Institute for Quantum Computing

The Institute for Quantum Computing was officially created in 2002, sparked by Research In Motion co-founder Mike Lazaridis and then-president of the University of Waterloo, David Johnston, for research into quantum information. Since inception, Lazaridis has provided more than $100 million in private funding for IQC. The institute is a collaboration between academia, the private sector, and the federal and provincial governments. Raymond Laflamme is the founding executive director.{{cite web|url=http://iqc.uwaterloo.ca/institute|title=About the Institute|publisher=Institute for Quantum Computing|access-date=17 August 2012|archive-date=August 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804125732/http://iqc.uwaterloo.ca/institute|url-status=dead}}

At its establishment, the institute was composed of only a handful of researchers from the Departments of Computer Science and Physics. Ten years later, there are more than 200 researchers across six departments within the Faculties of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering at the University of Waterloo.

In 2008, IQC moved into the Research Advancement Centre 1 (RAC I) in the University of Waterloo's Research & Technology Park. In 2010, research operations expanded into the adjacent building, Research Advancement Centre 2 (RAC II).

In 2012, IQC expanded into the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre. The 285,000-square-foot facility is shared with the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, and is built to stringent standards (controls for vibration, humidity, temperature, and electromagnetic radiation) for quantum and nanotechnology experiments. The building was designed by Toronto-based firm Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB).{{cite web|url=http://www.kpmbarchitects.com/index.asp?navid=30&fid1=&fid2=40&fid3=13&minyearx=2011&maxyearx=2012|title=University of Waterloo Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum Nano Centre|publisher=Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects|access-date=17 August 2012|archive-date=June 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140605052953/http://www.kpmbarchitects.com/index.asp?navid=30&fid1=&fid2=40&fid3=13&minyearx=2011&maxyearx=2012|url-status=dead}}

Research at IQC focuses on three main applications of quantum information science and technology using the physical sciences, mathematics and engineering from both theoretical and experimental perspectives.{{cite web|url=http://iqc.uwaterloo.ca/faculty-research|title=Faculty & Research|publisher=Institute for Quantum Computing|access-date=6 September 2012|archive-date=August 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804125751/http://iqc.uwaterloo.ca/faculty-research|url-status=dead}}

Areas of research currently studied at IQC include:

• quantum computing
• quantum communication
• quantum sensing
• quantum materials
• quantum engineering

In collaboration with the University of Waterloo, IQC offers research positions and advanced courses in the foundations, applications, and implementation of quantum information processing for graduate students. In addition, IQC also offers an interdisciplinary graduate program in Quantum Information which leads to MMath, MSc, MASc, and PhD degrees.{{cite web|url=http://iqc.uwaterloo.ca/welcome/graduate|title=Graduate Studies|publisher=Institute for Quantum Computing|access-date=6 September 2012|archive-date=August 4, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120804141543/http://iqc.uwaterloo.ca/welcome/graduate/|url-status=dead}}

IQC currently has offices and laboratories in both Research Advancement Centre I and II, located in the University of Waterloo's [http://www.rtpark.uwaterloo.ca/ David Johnston Research & Technology Park] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090227152537/http://rtpark.uwaterloo.ca/ |date=February 27, 2009 }}.

On 9 June 2008, Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis, together with Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty, University of Waterloo President David Johnston, and other guests officially broke ground on the project which will consist of three areas: one to house IQC, one for the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology, and a clean fabrication and metrology suite to be shared between the two institutes.{{cite web|url=http://iqc.uwaterloo.ca/news-events/archive/groundbreaking-for-the-mike-and-ophelia-lazaridis-quantum-nano-centre|title=Groundbreaking for the Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre|publisher=Institute for Quantum Computing|access-date=5 September 2012|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115145323/http://iqc.uwaterloo.ca/news-events/archive/groundbreaking-for-the-mike-and-ophelia-lazaridis-quantum-nano-centre|archive-date=January 15, 2013|url-status=dead}} It will house offices, laboratory space, and areas for collaboration among researchers. The QNC opened September 21, 2012.{{cite web |title=Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre Grand Opening |url=https://uwaterloo.ca/mike-ophelia-lazaridis-quantum-nano-centre/events/mike-ophelia-lazaridis-quantum-nano-centre-grand-opening |url-status=dead |access-date=5 September 2012 |publisher=University of Waterloo |archive-date=January 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130104172002/http://uwaterloo.ca/mike-ophelia-lazaridis-quantum-nano-centre/events/mike-ophelia-lazaridis-quantum-nano-centre-grand-opening }}

• Quantum computer
• Quantum cryptography
• Quantum information science
• Raymond Laflamme—past executive director, professor at IQC
• Anthony Leggett—winner of 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics and part-time faculty member at IQC

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• [https://uwaterloo.ca/institute-for-quantum-computing/ Institute for Quantum Computing]
• [https://www.youtube.com/user/QuantumIQC IQC YouTube channel]
• [https://twitter.com/QuantumIQC IQC Twitter feed]
• [http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/ Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics (PI)]

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• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081220160950/http://www2.cifar.ca/ Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR)]
• [http://www.innovation.ca/ Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)]
• [http://www.nserc.gc.ca/ Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC)]
• [http://www.chairs.gc.ca/ Canada Research Chair]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20130810110333/http://gov.on.ca/ Ontario Government]

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{{University of Waterloo}}

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Category:Research institutes in Canada

Category:Computer science institutes in Canada

Category:Quantum information science

Category:University of Waterloo

Category:2002 establishments in Ontario