Quantum BC Seminar Series – Dr. Thomas Jennewein

Quantum BC Seminar Series

January 14, 2025 at 2pm BC Time

Dr. Thomas Jennewein, Simon Fraser University

Seminar Title: Building the QEYSSat mission by putting quantum optics experiments into space

Join in Person:

SFU Burnaby SCP 8445.2

Join on Zoom:

https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=TGhhTXFIQ3ZiUmNrN0pUa3FObTNydz09

Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772

Passcode: 996727

Seminar Abstract:

Quantum communication in space allows to bridge large distances and also extend the tests of quantum entanglement over large distances, and represents an important step towards building a quantum internet.  I will discuss the motivation and background for space based quantum communication, and provide an overview on how we translated the quantum optics experiments from laboratory setups to the QEYSSat space mission.

Short Biography:

Dr. Jennewein completed his PHD in 2002 at the University of Vienna on Quantum Key Distribution and Teleportation Experiments. After a year in the automotive industry (2003-2004), he became a senior scientist at the IQOQI of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2004-2009). In 2009 he moved to Canada to take a faculty position at the University of Waterloo / Institute for quantum computing (2009 – 2024), and since 2024 he is a Canadian Excellence Research Chair for Global Quantum Internet Systems at the Simon Fraser University.

Dr. Jennewein’s research vision is to build capable and scalable quantum communication technology for long range and satellite quantum networks. He initiated and now leads the Canadian Satellite mission called Quantum EncrYption and Science Satellite (QEYSSat), which aims to demonstrate quantum communication and Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) between space and ground with stations across Canada and internationally. Dr. Jennewein led the first three-photon interference, an important fundamental advance for the field of quantum optics recognized by Physics World as one of the Top 10 breakthroughs of 2017.