NSERC CREATE in QC Annual Roadmapping Workshop
2023-05-11 11:00 - 2023-05-12 16:00 (America/Vancouver) | Quantum Algorithms Institute

Active Silicon Photonics Fabrication Workshop 2023
2023-05-15 09:00 - 2023-05-19 17:00 (America/Toronto) | University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
In partnership with the SiEPIC Program and our professors from Laval, Toronto, UBC, and Queen’s Universities, CMC Microsystems is offering this legendary Silicon photonics workshop in person again at the University of Toronto from May 15 to 19, 2023.
The workshop will teach participants how to design, simulate, fabricate, and test photonic integrated circuits (PICs). The design of participants will be fabricated by AMF Si Photonics technology and the ANT NanoSOI Si Photonics technology available through CMC Microsystems.
Siemens, Lumerical (now part of the ANSYS family), Luceda, and Applied NanoTools are supporting this course by providing access arrangements to their tools and services for participants (more information below).
On May 17 there will be a one-day symposium on Photonics for Compute Acceleration . Registration is included with workshop.

Seminar on Cryo Circuits for Quantum Computing
2023-06-06 16:00 - 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | University of British Columbia, Macleod Room 3038, Vancouver, BC, Canada
IEEE SSCS/CASS Vancouver Distinguished Lecturer Talk
Cryogenic CMOS for low power quantum computing applications: Roadmap, Present Status, Challenges and Opportunities
Sudipto Chakraborty,
IBM T. J. Watson Master Inventor, NXP Semiconductors
June 6th, 4pm Pacific Time

Registration link:
https://events.vtools.ieee.org/event/register/363109

In-person venue:
McLeod 3038,
Electrical and Computer Engineering,
University of British Columbia
2356 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4

Zoom Link:
Join Zoom Meeting
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/66828102935?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 668 2810 2935
Passcode: [REDACTED]

This talk will cover practical challenges for cryogenic CMOS designs for next generation quantum computing. Starting from a roadmap level understanding and future trends, it will detail the design considerations for a non-multiplexed, semi-autonomous, transmon qubit state controller (QSC) implemented in 14nm CMOS FinFET technology. The QSC includes an augmented general-purpose digital processor that supports waveform generation and phase rotation operations combined with a low power current-mode single sideband upconversion I/Q mixer-based RF arbitrary waveform generator (AWG). Implemented in 14nm CMOS FinFET technology, the QSC generates control signals in its target 4.5GHz to 5.5 GHz frequency range, achieving an SFDR > 50dB for a signal bandwidth of 500MHz. With the controller operating in the 4K stage of a cryostat and connected to a transmon qubit in the cryostat’s millikelvin stage, measured transmon T1 and T2 coherence times were 75.7μs and 73μs, respectively, in each case comparable to results achieved using conventional room temperature controls. In further tests with transmons, a qubit-limited error rate of 7.76×10-4 per Clifford gate is achieved, again comparable to results achieved using room temperature controls. The QSC’s maximum RF output power is -18 dBm, and power dissipation per qubit under active control is 23mW.

Sudipto Chakraborty received his B. Tech from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 1998 and Ph.D in EE from Georgia Institute of Technology in 2002. He worked as a researcher in Georgia Electronic Design Center (GEDC) till 2004. From 2004 to 2016, he was a senior member of technical staff at Texas Instruments where he contributed to low power integrated circuit design in more than 10 product families in the areas of automotive, wireless, medical and microcontrollers. Since 2017, he has been working at the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center where he leads the low power circuit design for next generation quantum computing applications using nano CMOS technology nodes. He has authored or co-authored more than 75 papers, two books and holds 83 US patents. He has served in the technical program committees of various conferences including CICC, RFIC, IMS and has been elected as an IBM master inventor in 2022 for his contributions. He is a distinguished lecturer for the SSCS and CASS societies and serves as an associate editor for TCAS-I.

QBC Seminar Series - Paul Haljan
2023-06-13 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
The Quantum BC Seminar Series is a monthly talk given by faculty in BC on various topics related to quantum computing. The talks happen on the second Tuesday of each month at 2pm.

June.2023.Poster.Paul.Haljan

Please join us for our fourth seminar on Tuesday, June 13, 2023 at 2pm with Paul Haljan from SFU who will present on Realizing a Structural Phase Transition of Trapped Ions in the Quantum Regime.

Join on Zoom: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Seminar Title: Realizing a Structural Phase Transition of Trapped Ions in the Quantum Regime by Paul C Haljan, Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University

Abstract: Arrays of trapped ions are a versatile technological platform with exquisite control over experimental parameters at the single-atom level. This allows both manipulation of the internal quantum state of the ions and control of their quantum collective vibrational motion – phonons – in the trap. A focus of my research group is advancing the technology of phononic coherent control in trapped ions. As part of this, we are aiming to demonstrate precise manipulation of a single vibrational mode of trapped ions in order to control a quantum structural phase transition in a string of trapped ions – the 1D linear to 2D zigzag transition. This system would provide an intrinsic source of novel entangled states of ion crystal structures, which can be manipulated through trapped ion double-well interferometry. In this talk I will describe how we experimentally control and characterize the linear-zigzag structural transition for arrays of ions confined in a linear Paul trap and cooled to near their ground state of motion. I will show how Raman sideband spectroscopy can be used as a probe to reveal both the energy level structure and the motional population distribution of the ion crystal near the critical point of the transition. I will look at what our results reveal about the nature of the transition in practice, and finally I will consider prospects for coherence assessment near the critical point as well as potential applications in in-situ sensing of electric field noise.

Bio: Dr. Paul C. Haljan is an Associate Professor of Physics at Simon Fraser University with expertise in trapped-ion quantum technologies. Before joining SFU in 2005, Paul performed his doctoral work on quantum vertices at Boulder and JILA and held a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Michigan, where he worked on quantum gate implementations in trapped-ion hardware and early algorithm demonstrations. At SFU, the Haljan research group is focused on experiments with trapped ions, quantum simulations and quantum state manipulation, and technology development for trapped-ion quantum computing.

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Lukas Chrostowski
2023-07-11 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
The Quantum BC Seminar Series is a monthly talk given by faculty in BC on various topics related to quantum computing. The talks happen on the second Tuesday of each month at 2pm.

Please join us for our next seminar on Tuesday, July 11, 2023 at 2pm with Lukas Chrostowski from UBC where he will discuss Quantum Silicon Photonics.

Join in Person:

At UBC: MCLD Room 3038
At SFU: SCP P8445.2

Join on Zoom: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772
Passcode: [REDACTED]

July.2023.Lukas.C.Seminar

Title: Quantum Silicon Photonics

Abstract: Photonic integrated circuits, implemented in silicon, have become a mainstream technology for providing high-speed optical communication links within data centres. Other applications include various sensors (LIDAR, biomedical, environment), optical computing, and quantum information processing. Perhaps the most ambitious application for integrated photonics is in quantum computing. Photonics can be used for the computation itself (e.g. PsiQuantum, Xanadu), or can be an enabling technology to couple between spin qubits to build scalable hybrid photonic-spin quantum processors (the SFU-UBC SiQL CFI project, Photonic Inc.). Finally, photonics can be used for that it does best – optical communications – to build quantum communication links between quantum processors and quantum sensors. This talk will discuss research to develop the ingredients necessary for these technologies. This includes novel fabrication techniques using electron beam lithography (SiEPICfab consortium), the design of devices such as single photon sources, single photon detectors, and tunable high-Q resonators for spin qubits, and building instrumentation to test these devices and circuits including cryogenic probe stations and cryogenic photonic packaging.

Lukas Chrostowski is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Through his research in silicon photonics, optoelectronics, high-speed laser design, fabrication and test, for applications in optical communications, biophotonics, and quantum photonics, he has published more than 300 journal and conference publications. He co-authored the book “Silicon Photonics Design” (Cambridge University Press, 2015). Dr. Chrostowski was the co-director of the Advanced Materials and Process Engineering Laboratory (AMPEL) Nanofabrication Facility (ANF), 2008-2016. Dr. Chrostowski was the Program Director of the NSERC CREATE Silicon Electronic-Photonic Integrated Circuits (Si-EPIC) training program in Canada, and has been teaching numerous silicon photonics workshops and courses since 2008, which continue today as the SiEPICfab consortium. Chrostowski received the Killam Teaching Prize at the University of British Columbia in 2014, IEEE Photonics Society Technical Skills Educator Award in 2021, and IEEE Canada’s J.M Ham Outstanding Engineering Educator Award in 2021. He was an elected member of the IEEE Photonics Society 2014-2016 Board of Governors. He was elected to the college of the Royal Society of Canada in 2019. Chrostowski is the Program Director for the NSERC CREATE 2020-2026 Quantum Computing program (Quantum BC), co-leading the Quantum Silicon Photonics design-fabricate-test workshop.

Quantum BC Seminar Series - NSERC CREATE Graduate Student Presentations
2023-08-08 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Please join us on August 8 at 2pm BC Time to hear three NSERC CREATE in Quantum Computing Scholars share their research:

1. Jamal Mohammad Khani, MSc Physics Student, University of Victoria
Title: All-Optical Quantum C-Phase Gate Using Rb Atoms.

2. Phillip Suwan Kirwin, MASc ECE Student, University of British Columbia
Title: Integrated Quantum Transducers

3. Daniel Julien-Neitzert, MASc ECE Student, University of British Columbia
Title: Fibre Optics Based Quantum Computer Control and Readout

August.2023.Student.Seminar

Join on Zoom: https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772
Passcode: [REDACTED]

———————————————————————————————————————————-

1. Jamal Mohammad Khani, MSc Physics Student, University of Victoria
Title: All-Optical Quantum C-Phase Gate Using Rb Atoms.

Abstract: Neutral atoms are a promising candidate for creating giant optical nonlinearities. Previous experimental work has failed to produce a sufficiently large phase shift due in part to weak light-atom coupling. We aim to overcome this limitation and achieve a large Cross-Phase modulation by incorporating an optical resonator to our atomic system. This result will be an important step to an optical C-Phase gate.

Bio: Jamal Mohammad Khani, a Physics M.Sc. student at the University of Victoria, is currently conducting research under the guidance of Prof. Andrew MacRae. His work focuses on developing a high-fidelity quantum control-phase gate using Rb atoms. Jamal holds a B.Sc. in Physics, during which he specialized in the simulation of trapping and controlling ultracold atoms and BECs using permanent magnetic lattices. Additionally, he made contributions to a research paper that explored the transformation of bright solitons to dark solitons using a Mach-Zehnder modulator during his B.Sc. studies.

———————————————————————————————————————————-
Phillip Suwan Kirwin, MASc ECE Student, University of British Columbia
Title: Integrated Quantum Transducers

Abstract: Useful quantum computers may be built in modules, with optical fibres linking collections of qubits together. To facilitate such modular design in superconducting and spin-based quantum computing architectures, a coherent microwave-to-optical link is required. These so-called quantum transducers aim to coherently transfer the quantum states of photons between the microwave and optical domains. In this talk, I will give an overview of integrated quantum transducers. I will discuss the key figures of merit, engineering challenges, and leading physical implementations.
Bio: Phillip Suwan Kirwin is a MASc student in the Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute at the University of British Columbia, advised by Lukas Chrostowski, Jeff Young, and Joseph Salfi. His research interests are in integrated quantum photonics and quantum transducers. Phillip holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta. He is an alumnus of the Canada-Japan Co-op Program, where he interned in the Quantum Optical Physics Group at Nippon Telegraph and Telephone.

Daniel Julien-Neitzert, MASc ECE Student, University of British Columbia Title: Fibre Optics Based Quantum Computer Control and Readout

Abstract: State-of-the-art quantum computers can only solve problems that are also easily tackled with classical computers. To provide a practical quantum advantage and solve real-world problems, the number of qubits needs to be scaled to more than ~ 100 using today’s approaches. A major challenge, often overlooked, is that existing approaches to control and measure qubits will encounter a scaling bottleneck at around 1000 qubits, which is only a few years away for superconducting circuits, and is nowhere near the million qubits needed to simulate catalysts and molecules. Current I/O interfaces are complex to build, compromising reliability and scalability, have limited bandwidth to control and read many qubits, and dissipate too much power to be useful at scale. We propose control circuits that are composed of photonic integrated circuit elements that will replace the costly, complex, and inherently unscalable method for control used today – discrete coaxial cables and large bulky electronics – to be entirely replaced by fibre optics based quantum computer control and readout systems.
Bio: Daniel Julien-Neitzert is with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of British Columbia. His current research is focused quantum computing hardware and integrated photonics

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Rogério de Sousa
2023-09-12 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Join us on Tuesday, September 12 at 2pm for a seminar by Dr. Rogério de Sousa from the University of Victoria.
Sept.2023.Seminar.RdeSousa
Title: Noise in Chip-Based Quantum Computers
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772
Passcode: [REDACTED]
Abstract: Quantum computers are now available in several different chip-based technologies, but their quantum evolution is noisy, hindering demonstrations of quantum advantage over conventional computers. In this talk I will discuss the microscopic origin of electric and magnetic noise in the solid-state environment surrounding qubits. While some noise sources are intrinsic to the surfaces and interfaces within the chip [1], others are extrinsic in that they originate from impurities and defects within the materials forming the qubit [2, 3]. I will describe strategies to reduce the impact of noise on quantum computers using both hardware [4] and software [5] approaches.
[1] I. Diniz and R. de Sousa, Intrinsic Photon Loss at the Interface of Superconducting Devices, Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 147702 (2020).
[2] N. Gorgichuk, T. Junginger, and R. de Sousa, Modeling Dielectric Loss in Superconducting Resonators : Evidence for Interacting Atomic Two-Level Systems at the Nb /Oxide Interface, Phys. Rev. Appl. 19, 024006 (2023).
[3] J.A. Nava Aquino and R. de Sousa, Flux Noise in Disordered Spin Systems, Phys. Rev. B 106, 144506 (2022).
[4] J.A. Nava Aquino and R. de Sousa, Model for 1/f flux noise in superconducting aluminum devices: Impact of external magnetic fields, Appl. Phys. Lett. 122, 224003 (2023).
[5] E. Wright and R. de Sousa, Fast quantum gate design with deep reinforcement learning using real-time feedback on readout signals, arXiv:2305.01169 [quant-ph].
Bio: Rogério de Sousa, Professor, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria BC
Professor de Sousa obtained his B.Sc. in Physics at Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil, and then moved to the USA to pursue a Ph.D. in physics and quantum computing at the University of Maryland, College Park. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Departments of Chemistry and Physics at University of California, Berkeley, and moved to Canada in 2007 to join the Dept. of Physics and Astronomy at University of Victoria. His research group focuses on how to design quantum computing hardware and software with less noise. They are implementing quantum algorithms in the current generation of noisy intermediate-scale quantum devices, and developing methods to benchmark as well as mitigate the impact of noise in them.
Prof. de Sousa is also interested in making quantum theory more accessible to people with different expertise. At UVic he teaches the course “Introductory Quantum Computing”, targeted at second-year science and engineering students with no previous exposure to quantum theory.

Q-Site Conference - September 29 to October 1, 2023
2023-09-29 - 2023-10-01 | University of British Columbia, Macleod Room 3038, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Discover the Potential of Quantum in Vancouver

Discover Q-SITE Vancouver, an Educational Quantum Student Conference.
Hosted on the UBC campus this fall, from September 29th to October 1st. Immerse yourself in captivating discussions and interactive workshops covering a diverse range of topics in the field of quantum information science and technology.

https://www.qsiteconf.ca/

Quantum BC Open House
2023-11-08 11:00 - 12:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
QBC Open House Nov 8
Topic: Quantum BC Open House
Time: Nov 8, 2023 11:00 AM Vancouver
Join Zoom Meeting
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/61459240254?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID: 614 5924 0254
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Roman Krems
2023-11-14 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Nov.2023.Seminar.RKrems
Join us on Tuesday, November 14 at 2pm for a seminar by Dr. Roman Krems from the University of British Columbia. Dr. Krems will speak on the topic “Can quantum computers enhance machine learning?”
Abstract:
In this talk, I will describe how quantum computing and machine learning
can be combined to solve a machine learning problem that cannot be solved
on a classical computer. This will illustrate the quantum advantage of
quantum machine learning. I will then discuss how to build optimal quantum
machine learning models for practical applications. In particular, I will
show how to increase the complexity of quantum models in order to improve
their ability to infer from limited data. I will conclude by discussing
the title question.

Bio:

Roman Krems is a Professor of Chemistry and Distinguished University
Scholar at the University of British Columbia. He is also a member of the
computer science department at UBC and a principle investigator at the
Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute. His work is at the intersection
of quantum physics, machine learning and chemistry on problems of
relevance to quantum materials and quantum technologies. He is
particularly excited about applications of machine learning for solving
complex quantum problems and applications of quantum hardware for machine
learning. He is Fellow of the American Physical Society and Member of the
College of the Royal Society of Canada.

https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772 Passcode: [REDACTED]

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Mohammad Amin
2023-12-12 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Join us on Tuesday, December 12 at 2pm for a seminar by Dr. Mohammad Amin from D-Wave.
Mohammad will speak on the topic Critical scaling advantage in spin glass quantum optimization.

https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772 Passcode: [REDACTED]

Title: Critical scaling advantage in spin glass quantum optimization
Abstract:
More than two decades ago, experiments on disordered alloys suggested that spin-glasses could be brought into low-energy states faster through quantum annealing than through conventional thermal annealing. Replicating this phenomenon in a programmable processor has remained a central challenge in quantum optimization. In this presentation, I will provide the first experimental demonstration of the critical scaling advantage of quantum annealing compared to classical algorithms, utilizing a superconducting quantum annealing processor with thousands of qubits [1]. I will offer a theoretical explanation of this advantage through the dynamics of quantum phase transition in spin-glasses. By extracting critical exponents, I will show a clear distinction between quantum annealing and the slower stochastic dynamics of analogous Monte Carlo algorithms. Finally, I will present recent results on Quantum Error Mitigation as a near-term approach to reduce errors when estimating expectation values [2]. Using Zero-Noise Extrapolation in the quantum critical dynamics of a transverse-field Ising spin-chain, I will present the successful mitigation of static control errors and thermal noise, extending coherent annealing time by nearly an order of magnitude.
[1] King et al., Nature 617, 61 (2023).
[2] Amin et. al. arXiv:2311.01306.
Bio:
Dr. Mohammad Amin is a Fellow at D-Wave Quantum Inc. and an adjunct professor in the Physics department at Simon Fraser University. He earned his PhD in condensed matter physics from the University of British Columbia in 1999. Since joining D-Wave in 2000, Dr. Amin has played a pivotal role in the development of D-Wave’s large-scale quantum annealing processors, contributing to both theoretical and experimental understandings of their complex behavior. His expertise spans various domains, including superconducting qubits, noise and decoherence in superconducting circuits, the theory of open quantum systems, quantum critical phenomena, and quantum machine learning.

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Reuven Gordon
2024-01-09 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Join us on Tuesday, January 9 at 2pm for a seminar by Dr. Reuven Gordon from the University of Victoria.
Title: Isolating and Coupling Single Photon Emitters with Nanoaperture Optical Tweezers
Abstract: This talk will give an introduction to our nanoaperture optical tweezer approach, focussing on applications to quantum emitters. In particular, I will describe efforts to isolate single Erbium emitters in nanocrystals for single photon sources at fiber optic communication wavelengths, and to study resonant energy transfer between perovskite quantum dots. Recent work on tracking single proteins without labels or fluorescence will also be discussed.
Bio: Reuven Gordon is a Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada. He is a Fellow of Optica, SPIE and IEEE and he is Deputy Editor for Optics Express.
Join in Person:
SFU: WAC 7200
UVIC: EOW 430
Join on Zoom:
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772
Passcode: [REDACTED]
For more info:
bahiyyih.peters@ubc.ca
The Quantum BC Seminar Series happens on the second Tuesday of every month at 2pm

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Jeff McGuirk
2024-02-13 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Join us on Tuesday, February 13 at 2pm for a seminar by Dr. Jeff McGuirk from Simon Fraser University.
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772 Passcode: [REDACTED]

Seminar Title: Spin diffusion and domain wall dynamics in a nondegenerate ultracold gas
Abstract: The transport of spin in an ultracold gas can demonstrate how microscopic interactions lead to macroscopic dissipative and coherent effects. Subtle properties of individual two-atom interactions can dramatically alter behavior in bulk ensembles. Understanding these microscopic-macroscopic connections shows the importance of quantum mechanical processes to transport phenomena and may inform development of atom-based “spintronic” devices. We study spin dynamics and diffusion by initializing spin inhomogeneities, such as magnetic domains, in a weakly interacting gas just above quantum degeneracy and observing their time evolution. Our group has shown that spin diffusion can be sped, slowed, or even stopped by applying small effective magnetic fields. I will present results highlighting our attempts to understand, predict, and control the motion of spin domains in the nondegenerate regime through controlling the polarization and local Larmor precession of spins.
Bio: Dr. Jeff McGuirk is an Associate Professor of Physics at Simon Fraser University with expertise in the physics of ultracold atoms. Before joining SFU in 2004, Jeff performed his doctoral work on atom-based force sensors at Stanford and Yale and held a postdoctoral fellowship at JILA, where he worked on Bose-Einstein condensation. At SFU, the McGuirk research group is focused on experiments using ultracold atoms to explore the role of quantum symmetry in the spin dynamics of trapped atoms.

Quantum Days 2024
2024-02-21 - 2024-02-23 | BC
Save the Date!
Quantum Days February 21-23, 2024
Mark your calendars for Quantum Days 2024! From February 21st to 23rd, 2024, we’re bringing together the Canadian quantum community for an in-person event that you won’t want to miss. Location announcement coming soon!
Subscribe for updates here!

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Dr. Daochen Wang
2024-03-12 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Join us on Tuesday, March 12 at 2pm for a seminar by Dr. Daochen Wang from the University of British Columbia. The title of his seminar is Quantum Divide and Conquer.
Join on Zoom:
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772 Passcode: [REDACTED]
Title: Quantum Divide and Conquer
Abstract:
The divide-and-conquer framework, used extensively in classical algorithm design, recursively breaks a problem into smaller subproblems, along with some auxiliary work, to give a recurrence relation for the classical complexity. We describe a quantum divide-and-conquer framework that, in certain cases, yields quantum speedup through an analogous recurrence relation for the quantum query complexity. We apply this framework to obtain near-optimal quantum query complexities for various string problems, such as (i) recognizing regular languages; (ii) decision versions of String Rotation and String Suffix; and natural parameterized versions of (iii) Longest Increasing Subsequence and (iv) Longest Common Subsequence. Based on joint work with Andrew M. Childs, Robin Kothari, Matt Kovacs-Deak, and Aarthi Sundaram (arXiv:2210.06419).
Bio:
Dr. Daochen Wang obtained his PhD in Applied Mathematics from the University of Maryland under advisors Andrew Childs and Carl Miller. Before that, he obtained his Bachelors and Masters from the University of Cambridge.
Dr. Wang since moved to Vancouver to start as an Assistant Professor with the Department of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia this past October. He will research quantum computation and information.
He is interested in the structures beneath quantum speed-ups, algorithm design, and real-world applications. Recently Daochen has also become interested in quantum cryptography.

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Nadish de Silva
2024-04-09 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Join us on Tuesday, April 9 at 2pm for a seminar by Dr. Nadish de Silva from the University of British Columbia. The title of his seminar is Efficiently achieving fault-tolerant quantum computation via teleportation.

Join on Zoom:
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772 Passcode: [REDACTED]

Join in Person:
UBC: MCLD 3038
SFU: WAC 7200
UVIC: Online Only

Title:
Efficiently achieving fault-tolerant quantum computation via teleportation
Abstract:
Quantum computers operate by manipulating quantum systems that are particularly susceptible to noise. Classical redundancy-based error correction schemes cannot be applied as quantum data cannot be copied. These challenges can be overcome by using a variation of the ‘quantum teleportation’ protocol to implement those operations which cannot be easily done fault-tolerantly.
This process consumes expensive resources called ‘magic states’. The vast quantity of these resources states required for achieving fault-tolerance is a significant bottleneck for experimental implementations of universal quantum computers.
I will discuss a program of finding and classifying those quantum operations which can be performed with efficient use of magic state resources. I will focus on the understanding of not just qubits but also the higher-dimensional ‘qudit’ case. This is motivated by both practical reasons and for the resulting theoretical insights into the ultimate origin of quantum computational advantages. Research into these quantum operations has remained active from their discovery twenty-five years ago to the present.
The results in this talk will include joint work with Chen, Lautsch, and Bampounis-Barbosa.
Bio:
Nadish de Silva is a Canada Research Chair in the Mathematics of Quantum Computation and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Simon Fraser University. Broadly, his research interests include quantum information and computation; nonlocality and contextuality; and operator algebras and noncommutative geometry. He is keenly interested in helping to elucidate the structural origins of computational and communicational advantages in both concrete quantum models and abstract postclassical models. These questions sit at the foundations of logic, computer science, and physics, and involve disparate areas of maths: e.g. algorithms & complexity theory, functional analysis, number theory, and category theory.

Quantum BC Research Day
2024-04-26 | University of British Columbia, Macleod Room 3038, Vancouver, BC, Canada
Quantum BC Research Day
Friday, April 26, 2024
Welcome to our second annual Quantum BC Research Day! This year, join us at The University of British Columbia in the Fred Kaiser Building for a day filled with research talks, group discussions, a poster contest, and lots of networking. This event is for all faculty, industry, and students involved in quantum computing. See you there!
To sign up to present a poster, visit: QBC Research Day 2024 Poster Submission Form
This event will be in person and is sponsored by the Quantum Algorithms Institute and the UBC Quantum Computing Cluster.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/quantum-bc-research-day-2024-tickets-851165648367

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Dr. Joe Salfi
2024-05-14 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Join us on Tuesday, May 14 at 2pm for a seminar by Dr. Joe Salfi from the University of British Columbia. The title of his seminar is Scalable Quantum Computation With Spin.
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772 Passcode: [REDACTED]

Join in Person:
UBC: MCLD 3038
SFU: WAC 7200
UVIC: ELL 226

Title:
Scalable Quantum Computation With Spin
Abstract:
Spin in semiconductors have recently emerged as useful building blocks for solid-state quantum computation. Here I will describe my group’s research at UBC and QMI on development of components for scalable quantum computation with spin, including magnetic-field compatible superconducting quantum limited amplifiers and converters, and preliminary work on the design of a spin-based quantum transducer for building a quantum network. After this, I will turn to describing our efforts on developing a semiconductor quantum processor and simulator based on spins of quantum dots. I will conclude by briefly describing and a new collaborative multi-PI project at UBC and QMI on improving the scalability of control of quantum processors operating at cryogenic temperatures.
Bio:
Joseph Salfi completed at PhD at the University of Toronto in 2011. From 2011 to 2015 he was a postdoctoral research fellow at at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T), the international epicentre for silicon-based quantum computation. In 2016, he became junior faculty at the UNSW and CQC2T, after being awarded the prestigios ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award. Today he is an Assistant Professor at the University of British Columbia in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Department of Physics and Astronomy (by courtesy), and the lead Principal Investigator of the Grand Challenge in Quantum Computation at the Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (QMI) and Lead PI of the pan-Canadian Quantum Consortium on Quantum Simulation with Spin Qubits. His experiemental and theoretical research has overturned > 10 years of conventional wisdom by showing that spin qubits with appreciable intrinsic spin-orbit coupling, which make qubits easier to control interconnect electrically, is compatible with ultra-long qubit coherence times.

Quantum Photonics Workshop
2024-05-25 - 2024-05-29 | BC
The NSERC CREATE Quantum BC program and CMC Microsystems bring you a workshop on the design, fabrication, and testing of quantum silicon photonic circuits used in quantum computer hardware. We invite you to join the workshop taking place in person at The University of British Columbia from May 25 to 29, 2024.
The workshop will teach participants how to design, simulate, fabricate, and test their own quantum silicon photonic circuits. Students will gain an understanding of the fundamentals of quantum optics and how photonics can be used for quantum computing, and the types of problems that can be solved on photonic-based processors, particularly with Xanadu’s cloud-accessed quantum processor. During the workshop, students will practice creating a design and layout of a quantum silicon photonic circuit. Students will brainstorm and pitch their circuit ideas to researchers at leading universities and industry. After the workshop, students will have several months to complete their design and submit their circuits for fabrication by a foundry (Applied Nanotools) facilitated by CMC. Participants will test their chips using equipment at their own university or by their own arrangements, such as via a collaboration with the workshop instructors and/or visits to their facilities.
The focus of the workshop is on devices and circuits that can be fabricated in the chosen silicon photonics processes. The processes are based on silicon wafers with a choice of either Si or SiN waveguides surrounded by silicon oxide cladding (SiNOI or SOI), metal heaters for phase shifters, and a deep trench etch for edge coupling or photonic wire bond packaging to optical fibres.

https://www.cmc.ca/nserc-create-bc-cmc-quantum-photonics-workshop-2024/

INTEGRATED QUANTUM PHOTONICS WITH FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS
2024-05-31 09:00 - 20:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
WORKSHOP ON FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS FOR SILICON PHOTONICS

DATE: May 31, 2024, 9:00AM – 8:00PM (PT)
LOCATION: University of British Columbia
TARGET AUDIENCE: Researchers in silicon photonics, integrated quantum photonics, optical communications

Workshop objectives
Silicon photonics has penetrated intra data center communications, and long distance coherent communications. Silicon-based modulators have limits in performance scaling, and addition of new materials should be considered to silicon processes in order to advance communications technologies, and to enable next generation applications such as microwave signal processing, quantum transduction, quantum communications, and quantum computing. The class of materials known as ferroelectrics (lithium niobate, barium titanate, and others) is identified as promising for all these applications. This workshop seeks to build a community which will solve challenges ranging from materials to high volume fabrication for commercial applications.
Organizers: Sudip Shekhar (UBC), Lukas Chrostowski (UBC), Rogerio de Sousa (UVic)
Topics:

Thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) and Barium titanate (BTO) overview, applications, fabrication, commercialization
Panel discussion: Needs, candidates and compatibility for next generation modulators
Material requirements for non-linear and quantum optics
Material discovery targeting low optical loss, strong non-linearity and strong electro-optic effects
Fabrication processes for co-integration with silicon photonics

Lab tours:

Veeco Instruments GENxplor R&D Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) system, for the growth of oxide thin films, including ferroelectrics
JEOL JBX-8100FS 100 keV Electron-beam lithography system, capable of writing features as small as 5 nm on wafers up to 200 mm.
Vanguard Automation Sonata 1000, for hybrid integration of photonic materials using Photonic Wire Bonds

Register Here

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Dr. Nir Rotenberg
2024-06-11 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Join us on Tuesday, June 11 at 2pm for a seminar by Dr. Nir Rotenberg from Queens University.
Title: Towards quantum dot-based linear and nonlinear photonic networks
Abstract: Self-assembled quantum dots in nanophotonic structures are a wonderful platform for the exploration of fundamental physics and for quantum photonic technologies. Fundamentally, they allow for the controlled exploration of few-body effects and few-photon nonlinearities, while from a technical perspective they act as on-demand sources of single or entangled photons, all because of the high quality of both these emitters and the structures into which they are embedded. Recently, at Queen’s University, we have begun exploring other ways in which these properties could be used to realize quantum technologies, focusing on quantum photonic circuits. In this talk, I will discuss these efforts, covering what is possible if the circuits are fully linear or if nonlinearities are available, and highlighting roles that quantum dots may play.
Bio: Dr. Rotenberg leads the Quantum Nanophotonics Lab at Queen’s University in Canada, where he has been since mid 2020. The groups research focuses on controlling and exploiting light-matter interactions with quantum dots embedded on photonic chips. This continues a research direction from his time at the Niels Bohr Institute, before which he studied quantum optics with single organic molecules as a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Germany.

https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772 Passcode: [REDACTED]

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Himadri Shekhar Dhar
2024-07-09 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Join us on Tuesday, July 9 at 2pm for a seminar by Dr. Himadri Shekhar Dhar from IIT Bombay.

Join on Zoom:
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772 Passcode: [REDACTED]

Join in Person:
UBC: MCLD 3038
SFU: WAC 7200
UVIC: ELL 226
Seminar Title: Theoretical approaches to study quantum properties of collective states in a cavity
Seminar Abstract: The interaction of collective states of spins or atoms with a quantum resonator has been harnessed to build different platforms for quantum information processing ranging from quantum computing and simulation to metrology. In this talk, we look at a few theoretical and computational approaches to study the dynamics of these systems. First, we describe how powerful tensor-network methods can be used to investigate the transfer of quantum information from the states of a cavity to the collective states of an ensemble of qubits or spins. Secondly, we show how quantum sensing of rotational properties of collective states of an atomic superfluid can be enhanced by exploiting the tools of quantum optomechanics.

Bio: Himadri Shekhar Dhar is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India since February 2021. Prior to Mumbai, he was a research assistant at Imperial College London, United Kingdom (2019-2021) and a Lise-Meitner fellow at the Institute for Theoretical Physics, Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien), Austria (2016-2018). He finished his PhD in 2015 from the School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India and till 2016 was a postdoctoral fellow in Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Prayagraj, India. His research focus has been to unravel the physical nature of correlations that connect the various parts of complex and exquisite quantum systems, primarily from the perspective of theoretical quantum information and computing, optics and many-body physics. In recent years, he has been working on quantum dynamics and quantum information protocols in collective states, quantum light-matter interaction and hybrid systems, aiming at developing and optimising quantum technology.

Application Deadline for NSERC CREATE
2024-07-15 | BC
NSERC CREATE in Quantum Computing Program Page
Next application deadline is July 15, 2024 for Fall 2024 intake.
Eligibility:

Current or prospective graduate student at UBC, SFU or UVic
Interest in Quantum Computing with supervisor supporting your QC research

This unique training program will equip graduates with skills in both building quantum computing hardware and software.
This program, hosted by the Quantum Matter Institute at the University of British Columbia (UBC), is co-delivered by faculty at three BC universities (UBC, SFU and UVic) with collaboration from leading quantum hardware and software companies.
Students will acquire highly specialized technical expertise and commercial skills in both quantum computing hardware and software through a combination of hands-on workshops, research projects, industrial internships and professional development workshops to ensure job readiness among graduates pursuing careers in the emerging quantum computing technologies sector. Further information on the program can be found below.
This program is not a graduate program by itself. It is meant as “add on” training to a student’s degree program. Every student will have a home department and will take part in the CREATE Quantum Computing Program in addition to their other studies.
Steps to Apply:

Ensure you are eligible (a current or prospective Masters or PhD student at UBC, SFU or UVic)
Review the Scholar Handbook (see below) to learn more about the program
Fill out the Graduate Scholarship Application (see below) and submit with a CV and transcripts to the link provided.

For more information, please contact the Program Coordinator: bahiyyih.peters@ubc.ca
Apply Here

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Dr. Shohini Ghose
2024-09-10 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Quantum BC Seminar Series
Tuesday, September 10, 2024 at 2pm BC Time with Dr. Shohini Ghose

Join on Zoom:
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Seminar Title: Towards network quantum communication
Seminar Abstract:
Quantum approaches offer the promise of secure communications and novel schemes such as teleportation. A future quantum internet requires the development of quantum networking protocols as well as metrics to characterize and evaluate quantum resources and performance. This talk will describe our studies of multiparty protocols such as controlled teleportation, multiparty computation and private comparison, and evaluate their use for ensuring network security and privacy.

Short biography:
Shohini Ghose is a Professor of Physics and Computer Science at Wilfrid Laurier University and the Chief Technology Officer of the Quantum Algorithms Institute. She holds the NSERC Chair for Women in Science and Engineering (ON) and is the founding Director of the Laurier Centre for Women in Science. Her research focuses on quantum computation and communication. She and her research collaborators were the first to observe signatures of chaos in quantum entanglement, and to demonstrate the first programmable simulations of quantum chaos on a quantum computer. She has also developed new quantum communication protocols and methods to generate, concentrate and measure multiqubit entanglement. She is a member of Canada’s Quantum Advisory Council overseeing the National Quantum Strategy. Ghose is the recipient of several awards, including a TED Senior Fellowship and selection to the College of the Royal Society of Canada. Her 2023 book Her Space, Her Time: How trailblazing women scientists decoded the hidden universe has been shortlisted for the Science Writers and Communicators of Canada Book Award.

2024 Comm^2 Workshop at the University of Victoria
2024-11-07 12:00 - 2024-11-08 17:00 (America/Vancouver) | University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC, V8P 5C2, Canada
2024 Comm^2 workshop at the University of Victoria : Focus on Writing

Join us at the University of Victoria November 7th and 8th for the 2024 Comm^2 Workshop. The Comm^2 Workshop combines Commercialization and Communication and is an annual workshop as part of our NSERC CREATE in Quantum Computing Program.

This year, we will focus on written communication, including how that can be done for educational audiences and for commercial audiences.

Be sure to register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeCMlavi4oNJYQ2j_PgZTk2j5ABAoMhkHNTnf44IqQFAASuwA/viewform

We will have members of Xanadu, IBM, and the Quantum Algorithms Institute, as well as Quantum BC faculty.

Come prepared to get useful tips for your writing!

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Dr. Thomas Jennewein
2025-01-14 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
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=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772
Passcode: [REDACTED]

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.

Quantum Days 2025
2025-02-19 - 2025-02-21 | BC
Canada’s flagship quantum science and technology conference
February 19-21, 2025
Toronto, ON
Myhal Centre for Engineering Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Roadmapping Workshop 2025 at UBC
2025-03-06 - 2025-03-07 | BC
Details coming soon!

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Dr. Kirk Madison
2025-03-11 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Quantum BC Seminar Series
Tuesday, March 11, 2025 at 2pm BC Time with Dr. Kirk Madison

Join on Zoom:
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772
Passcode: [REDACTED]

Seminar Title:
Seminar Abstract:
Short biography:

Quantum BC Seminar Series - Dr. Andrew MacRae
2025-04-08 14:00 - 15:00 (America/Vancouver) | BC
Quantum BC Seminar Series
Tuesday, April 8, 2025 at 2pm BC Time with Dr. Andrew MacRae
Title:
Atom-Based Quantum Memories and Sources for Telecom Integration

Abstract:
I will provide an overview of the emerging concept of the quantum internet, exploring its foundational building blocks, its exciting potential, and the daunting challenges to making it work. I will then delve into three projects underway at the University of Victoria, each attempting to address some of these challenges: (1) Benchmarking and testing the field-deployability of a commercial quantum memory, (2) developing a wavelength conversion scheme from rubidium to telecom wavelengths for integration quantum memories with existing fiber-optic networks, and (3) designing a cavity-enhanced source of squeezed light to boost the efficiency of quantum communication protocols.

Bio:
Dr. Andrew MacRae obtained his PhD in 2012 in the group of Alexander Lvovsky at the University of Calgary. There, he developed a technique for time resolved quantum tomography of single photons for the first time. He then worked as a postdoc in the group of Dan Stamper-Kurn at the University of California at Berkeley, studying ultracold atoms in a spinor Bose Einstein Condensate, and developing methods for reaching unprecedented low temperatures. Following this he worked in industry, designing control algorithms for ultra-precision CNC machines. He joined the University of Victoria in 2016 as a Lab instructor and has since become an adjunct professor where he runs an AMO research lab.

Join on Zoom:
https://ubc.zoom.us/j/69443327772?pwd=[REDACTED]
Meeting ID: 694 4332 7772
Passcode: [REDACTED]
