dition E pecial S | Bit Issue 20 Issue New A NEWSLETTER FROM THE INSTITUTE FOR QUANTUM COMPUTING, UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, WaTERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA | C I S | NE CANADA NSTITUTE FOR QUANTUM QUANTUM FOR NSTITUTE PECIAL OMPUTING | NE NEWBIT ThisE is a state-of-the-art “ DITION | | research facility where I SSUE 20 SSUE scientistsW and students from many disciplinesBIT | will work Photos by Jonathan Bielaski W together toward the next BIT | I NSTITUTE FOR QUANTUM QUANTUM FOR NSTITUTE big breakthroughsI in science SSUE 20 | SSUE | and technology. SPECIAL EDITION I ” uantum Valley SSUE 20 | SSUE FERIDUN HAMDULLAHPUR, C OMPUTING, President, University of Waterloo Takes the Stage S S The science of the incredibly small has taken a giant leap at the Just asPECIAL the discoveries and PECIAL “ University of Waterloo. On Friday, Sept. 21 the MIKE & OPHELIA innovations at the Bell Labs LAZARIDIS QUANTUM-NANO CENTRE officially opened with a U led to the companies that ceremony attended by more than 1,200 guests and dignitaries, | NIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA | NE CANADA ONTARIO, NIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, created SiliconI Valley, so will, including Prof. STEPHEN HAWKING. NSTITUTE F NSTITUTE E E I predict,DITION | the discoveries and DITION | innovationsC of the Quantum- OMPUTING, Nano Centre lead to the creation of companies that will lead to Distinguished I NSTITUTE FOR QUANTUM QUANTUM FOR NSTITUTE guests at the I Waterloo Region becoming NSTITUTE FOR QUANTUM QUANTUM FOR NSTITUTE O ribbon cutting of known as R QUANTUM the Quantum Valley. ” the Quantum-Nano Centre included Prof. U MIKE LAZARIDIS, STEPHEN HAWKING, NIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, ONTARIO, CANADA | NE CANADA ONTARIO, NIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, MPP JOHN MILLOY, Entrepreneur and philanthropist and MP PETER BRAID (behind). C Political and OMPUTING, academic leaders cut the ribbon to officially open the new centre. C C OMPUTING, OMPUTING, UNIVERSITY OF U NIVE R SITY O U W NIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, ONTARIO, ONTARIO, NIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, BIT | F W ATE IQC Executive Director RAYMOND Visionary philanthropists DOUG FREGIN IQC doctoral student DENY HAMEL I SSUE 20 | SSUE LAFLAMME spoke to the audience of (left), OPHELIA and MIKE LAZARIDIS (front) was joined by Waterloo 1,200 at the ribbon cutting. with MPP GLEN MURRAY (Minister of Institute for Nanotechnology R Training, Colleges and Universities). graduate student GRAEME LOO WILLIAMS and Nanotechnology undergraduate MADELAINE LIDDY W to explain what the new , WATERLOO, ONTA , WATERLOO, Quantum-Nano Centre will mean ATERLOO, ONTARIO ATERLOO, S PECIAL W to their academic careers. BIT | The atrium of the Quantum-Nano Centre, which joins the Institute for Quantum Computing and the Waterloo Institute ON THE COVER for Nanotechnology, housed the ribbon cutting ceremony. Prof. STEPHEN HAWKING joins thousands to celebrate the opening of the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre 03 I SSUE 20 | 20 | SSUE E DITION | DITION | SPECIAL EDITION | QUANTUM VALLEY TAKES THE stAGE 1 On the eve of the official opening of the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre, scientists, politicians, university leaders and others gathered to celebrate the visionary philanthropy and forward-thinking government support that made the building possible. Among the distinguished speakers were MIKE LAZARIDIS, Prof. STEPHEN HAWKING, IQC Executive Director RAYMOND LAFLAMME, University of Waterloo President FERIDUN HAMDULLAHPUR and, via video message, Gov. Gen. DAVID JOHNSTON. 1 IQC Executive Director RAYMOND LAFLAMME shared his enthusiasm about the opening of the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre with roughly 200 distinguished guests from around the world. 2 2 Special guest Prof. STEPHEN HAWKING with (left to right): WIN Executive Director ARTHUR CARTY, IQC Executive Director RAYMOND LAFLAMME, philanthropists DOUG FREGIN, MIKE and OPHELIA LAZARIDIS, and University of Waterloo President Photo by Jonathan Bielaski Jonathan by Photo FERIDUN HAMDULLAHPUR. 3 IQC Executive Director RAYMOND LAFLAMME Photo by Jonathan Bielaski Jonathan by Photo and University of Waterloo President FERIDUN HAMDULLAHPUR with Prof. STEPHEN HAWKING. 3 I don’t claim to be an expert on quantum computing or nanotechnology, but I do know a few things about the power of big ideas and free scientific exploration. What’s Prof. Hawking delivered congratulatory remarks on the opening happening here in Waterloo is truly special — from theory Prof. Stephen of the Quantum-Nano Centre during a private dinner reception: to experiment and beyond. This dedication to deep, fundamental science will benefit generations to come. I must admit, when I received an invitation to visit the “Quantum-Nano Centre,” I was expecting a much, much While we don’t know exactly where the research that smaller building. It’s inspiring to instead come to such a Hawking’s happens here will lead, it will no doubt have impact — big, beautiful facility devoted to the study of very small and to me, that’s the most exciting part. things. It is doubly satisfying to know that so many Speech curious, brilliant minds will utilize this place to pursue My thanks to all the visionary supporters and those who truly groundbreaking research. had a hand in making this special day happen. Best of luck on the new voyage that is just beginning. 04 iqc.uwaterloo.ca 05 SPECIAL EDITION | QUANTUM VALLEY TAKES THE stAGE On Saturday, Sept. 29, the Institute for Quantum Computing H and the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology hosted an open house at the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre. Nearly 3,000 visitors explored the state-of-the-art building at the heart of the University of Waterloo’s main campus. The event featured interactive exhibits, hands-on demos, lab tours, a panel discussion, and public lectures by science celebrities JAY INGRAM, ROBERT J. SAWYER and CHAD ORZEL. Open ouse Photo by Marco Piani Marco by Photo Thousands of guests toured the laboratories and collaborative spaces at the Quantum-Nano Centre. 1 3 It was inspiring to see so many 1 Visitors explored the 2 The superconducting levitating people of all ages engaged in corridor of underground train was a popular exhibit. laboratories at the cutting-edge science. You could Quantum-Nano Centre. 3 Guests got an inside look at feel the excitement about the new Labs are buried quantum cryptography systems. underground — helping to Quantum-Nano Centre, and what reduce electromagnetic 4 A wide-ranging panel discussion it will mean for Waterloo Region, interference and vibration. about the future of quantum research featured insights from Canada and the world. 2 4 (left to right) CHAD ORZEL, RAYMOND LAFLAMME, MIKE Martin Laforest, LAZARIDIS, ToM BRZUSTowSKI, The open house was the first of many events to come at the Quantum-Nano Centre Manager of Scientific Outreach, IQC and moderator IVAN SEMENIUK. aimed at bringing the science of IQC to the world, and the world to IQC. Raymond Laflamme, IQC Executive Director 06 iqc.uwaterloo.ca 07 SPECIAL EDITION | QUANTUM VALLEY TAKES THE stAGE Quantum Symphony S On Sunday, Sept. 30, the Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony performed the innovative musical experiment, “Quantum: Music at the Frontier of Science.” The concert, a multimedia voyage along the surprisingly similar paths followed by physics and music over the past century, included narration, an eclectic musical program and an immersive visual The versatility of the Quantum-Nano experience. The orchestra performed pieces that helped convey the history and themes of quantum science, by Centre’s seminar room was showcased composers as diverse as Mozart and John Cage. The concert’s 200 attendees received an exclusive building tour. during the Quantum Symphony concert. Music cience & Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony Music Director Narrator ANN BAGGLEY told the story of EDWIN OUTWATER led the orchestra in a how music and science have intersected unique musical experiment. over the past century, and engaging visuals illustrated key concepts. Jay Ingram and the Qubits In a truly one-of-a-kind experience, Canadian science guru JAY INGRAM and his rock band, THE QUBITS, teamed up with researchers from the Institute for Quantum Computing for an interactive mash-up of music and science. The concert, held on Saturday, Sept. 29, featured classic rock songs with a quantum twist in a fun and immersive evening for the whole family. JAY INGRAM AND THE QUBITS reworked JAY INGRAM and IQC’s Manager of Scientific rock classics with a quantum twist. Outreach MARTIN LAforEST demonstrated polarization during the Jay Ingram and the Qubits performance. The JAY INGRAM AND THE QUBITS performance featured plenty of audience participation. 08 iqc.uwaterloo.ca 09 IQC faculty, postdoctoral fellows and students have continued SCIENCE to conduct internationally recognized research into quantum information science over the past term. Here is a sampling of their Photo from Physical Review Letters HIGHLIGHTS cutting-edge research published recently in academic journals. RANKING WEBSITES WITH Quantum algorithm Quantum teleportation A QUANTUM SPEED-UP a perfect “fit” goes the distance PHYS. REV. LETT. 108 (2012) PHYS. REV. LETT. 109 (2012) NATURE 489, 05 (2012) IQOQI Image by IQC researcher SILVANO GARNERONE co-authored a A team of researchers including IQC postdoctoral fellow NATHAN WIEBE Three IQC scientists were part Physical Review Letters paper explaining a quantum demonstrated a powerful new quantum algorithm for data analysis. of an international research speed-up to Google’s system for ranking the importance In collaboration