The United Nations has designated 2025 the International Year of Quantum Science & Technology, marking 100 years since the beginning of the modern era of quantum mechanics.
As part of that celebration, the Faculty of Arts & Science’s Centre for Quantum Information & Quantum Computing (CQIQC, pronounced “see-quick”) partnered with Deep Tech Canada to hold the Quantum Days conference at the University of Toronto.
A&S News talked to Dvira Segal, a professor of chemical physics from the faculty’s Departments of Chemistry and Physics and director of CQIQC, about the conference, the centre and this year of global quantum awareness.
Most people think quantum technology is far removed from their everyday experience. Can you explain the ways it touches people’s lives?
Quantum mechanics is at the core of lots of research and applications in chemistry, physics and engineering. There is a quantum component to many day-to-day applications. In fact, a lot of the everyday technology we rely on actually works because of quantum effects in transistors in computers, lasers and even MRI machines used for medical imaging.
The new wave of excitement in quantum science stems from new conceptual and technical abilities to isolate, manipulate and measure quantum systems. These advancements open up new possibilities for creating new type of devices, machines that not only allow us to observe quantum behavior, but actually use it to compute, sense and communicate — all using quantum principles.
This level of control is a game changer, and it is what drives the development of, for example, quantum computers, with the promise of tackling some difficult problems that classical computers cannot. Another area that is getting a lot of attention is quantum sensors, which can detect signals at a higher sensitivity than classical sensors. Then, there is a whole new world of quantum materials, where quantum phenomena create new properties. Discovering such materials with unique electronic and magnetic properties is a very active field, and U of T is leading the way. One example is graphene, along with similar single-layered lattices as they manifest unique electronic phases. And finally, quantum communication networks promise ultrasecure data transmission, since the communication protocol is based on the ultimate universal laws of nature.
At CQIQC, with our core focus on quantum information and its control, we contribute to these exciting developments, both in basic science and now moving more and more to applications.
What is CQIQC’s mission?
At U of T, we have quantum researchers working across different departments and faculties who are members of the centre. But because they are spread out, it’s not easy for them to interact; it’s particularly not easy for students to connect with other students when not working in the same department.
CQIQC is our umbrella organization sitting above the different units and faculties, and we’re able to put together programs that allow researchers from the different departments to interact and share knowledge, whether it's through seminars, conferences, workshops or fun lunches.
We also build connections with other regional centres throughout Canada; and of course, we enable our researchers to share and collaborate with the international quantum community.
Speaking of which, CQIQC was a partner in organizing the Quantum Days 2025 conference earlier this year. Can you tell us more about it?
We partnered with Deep Tech Canada this year to organize Quantum Days. It’s a Canadian conference focused on building and strengthening the Canadian quantum community. It brings together researchers and students from academia, government representatives and industry leaders. The event serves us to share and discuss the latest research breakthroughs, strategize research and investments, build academia-industry relations, and learn from each other on how we should be training students.
The first three Quantum Days conferences were virtual due to the pandemic and this year’s was only the second in-person event. It was a fantastic experience with over 400 attendees, engaging speakers from all over the country, and many energetic students presenting their research in a very crowded poster session. It was very successful despite the double challenges of a very big snowstorm and a crash landing that shut down Pearson International Airport!
What’s in the future for CQIQC?
We have big ambitions. We want to grow and expand quantum research at U of T beyond its traditional impact areas in chemistry and physics. For example, quantum sensors could see applications in medical imaging, astronomy, navigation and, of course, basic science. Similarly, quantum algorithms bring the promise of tackling large optimization problems better than classical methods with potential applications in finance and logistics.
Another area of impact for CQIQC stems from securing funding from Mitacs in the form of an Accelerate umbrella agreement to support industry internships for students and postdocs in the field of quantum computing. This program makes recruitment faster and easier for companies. Our objective for the future is that every PhD student in the quantum field at U of T will have the opportunity to intern in a relevant quantum company.
And closer to home, because it’s a special year, we have plans for more public outreach throughout 2025 — the year of quantum will be an exciting year!