Type | Research institute |
---|---|
Director | Raymond Laflamme |
Location |
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Coordinates: 43°28′44″N 80°33′17″W / 43.478865°N 80.554853°W |
Affiliation | University of Waterloo |
Website | uwaterloo.ca/iqc |
The Institute for Quantum Computing, or IQC, located in Waterloo, Ontario, is an affiliate scientific research institute of the University of Waterloo with a multidisciplinary approach to the field of quantum information processing. IQC was founded in 2002 primarily through a donation made by Mike Lazaridis and his wife Ophelia whose substantial donations have continued over the years. The institute is now located in the Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre and the Research Advancement Centre at the University of Waterloo.
It is led by co-founder and physicist, Raymond Laflamme with researchers based in 6 departments across 3 faculties at the University of Waterloo. In addition to theoretical and experimental research on quantum computing, IQC also hosts academic conferences and workshops, short courses for undergraduate and high school students, and scientific outreach events including open houses and tours for the public.
The IQC seeks to harness quantum mechanics to develop transformational technologies that will benefit society and become a new engine of economic development in the 21st century. It aims to develop and advance quantum information science and technology at the highest international level through the collaboration of computer scientists, engineers, mathematicians and physical scientists.
The institute's three strategic objectives have been stated as:
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 and Michele Mosca is founding deputy director.