OUTREACH
RECOGNIZING COMMUNITY OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT
CONGRATULATIONS TO JUAN MIGUEL ARRAZOLA AND CAROLYN EARNEST, RECIPIENTS OF THE
2015 IQC DAVID JOHNSTON AWARD FOR SCIENTIFIC OUTREACH. THIS AWARD WAS CREATED
IN HONOUR OF HIS EXCELLENCY DAVID JOHNSTON, GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA, FOR
HIS PASSION, LEADERSHIP AND ENTHUSIASM FOR CONTINUOUS LEARNING, INNOVATION AND
ACHIEVEMENT. JOHNSTON WAS PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO FROM 1999 TO
2010. THE AWARD RECOGNIZES STUDENTS WHO HAVE SHOWN AN OUTSTANDING COMMITMENT
TO SCIENTIFIC OUTREACH AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
JUAN MIGUEL ARRAZOLA CAROLYN EARNES T
Former PhD student JUAN MIGUEL ARRAZOLA PhD student CAROLYN EARNEST envisions does scientific outreach because he enjoys a future where science is more inclusive of it — a lot. “I also think that it is a waste when women, First Nations and other minority scientific knowledge is retained by specialists groups. “I think that science is ultimately tied when it only takes a bit of effort to share up with the cultural background of the ones this richness with the rest of the world,” he doing it, and when you start to introduce said. Arrazola has done his best to share more kinds of people, then you have a knowledge by launching the IQC blog Our diversity of ideas that get explored, and quantum world. Among his contributions to that’s good for everybody,” she said. the blog is the three-part series “Anyone can She is doing her part to realize that vision understand quantum mechanics”, where he as the founding president of the University teaches the basics of the theory in a way that of Waterloo Women in Science group and anyone can understand. as a member of the board of FemPhys and “Outreach efforts are beneficial to their IQC’s Equity and Inclusivity Committee. She immediate community, but with a blog, also leads by example by working to make we can spread our ideas to anyone with an quantum computing with nanocircuits more Internet connection,” he said. He is currently a scalable with components like scalable postdoctoral fellow at the National University wiring and gates in the Laboratory for of Singapore, where his research is in the field Digital Quantum Matter. of quantum communication.
34 SHARING, EDUCATING, INSPIRING, CONNECTING.
IQC BRINGS THE WORLD OF QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY TO THE CURIOUS-MINDED
THROUGH UNIQUE OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES DESIGNED TO SHARE THE FASCINATING RESEARCH THAT IS
CHANGING THE WAY WE LIVE, WORK AND PLAY.
QUANTUM: MUSIC AT THE FRONTIER OF SCIENCE
The quantum symphony Quantum: Music at the Frontier of Science was presented as part of the Ontario Scene at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on May 3. A collaboration between the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony and IQC, this musical journey explores the parallels between music and science.
DISCOVERING QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
IQC hosted an open house on Saturday, October 3 as part of Waterloo’s Reunion weekend festivities. More than 700 Waterloo alumni and community members learned about quantum information research from students and faculty members and explored hands-on science activities hosted by Waterloo’s Let’s Talk Science and Engineering Science Quest groups. Other highlights included a Q-Kids Science Show, a fireside chat with executive director RAYMOND LAFLAMME, guided by radio host MIKE FARWELL on embracing the quantum revolution, and the début of Quantum Cats, the quantum-inspired version of the game Angry Birds TM.
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 35 IQC TO THE WORLD; THE WORLD TO IQC
CELEBRATING LIGHT
MOST OF OUR MODERN TECHNOLOGY —
NOT TO MENTION LIFE AS WE KNOW
IT — COULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT LIGHT.
IN RECOGNITION OF ITS IMPORTANCE,
THE UNITED NATIONS (UN) GENERAL
ASSEMBLY NAMED 2015 AS THE
INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF LIGHT AND
LIGHT-BASED TECHNOLOGIES (IYL 2015).
A GROUP OF GRADUATE STUDENTS FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO STUDENT
CHAPTER OF THE OPTICAL SOCIETY
(OSA) BROUGHT LIGHT TO LIFE IN LIGHT
ILLUMINATED, AN EXHIBITION FEATURED
AT THEMUSEUM IN DOWNTOWN “LIGHT Illuminated KITCHENER FROM OCTOBER 2015 TO allowed local members MARCH 2016. IQC PhD STUDENTS AIMEE of our community to showcase the variety GUNTHER, MIKE MAZUREK, KENT FISHER, of ways that they use JEAN-PHILIPPE MacLEAN AND SARAH light to create modern KAISER ALONG WITH MASTER’S STUDENT technology and art. Visitors got to choose IAN ANDREWS FROM THE DEPARTMENT words to display in a OF PHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY CREATED beautiful piece of art, AND CURATED THE EXHIBITION, WHICH see what they look like
DREW OVER 40,000 VISITORS. “The museum exhibit is a gateway in infrared, and watch a for people who are stumbling at dragon’s scales shimmer the barrier of perceived difficulty and shift colours. These in the science, technology, components of the engineering and mathematics exhibit, among many (STEM) fields. By being hands-on others, were provided with exhibit activities, they learned by individuals and without the stress of knowing businesses from the there is a test at the end.” Waterloo Region.”
– AIMEE GUNTHER – MICHAEL MAZUREK
36 “T he exhibit helped normalize “With LIGHT Illuminated, we “LIGHT Illuminated gave the science as something real wanted to engage and inform community the opportunity people do. We sought to the community about light to appreciate light and teach concepts about light in and also the role that local how fortunate we are to tangible, fun, and perhaps new companies have in developing utilize it in so many areas ways. Also, in the Region of these technologies. The goal in our lives. For example, Waterloo we are fortunate to was to get a younger audience the exhibit’s fire inspector have a wellspring of scientific excited about light and the fun ran the light racetrack and research and technological things that we can do with it; figured out that in the time development, as well as an and for the general audience, it took him to run the track, engaged community eager to inform them about how light had gone to the moon to learn about what is going light-based companies in and back several times! on in the scientific world. It Waterloo are contributing to His eyes lit up and he was was our goal to tell visitors of products and tools that we use surprised at the speed THEMUSEUM about some of on a daily basis, such as fibre of light. That moment he the amazing things done with optics used for the internet, gained an understanding of light right here in our city.” polarization in sunglasses, the speed of light from our refraction in glasses, thermal exhibit was an incredible – KENT FISHER cameras and more.” experience for me.”
– JEAN-PHILIPPE MacLEAN – IAN ANDREWS
THANK YOU to the community partners who contributed to the success of LIGHT Illuminated:
THEMUSEUM COM DEV Wizard Labs The Optical Society FiberTech Optica Department of Knowledge The American Physical Society Teledyne DALSA Integration, University Christie Digital The University of Waterloo of Waterloo
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 37 IQC TO THE WORLD; THE WORLD TO IQC
CONFERENCE, WORKSHOP AND SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTS
CANADA EXCELLENCE RESEARCH CHAIRS (CERC) ANNUAL MEETING
Waterloo researchers DAVID CORY, CERC in Quantum Information Processing, and PHILIPPE VAN CAPPELLEN, CERC in Ecohydrology, chaired the fifth annual NANOSCALE MAGNETIC CERC meeting hosted at the University RESONANCE IMAGING of Waterloo April 13-14. (NANOMRI) CONFERENCE
The fifth NanoMRI conference brought together an interdisciplinary community of scientists and engineers at IQC July 27-31. The conference focused on emerging technologies for detecting spins on the nanometer scale, and the application of these technologies to biology, condensed matter systems and quantum information.
IQC welcomed 20 high school science educators for the very first workshop for teachers December 5-6. Through lectures and hands-on activities, teachers gained a deeper understanding of quantum QUANTUM INNOVATORS mechanics, with a focus on how to bring quantum Exploring the frontiers of quantum physics and engineering information science and technology back to their was the focus of the fourth Quantum Innovators conference classrooms to share with their students. Senior hosted by IQC. Fifteen of the most promising young Manager, Scientific Outreach MARTIN LAFOREST researchers in this field came together from October 4-7 guided the teachers through scientific concepts to share their work and make connections. Among the including wave-particle duality, superposition, participants was WEI TSEN, now Assistant Professor at IQC quantum computing algorithms, entanglement and and the Department of Chemistry. quantum cryptography.
38 THE TWO-WEEK PROGRAM, USEQIP, KRISTINE BOONE
USEQIP 2014 COMBINES BOTH A THEORETICAL AND While working on her BSc majoring in astrophysics at the EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO STUDYING University of Calgary, KRISTINE BOONE applied to USEQIP. QUANTUM INFORMATION AND IS AIMED AT Her experience at USEQIP solidified her decision to pursue
INTERNATIONAL SENIOR POST-SECONDARY graduate studies focusing on quantum information science.
STUDENTS. LECTURES BY IQC FACULTY “I applied to USEQIP to find out what the field of quantum information is like. The professors teaching the MEMBERS FOLLOWED BY HANDS-ON classes were really excited to share this topic,” Boone EXPLORATION IN EXPERIMENTAL FACILITIES said, reflecting on her time at USEQIP in 2014. “I learned so much about the field and about what it’s like to do PROVIDE A WELL-ROUNDED INTRODUCTION research at IQC.” TO QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE AND Her newfound knowledge helped her finish her TECHNOLOGY. USEQIP ALUMNI LEAVE THE undergraduate honours thesis project and contributed to research she did following graduation with former PROGRAM EQUIPPED WITH THE TOOLS supervisor CHRISTOPH SIMON. In collaboration with others, TO BEGIN INVESTIGATING THE QUANTUM they discovered that axons in the brain are waveguides
INFORMATION FIELD. for photons, suggesting that there may be a link between quantum information and consciousness.
Upon finishing her undergraduate studies, Boone knew that she wanted to return to IQC. Now a Master’s student at IQC, Boone is currently investigating assumptions underlying randomized benchmarking, which may be useful for characterizing errors in a quantum system. “Attending USEQIP definitely contributed to where I am in my academic career,” said Boone.
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 39 IQC TO THE WORLD; THE WORLD TO IQC
THE QCSYS PROGRAM ENGAGES HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING
TOPICS IN CONTEMPORARY SCIENCE – QUANTUM CRYPTOGRAPHY. LED BY SENIOR MANAGER,
SCIENTIFIC OUTREACH MARTIN LAFOREST, STUDENTS EXPLORE THE PHYSICS AND MATHEMATICS
OF QUANTUM MECHANICS AND CRYPTOGRAPHY THROUGH LECTURES AND HANDS-ON LAB
DEMONSTRATIONS. LAUNCHED IN 2008, THERE ARE 275 QCSYS ALUMNI FROM 20 COUNTRIES
ACROSS THE GLOBE.
ANDREW ANDRADE MAYA BURHANPURKAR
QCSYS 2010 QCSYS 2014
Transmitting messages with coins and boxes, MAYA BURHANPURKAR is a 17-year-old student, decrypting laser-sent messages — these are the scientist, entrepreneur and volunteer who was memories that QCSYS alumnus ANDREW ANDRADE honoured with Canada’s Top 20 Under 20 Award. remembers most fondly. “My QCSYS experience In 2014, she attended QCSYS, which she credits helped me realize I was more interested in hands- with helping to solidify her interest in physics, on applications of science and technology,” he said. engineering and computing. “Students often don’t This interest has manifested in Andrade’s work; he have experience in the field they’re choosing to invented a self-driving bicycle platform, wrote an study in university. QCSYS definitely gave me award-winning research paper on the application of experience in the field, which was great,” she said. It artificial intelligence and predictive analytics in the oil also gave her the opportunity to meet like-minded and gas industry, and co-founded a business called people from around the world, some of whom PetroPredict that uses data analytics for early life she still keeps in contact with. She advises future detection of integrity issues in oil fields. students “to make an effort to get to know others because they have really cool backgrounds — Andrade agrees QCSYS has helped him get to this that’s why they’re at QCSYS.” point. “The biggest thing I gained from QCSYS is the synergistic approach to emerging fields and Burhanpurkar is taking a gap year, before technologies.” After earning his Mechatronics attending Harvard, to work on the development Engineering degree at Waterloo, he plans to continue of an autonomous wheelchair for quadriplegics at with this approach at Palantir Technologies as a the University of Toronto’s renowned Institute for deployment strategist. Aerospace Studies.
40 TWESH UPADHYAYA JOHN FISH
QCSYS 2014 QCSYS 2015
For QCSYS alumnus TWESH UPADHYAYA, he couldn’t QCSYS gave JOHN FISH the knowledge he needed resist the allure of IQC’s research environment. Under to make a video explaining the Einstein-Podolsky- the guidance of IQC researcher MICHAL BAJCSY, Rosen (EPR) Paradox that made him a finalist in his grade 12 science fair project consisted of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge. Since then, he designing a polarization-selective photonic crystal has served as a counselor at Engineering Science membrane in silicon nitride, with application as Quest (ESQ) at the University of Waterloo and the reflective surface of an all-optical, single- is currently working on a software platform that photon transistor. He won the gold medal and will allow teachers to easily create and deliver best in category at the regional competition and computer programming curriculum to students a silver medal and the Canadian Association of via the internet so students can interact with it on Physicists (CAP) Physics Prize at the Canada-Wide accessible devices. Science Fair. He returned this summer to work on a Unsurprisingly, Fish says that he is more interested framework for universal quantum circuit synthesis in the computing side of quantum science. “What as an Undergraduate Research Assistant (URA) with I think is cool about this is that very difficult researcher MICHELE MOSCA. problems could soon become trivial by using this Currently earning a degree in Engineering Science at really weird physics,” he said. He appreciates his the University of Toronto, Upadhyaya credits QCSYS experience at QCSYS because of his discussions with stoking his passion for physics by revealing with researchers that helped him decide his career both the potential of quantum mechanics and the path and because of the intensity of the program. dense mysteries that remain to be solved within it. He offers this advice to future QCSYS students: “you have access to top researchers, so make sure you ask questions and do as much as you can.”
ENCOURAGING YOUTH TO EXPLORE QUANTUM INFORMATION SCIENCE
IQC continues to educate and excite students about quantum information science and technology (QIST) through hands-on workshops, lectures and lab tours. This year:
41,950+ 1,200+ youth 138 high school 31 outreach students and participated in teachers received activities focused community a hands-on the tools to share on quantum members workshop, lab quantum information information introduced tour or lecture with students in their science to QIST classroom
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 41 THE YEAR IN REVIEW
IQC BY THE NUMBERS
APRIL 1, 2015 TO MARCH 31, 2016
IQC IS HOME TO...
24 faculty members 4 research assistant professors
41 postdoctoral fellows 30 long-term visitors
116 graduate students
7 technical specialists
FACULTY & POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWS
50
Faculty 45 40 Postdoctoral 35 Fellows 30 Research 25 Assistant Professors 20 15 10 5 0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
42 PUBLICATIONS
Notable publications in the journals Nature, Nature Photonics, Nature Physics, Nature Communications, Physical Review Letters, Science, STOC, FOCS, and the Journal of Mathematical Physics represent high-level, peer-reviewed discoveries by IQC researchers.
IQC RESEARCH PUBLISHED IN PROMINENT JOURNALS SINCE 2010
PUBLICATION 10-11 11-12 12-13 13-14 14-15 15-16 Nature 1 1 1 2 1 Nature Photonics 1 1 3 2 1 Nature Physics 5 3 2 3 2 Nature Communications 1 1 1 5 3 Physical Review Letters 14 17 14 14 16 17 Science 1 2 1 1 3 STOC 2 FOCS 1 1 Journal of Mathematical Physics 2 4 6 4 4 6
The publication distribution listed above is collected from Thomson Reuter’s ISI Web of Knowledge.
CUMULATIVE PUBLICATIONS CUMULATIVE CITATIONS
BY IQC RESEARCHERS OF IQC PUBLICATIONS
132 publications by IQC 19,993 cumulative citations for researchers in fiscal 2016 all IQC publications since 2002
1,242 publications by IQC researchers since 2002
1,400 20,000
1,200 16,000 1,000
800 12,000
600 8,000
400
4,000 200
0 0 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
*Source for Publications and Citations: Thomson Reuters’ Web of Science on April 1, 2016. Data compiled using an address search for Institute for Quantum Computing (inst* quantum comp*). Citations are cumulative for all IQC publications for all years.
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 43 THE YEAR IN REVIEW
ENABLING QUANTUM RESEARCH
EFFECTIVE TOOLS ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY. STEVE WEISS, IQC’S ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY (IT), APPRECIATES THE APPLICATION OF ELEGANT TOOLS THAT INCREASE EFFICIENCIES.
THROUGHOUT HIS CAREER, WEISS HAS STRATEGICALLY APPLIED TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE
PRODUCTIVITY FOR BOTH LARGE AND SMALL CORPORATIONS.
Weiss leads the IT team at IQC. The team’s primary Weiss and his team also work closely with the role is to facilitate the realization of technologies Quantum NanoFab group at IQC. To enhance and tools that enable researchers to focus on their daily operational processes for the cleanroom and work. “We free researchers from having to deploy fabrication facility, the IT team has implemented an and support classical computing technology environmental monitoring and video system and outside of the lab,” Weiss said. This includes developed custom order and inventory tracking. sourcing technology resources that already exist “The Quantum NanoFab continues to benefit on campus or developing tailored solutions. Needs tremendously from IT’s expertise and exceptional vary from implementing custom software systems, approach to customer service,” said VITO LOGIUDICE, to outfitting collaboration spaces with technology, Director of Operations for the Quantum NanoFab. to preparing workstations for daily use. The IT group is evolutionary; Weiss notes that the If there is a gap between technological needs job is never complete as technology evolves and and what is available, Weiss and his team support user needs change. “We listen and try to predict researchers’ goals by investing in design-based emerging technology needs,” said Weiss. “It’s outcomes to meet those needs. One example is the not always easy to see what’s around the bend.” new computational lab now up and running in the This challenge is best met through embracing Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre. technology transformation and working closely with Weiss saw that graduate students did not have on- researchers at the institute, according to Weiss. demand access to high-end computing equipment Looking at the bigger picture, Weiss sees his needed to run complex computational simulations. team contributing fundamentally to a high-quality Weiss’ team set to work on the installation of a research environment at IQC. Providing classical pop-up computational lab to fill that need. Now computing tools allows faculty members and students can use the proper equipment to achieve students to focus on their quantum research goals. faster turnaround times when running simulations.
44 IQC GOVERNANCE
APRIL 1, 2015 TO MARCH 31, 2016
IQC BOARD OF EXECUTIVE SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR Y DIRECTORS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE
Mike Lazaridis, Chair George Dixon, Chair Harry Buhrman Co-founder and Managing Partner, Vice-President, University Research Centrum voor Wiskunde en Informatica (CWI) Quantum Valley Investments Robert E. Crow Anthony Leggett Tom Brzustowski Executive in Residence, IQC University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign RBC Professor, Telfer School of Management, Raymond Laflamme Chris Monroe University of Ottawa Executive Director, IQC University of Maryland Peter E. Brown Bob Lemieux Umesh Vazirani Senior Practice Partner, Deloitte Canada Dean, Faculty of Science University of California, Berkeley Robert E. Crow Kevin Resch Anton Zeilinger Executive in Residence, IQC Deputy Director, Academic, IQC University of Vienna George Dixon Wayne J. Parker Wojciech Zurek Vice-President, University Research, Acting Dean, Faculty of Engineering Los Alamos National Laboratory University of Waterloo Stephen Watt Robert Dunlop Dean, Faculty of Mathematics Former Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Innovation, Industry Canada
Cosimo Fiorenza Vice-President and General Counsel, Quantum Valley Investments
Peter Hackett Executive Professor, University of Alberta
Raymond Laflamme Executive Director, IQC
Mark Pecen CEO, Approach Infinity, Inc.
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Raymond Laflamme Kevin Resch David Cory Robert E. Crow Executive Director Deputy Director, Deputy Director, Executive in Residence Academic Research
LABORATORY SUPPORT
Vito Logiudice Brian Goddard Mai-Britt Mogensen Nathan Nelson- Roberto Romero Director of Operations, Senior Fabrication Cleanroom Fitzpatrick Electronics and Quantum NanoFab Equipment Technologist Certification and Nanofabrication Instrumentation and Lab Instructor Inventory Specialist Process Engineer Technologist and Health, Safety and Environment Coordinator
Rodello Salandanan Matt Scott Melissa Floyd Senior Equipment Fabrication Equipment Accounting and Technologist Technologist and Lab Administrative Instructor Assistant
Annual Report 2016 | uwaterloo.ca/iqc 45 THE YEAR IN REVIEW
ADMINISTRATION
Lorna Kropf Matt Schumacher Jeannie Bairos Erica Boland Sara Clark Andrew Dale Assistant Director, Associate Director, Executive Assistant to Receptionist, General Assistant Administrative Administration Finance the Director Lazaridis Centre Coordinator/Financial Assistant
Monica Dey Christine Dietrich Matthew Fries Chin Lee Jessica Miranda Jessica Parris CREATE and Graduate Receptionist, RAC 1 Visitor Coordinator Assistant, Deputy Administrative Graduate Program Program Coordinator Director Coordinator, Coordinator Postdoctoral Fellow/ Associate and Affiliate Appointments
Mary Lyn Payerl Michele Roche Harmeny Storer Carly Turnbull Financial Officer Administrative Administrative/ Administrative Assistant Co-ordinator/ Financial Assistant Financial Assistant
COMMUNICATIONS AND STRATEGIC INITIATIVES
Tobi Day-Hamilton Sean Collins Kathryn Fedy Dana Hociung Kimberly Kuntz Martin Laforest Associate Director, Senior Manager, Communications Officer External Relations Manager, Outreach Senior Manager, Communications and Research and Coordinator and Events Scientific Outreach Strategic Initiatives Development
Scott McManus Angela Olano Jodi Szimanski Multimedia Coordinator Manager, Senior Manager, Special Projects Communications
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Steve Weiss Cory Brown Matt Cooper Ryan Goggin Dylan Totzke Associate Director, Computing Support Information Computing Support Computing Business Information Technology Specialist Technology Specialist Specialist Analyst
46 ADVANCING SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO IS COMMITTED TO ADVANCING THE STATE OF SCIENCE IN CANADA,
WHILE LEVERAGING OUR DEEP CONNECTION TO INDUSTRY TO MOBILIZE RESEARCH FOR FULL
SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT.
It’s what we were uniquely founded to do 60 years partners in our community, show that the Waterloo ago next year. It remains today and always our region — Canada’s Quantum Valley — has deliberately mission. And the Institute for Quantum Computing established a powerful ecosystem to enable is a powerful example of that mission in action. breakthroughs and mobilization. Nowhere else on Earth have conditions like these been set so carefully, We believe IQC at the University of Waterloo is intentionally, and successfully. a leading example of how a modern, progressive university can take the lead for Canada in strategic That is thanks to countless partners and supporters, frontier disciplines and industries. working in unison to create something truly special. On that note, and as IQC begins its 15th year, I would Working together with some of the world’s best like to acknowledge Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis scholars, phenomenal partners such as Mike and for their generous support and remarkable vision; Ophelia Lazaridis, and inspired by our opportunity Raymond Laflamme for his tremendous leadership to fundamentally change technology as we know of the Institute; and researchers across the faculties it by securing quantum breakthroughs, Canada’s of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering for their Quantum Valley is leading the world through the groundbreaking contributions to quantum technology. second quantum revolution. Most importantly, thank you to all IQC students, This is the right discipline, at the right university, whose fascination and experience with quantum in the right community, at the right time. The science is changing the world around us. University of Waterloo’s historic strengths in talent development through co-operative education, our Feridun Hamdullahpur research depth in quantum science, and the maturing President and Vice-Chancellor constellation of supportive research centres and University of Waterloo THANK YOU
IQC THANKS MIKE AND OPHELIA LAZARIDIS, THE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
AND THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA FOR THEIR VISIONARY SUPPORT.
Thank you to the following individuals and organizations for their generous and continued support of IQC:
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation American Physical Society Outreach Army Research Office Austrian Academy of Sciences CERC (Canada Excellence Research Chairs) CFI (Canada Foundation for Innovation) CRC (Canada Research Chairs) CIFAR (Canadian Institute for Advanced Research) Canadian Space Agency Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship COM DEV Communications Security Establishment Canada Connect Canada C2C Link Corporation DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) Doug Fregin Department of Canadian Heritage ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) FedDev (Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario) FQXi (Foundational Questions Institute) Government of Canada IARPA (Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity) Korean Institute of Science and Technology Lockheed Martin Corporation Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Mitacs NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council) Office of Naval Research Ontario Centres of Excellence Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Province of Ontario Public Works and Government Services Canada Quantum Valley Investments Sandia National Laboratories Technion Cooperation Program The Gerald Schwartz & Heather Reisman Foundation
SPECIAL THANKS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, IQC’S HOME, FOR SUPPORTING AND CELEBRATING RESEARCH, INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE.