Diverse quantum research aims to improve the accessibility and understanding of complex quantum concepts
The eighth round of the Quantum Quest Seed Fund (QQSF) was targeted at the Faculty of Arts and intended to encourage ideas and uncover opportunities from diverse fields outside of the scope of researchers working day-to-day with quantum devices. This resulted in project awards to Dr. Lai-Tze Fan, a Professor in the Department of Sociology […]
June 7, 2023
Folk Understanding of Quantum Physics
Summary It is often said that quantum concepts are counterintuitive. However, quantum concepts may not be equally counterintuitive to people from all cultural backgrounds. As cultural psychologists have discovered, culture fundamentally shapes the way people make sense of the world. In particular, the last few decades of research have documented cultural differences in appreciation of […]
March 24, 2021
Using Interactive Digital Storytelling to Represent Transformative Quantum Technologies in Augmented/Extended Reality Environments
Summary A major roadblock to the broader adoption of quantum technologies is the long learning curve associated with their seemingly abstract concepts. This often renders quantum technologies inaccessible to most audiences, especially through explanations using conventional scientific language. In this project, we develop novel methods of interactive digital storytelling – augmented and extended reality (AR/XR) […]
February 24, 2021
Repurposing potential drug candidates for the treatment of COVID-19
Summary The main protease (Mpro) in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), has emerged as a promising drug target. The scientific community has produced a large number of crystallographic structures of the protease, which mediates viral replication and transcription. These structures report several fragments with varied chemotypes […]
May 6, 2020
Rydberg Atom Array Quantum Simulator
Summary Quantum simulators enable probing the static and dynamic properties of correlated quantum many-body systems that would otherwise be numerically inaccessible using classical simulators. We are developing quantum simulators based on arrays of neutral atoms excited to Rydberg states. Such Rydberg atom arrays are advantageous for simulating the dynamics of interacting spin systems (Ising spin […]
February 27, 2020
Quantum Simulations of Fundamental Interactions
Summary To address questions in modern physics such as “what is the structure of matter inside neutron stars?” we need better computational methods to evaluate the interplay of fundamental forces between elementary particles. To-date the response to such questions rests on numerical computer simulations that are inherently limited. In this project, we develop new theoretical […]
April 18, 2019
Combined momentum- and real-space photoelectric probes of dimensionality-tuned Weyl semimetals
Summary The library of two-dimensional (2D) materials has recently grown to include topological insulators and semimetals. Their incorporation in special device geometries may lead to novel quantum electronics with enhanced functionalities. Weyl semimetals, in particular, offer the most robust form of topological protection. Recent results from our group indicate that Weyl nodes should be […]
March 12, 2019
Zero-Dimensional Quantum Materials for the Next Generation of Highly-Selective Chemical Sensors
Summary Heavy metals are a major public health concern and their on-site detection in water supplies is not well served by existing lab techniques. We develop a new multi-modal platform comprising functionalized quantum dots of two-dimensional materials (2D-QDs) for the sensing of four highly-toxic heavy metal pollutants (arsenic, cadmium, lead and mercury). The zero-dimensional […]
March 11, 2019
Canadian Graduate Quantum Conference 2019
Canadian Graduate Quantum Conference 2019 Event to be held from June 3-6, 2019 As members of the organizing committee of the Canadian Graduate Quantum Conference (CGQC), we are happy to invite your students to join us for the second edition of the conference. The goal of this conference is to build bridges between graduate […]
February 5, 2019
Scanning Tunneling Microscopy of Quantum Materials, Devices and Molecules
Summary This project advances our ability to characterize and study novel quantum materials, quantum devices, and even individual molecules at the atomic level. By combining Non-Contact Atomic Force Microscopy (NC-AFM), Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and scanning gate methods, we correlate spatial information with transport properties and can locally manipulate charge, spin and structural states. […]
January 28, 2019
Quantum Quest Seed Fund Round 4 Update
Friday, November 2, 2018 TQT is happy to announce that the Quantum Quest Seed Fund is open to applications from all faculties. The application deadline has also been extended to November 30th. New this round is the opportunity to build joint projects with the other quantum research initiatives supported by CFREF at Universite de Sherbrooke […]
November 2, 2018
Chiral Quantum Antenna Based on Multilayer Metasurface
Summary Individual atoms can act as stationary qubits and thus serve as nodes in quantum computing networks or as memories for quantum repeaters. However, to successfully use qubits based on single atoms suspended in free space, photons emitted by a single atom need to be efficiently collected. Conventionally, this can be done with high […]
September 20, 2018
Inverse Photoemission Spectroscopy of Quantum Materials
Summary Quantum materials that exhibit strong electron correlations lead to phenomena, such as superconductivity and topologically protected states, that are important for quantum computation, sensing, and other applications. For example, we may utilize symmetry protected topological states to make qubits that are robust against decoherence, while advances in high temperature superconductors may significantly reduce […]
September 20, 2018
Spin-transfer Torque Magnetic Random Access Memory for On-chip Spin Information Storage
Summary Leakage power in semiconductor memories, such as Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Static Random Access Memory (SRAM), can be substantial and is one of the limits for scalability of classical electronics. This is attributed to the fact that the information stored is volatile, requiring constant refreshing, as well as reprogramming upon powering […]
August 6, 2018
TQT Opens Round Three of the Quantum Quest Seed Fund
Monday, May 28, 2018 TQT is pleased to announce that the third round of the Quantum Quest Seed Fund (QQSF) is now open to applications. The QQSF is a two-year grant meant to support UW tenure-track faculty working on new ideas in quantum research. For more information, see the QQSF page. The deadline for […]
May 28, 2018
Waterloo chemists create faster and more efficient way to process information
Friday, May 11, 2018 University of Waterloo chemists have found a much faster and more efficient way to store and process information by expanding the limitations of how the flow of electricity can be used and managed. In a recently released study, the chemists discovered that light can induce magnetization in certain semiconductors – the standard […]
May 14, 2018
Canadian Graduate Quantum Conference
What is CGQC? Welcome to the first annual Canadian Graduate Quantum Conference! The conference is organized by graduate students for graduate students! This conference aims to foster collaborations and provide a survey of the exciting research in quantum physics taking place across Canada. Work with other graduate students, hear about current research initiatives in Canada, and […]
March 21, 2018
Plasmon Control of Quantum States in Semiconductor Nanocrystals
Summary Thanks to the light-induced collective oscillations of free charges at the boundary between a conducting material and a dielectric, known as surface plasmon resonance, metallic nanostructures can exhibit strong light absorption and scattering. The sensitivity of these resonances to the local environment and shape of the metallic structures allows them to be used, […]
March 21, 2018
A new way to use neutrons
Monday, March 12, 2018 Novel neutron interferometry technique is more powerful and practical. Researchers at the Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), in collaboration with researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Institute of Health (NIH), have developed a neutron interferometry technique that is more powerful, robust and practical than […]
March 12, 2018
Quantum Quest Seed Fund Information Session
On November 1, 2017, Transformative Quantum Technologies will host a Quantum Quest Seed Fund (QQSF) information session between noon and 1pm.
October 19, 2017