FoQaCiA Workshop - Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics

Are you interested in the cutting-edge research and development of quantum computing?

Join us on April 30th at the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, Canada, for the FoQaCiA workshop. This event marks the halfway point of a collaboration between Canadian and European researchers focused on developing new foundational approaches to quantum computing. 

During the workshop, attendees will have the opportunity to engage with experts in the field and learn about the four central interrelated themes of the project, including quantum contextuality, non-classicality, and quantum advantage, the complexity of classical simulation of quantum computation, the arithmetic of quantum circuits, and the efficiency of fault-tolerant quantum computation. 

By attending this event, you'll gain insights and knowledge that will help you stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in quantum computing. Plus, you'll network with other professionals and researchers in the field. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to have an active role and contribute to the future success of quantum computing!

Canada joins the European Commission's Horizon Europe programme

Image credit: https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/

Canada has announced its decision to join the European Commission's Horizon Europe programme, bringing a major development for the scientific research community, 

According to a news report on Sciencebusiness.net, Anne Broadbent, FoQaCiA's Canada lead, credited FoQaCiA and other joint projects for paving the way for Canada's entry into Horizon Europe. 

By joining the programme, Canada is expected to access various funding opportunities and collaborations in multiple fields, such as health, environment, energy, and digital technologies.

Check the full news here.

Evaluating the “quantumness” of a quantum computer

Programmable optical circuits are one of the leading architectures for quantum information processing. They enable tests of key aspects of quantum mechanics, and they have various applications in fields like metrology, cryptography, and computation.

These devices handle information in a non-traditional way, using quantum states of light. As programmable optical circuits become larger and more complex, there is an increasing need for reliable methods to confirm their quantum capabilities and determine the most effective ways to use them for information processing.

INL researchers, in a strong collaboration with Sapienza University of Rome, CNR-INF (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche e Instituto Nazionale di Fotonica), and Politecnico di Milano, have recently published a new study that demonstrates how to certify several quantum properties of devices of increasing complexity. The paper was published on November 3rd in the journal Science Advances (full publication here).

The experiments, led by Prof Fabio Sciarrino and carried out at the Quantum Lab group in Sapienza University, certified the presence of genuine quantum characteristics such as contextuality and coherence in a programmable integrated optical circuit.

Dr Taira Giordani, lecturer at Sapienza University and member of the Quantum Lab team, explains that “this work is the first experimental application of this technique to quantify the computational resources provided by quantum mechanics in optical devices”. “Our results push novel techniques for the study of nonclassical resources. We expect that these findings will instigate the research on future certification of larger devices exploiting more complex quantum states of light”, concludes Prof Fabio Sciarrino.

Representation of the programmable integrated photonic chip used in this work. Waveguides are created by femtosecond laser writing on glass, and tunable currents at various resistors on the surface are used to program the device’s functioning.

The certification approach followed the methodology developed by the theoretical team led by Prof. Ernesto Galvão of INL, in Portugal, with the strong contribution of the two PhD candidates Rafael Wagner and Anita Camillini. The group leader adds that “this is a robust approach to certify quantum advantage for an imaging task known as quantum interrogation. The characterisation techniques certified both the presence and usefulness of genuine quantum characteristics for advantage in information processing.”

The precise testing of quantum properties was enabled by a fully reconfigurable integrated optical circuit featuring six waveguides, fabricated by the team led by Prof. Roberto Osellame of Politecnico di Milano.

This research line was supported by projects funded by the European Commission: ERC Advanced Grant QU-BOSS, and Horizon Europe’s FoQaCiA. It is also supported by Italy’s National Quantum Science and Technology Institute (NQSTI), and by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, in Portugal.

Other news sources:

Summer School 2023 - Postponed

We are unfortunate to announce that the summer school will be postponed due to grave and unforeseen circumstances. The FoQaCiA project has taken this decision as a precautionary measure in response to safety and well-being concerns.

We know many of you were eager to participate in the summer school program, and we share that excitement. However, postponing the program is the best decision, given the current situation.

We are carefully assessing the situation and exploring alternative arrangements to hold the summer school later. Further details on the timing and location will be communicated as soon as possible.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us at info@foqacia.org . Your feedback is important to us.

We thank you in advance for your understanding and patience. Our team is committed to finding a solution that works for everyone.

FoQaCiA is now live!

INL was the host site for the FoQaCiA - Foundations of Quantum Computacional Advantage inaugural meeting on November 2nd-4th, 2022.

Over three days, numerous discussions helped to create a dynamic hybrid environment that brought together the project's partners—five in-person at INL and seven online. The meeting's main goal was to organize the project's upcoming activities, such as online lectures, summer school, and regular meetings.

The University of British Columbia will oversee the consortium's Canadian side, while INL will oversee its European component.

We believe many collaborations between partners took their first steps during the event.