Funded by NSERC and D-Wave Systems, Inc. through a collaborative research and development grant.
D-Wave Systems is currently leading the way in the development of quantum computing technology that implements quantum annealing on networks of tunably-coupled superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). Its results are receiving widespread attention from the condensed matter and quantum computing communities as well as from the popular press.
Flux noise produces important limitation for the operation of the D-Wave quantum computer, leading to calibration errors in the target Hamiltonian. The objective of this research is to find optimal design strategies based on SQUID geometry and material composition that will minimize flux noise in D-Wave's quantum bits.
The project is expected to have direct impact on the performance of the D-Wave quantum annealing processors. It also presents a unique opportunity to train graduate students in an area that integrates fundamental research (magnetization dynamics and non-equilibrium effects in interacting spin systems) with exciting new technology being developed by a local company.
Funded by the Government of Canada’s New Frontiers in Research Fund - Exploration (Joint NFRF-E with Prof. Alexandre Brolo, UVic Chemistry).
The main objective of this research is to enhance the generation of entangled photons in photonic chips. The research requires a combination of expertise in the fields of materials' science, photonics, quantum computing, and quantum optics.
Conventional computational and communication technologies are reaching their limit. Quantum approaches are being sought to replace the current state-of-the-art. Devices that exploit the quantum behaviour of light use a few photons to achieve communication with 100% secure cryptography; they also enable the design of universal quantum computers that can solve problems that are intractable today. The key resource for quantum communication and computation with photons is the generation of entangled photon pairs. The standard method for the creation of entangled photon pairs requires high-powered laser systems and yet produces a very low yield of entangled photons. In this research, we are searching for novel mechanisms for the generation of entangled photons using low cost and low power light sources. If realized, this research has the potential to greatly accelerate the development of quantum technology and to completely change communication and computation as we know it today.
Funded by NSERC Discovery.
Quantum computers use bits that behave quantum mechanically (qubits) to solve important problems faster and better than conventional computers. This includes factoring large integers, searching disordered databases, diagonalizing matrices, and simulating molecules and materials. Prototype "noisy" quantum computers based on superconducting technology have been developed by many companies, and are now accessible over the cloud. However, the level of noise in current quantum computers is 10-100 times higher than the error correction threshold, hindering demonstrations of quantum advantage over conventional computers. This research program aims to formulate new models of noise and decoherence in solid state quantum computers, and relate them to the output of cloud-based devices, in order to develop strategies for noise mitigation.
This will be done through the development of novel theories of noise in the solid state environment of quantum computers. We will relate flux and charge noise to the character of the materials and interfaces in the chips that realize quantum hardware, and use these findings to improve the output of quantum algorithms in cloud-based devices. The research program will improve both quantum hardware and software in order to achieve the fundamental noise limit in the solid state environment. Its long term impact will be to transcend the era of noisy intermediate-scale quantum computers (NISQ), providing a route to the demonstration of quantum advantage in useful applications.
For more information, please watch the Canadian Association of Physicist's lecture From Quantum Mechanics to Quantum Computers.