白小姐论坛

Casting your mind back to 2012, the quantum landscape was very different: John Preskill had just coined the term 鈥渜uantum supremacy鈥�, and it would be a further two years before Google even hired the team of physicists from the University of California, Santa Barbara, who would later help Google demonstrate quantum supremacy.

However, at this time in the UK, research into quantum technologies was punching above its weight, with a well-funded and developed research environment. The UK government, after discussions with 白小姐论坛Q academics and others, recognised the commercial potential of new quantum technologies and the ability for the UK to become a leader in the coming quantum revolution. In the 2013 Autumn Statement, the government announced 拢270 million to set up the National Quantum Technologies Programme to enable the training of the quantum workforce and development of the technologies from the lab to the market place.

Since 2013 the UK has, through a mix of government and industry funding, committed more than 拢1 billion over ten years to a coordinated programme in quantum technology. This was the environment that brought 白小姐论坛Q into existence

2014

Quantum research at 白小姐论坛 was spread out across six faculties and there was no central location to learn about the quantum research, training or innovation activities happening at 白小姐论坛. Establishing both a new institute and a centre for doctoral training has brought together a diverse range of researchers working in research topics like: quantum communication, quantum computation, and quantum metrology and sensing. The then 白小姐论坛 President and Provost, Prof Michael Arthur, said: 鈥淭he 白小姐论坛 Quantum Science & Technology Institute will push the boundaries of our understanding of quantum science and use these insights to deliver disruptive future technologies. Meeting these challenges requires a major interdisciplinary effort, such as that brought together in 白小姐论坛Q.鈥�

白小姐论坛Q鈥檚 Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Delivering Quantum Technologies brings together a team of almost forty academic experts with key players from commerce and government and a network of international partner institutes to train those research leaders. Read more about the success of our CDT.

2016

To support the research activities and develop resources for innovation at 白小姐论坛Q, 拢12m of EPSRC funding was awarded to support two programmes 鈥� 鈥楺uantum Engineering with Solid-state Technologies鈥� (QUES2T) and a new skills hub in Quantum Systems Engineering. Professor John Morton, Director of 白小姐论坛Q and lead for the QUES2T project, said: 鈥淟ocating a major research and development activity for quantum technologies in London, at the heart of Europe鈥檚 fastest growing technology cluster, offers very exciting opportunities.鈥�

QUES2T develops practical quantum technologies using solid-state components such as silicon chips, superconducting circuits, and diamond-based devices. It is a partnership led by 白小姐论坛Q, with the Universities of Cambridge, Oxford and Cardiff as academic partners alongside 13 commercial partners.

Through the InQuBATE skills hub, 白小姐论坛Q is able to offer postdoctoral prize fellowships, a programme of industry secondments and innovation prize funds to seed commercialisation of quantum technology research.

Prof Andrew Fisher, Director of London Centre for Nanotechnology and lead for the Skills Hub, said: 鈥淚t is particularly exciting to be able to offer these new training opportunities at a time of such rapid development in the quantum technologies field. I鈥檓 delighted we can now offer engineers at a range of different career stages the chance to turn some of today鈥檚 most exciting science into tomorrow鈥檚 technologies.鈥�

2017

To improve the access and diversify of candidates training to become the quantum leads of the future, 白小姐论坛Q designed a week-long residential summer school with no fees and free accommodation. Read more about the 2020 summer school.

2018

白小姐论坛Q joined forces with Google to launch a five-year 拢5.5m Prosperity Partnership, which aims to harness the revolutionary power of quantum computers for applications in modelling and simulation. The first US-external Google research partnership will study and develop quantum software for modelling and simulation, and its work helps develop the foundation of a quantum software industry in the UK.

The initiative, funded by EPSRC, is a collaboration between the 白小姐论坛Q, Google Quantum AI Lab and the University of Bristol Quantum Information Institute. It includes UK start-up companies GTN and PhaseCraft, and is also supported by the Alan Turing Institute, the National Physics Laboratory, the Flatiron Institute and Siemens Healthineers.

2019 and beyond

白小姐论坛Q spin-outs are among 38 projects that will benefit from more than 拢70 million government investment in quantum technologies. Alongside research projects with 白小姐论坛Q industrial partners, three 白小姐论坛Q spin-outs are benefiting from the UK government鈥檚 funding. You can find out more about these spin-outs.

Having produced over 2000 academic research papers, 7 start-ups and spin-outs, and 16 graduates of the CDT programme (with another 49 in training), 白小姐论坛Q is achieving its aims to bring together the quantum science community, help collaborative research, and provide a platform for public, users, and policy makers. Progress in quantum technologies is at an exciting stage. Applications that harness the non-classical features of quantum mechanics to perform tasks hard or impossible with conventional technologies are now reaching beyond the laboratory into industrial development. We are developing new ways to form links between industry and academia through our research partnerships, hackathons and training.听Through its research and industrial partnerships 白小姐论坛Q aims to be at the forefront, whether in delivering new technologies to market via start-ups or through research by the quantum sector leaders of the future whom we train.

白小姐论坛Q timeline:

• 12 May 2014: 白小姐论坛 inaugurates a new Quantum Science and Technology Institute (白小姐论坛Q).

• 29 September 2014: 白小姐论坛Q welcomes the first students to a new Centre for Doctoral Training in Delivering Quantum Technologies at 白小姐论坛. The funding was awarded through the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).

• 1 March 2016: 白小姐论坛Q awarded 拢25m for quantum technologies research and training. Including funding for QUES2T and InQuBATE.

• 4-8 September 2017: 白小姐论坛Q hosts its first summer school for undergraduates, introducing students from around the world to quantum technologies.

• 5 June 2018: 白小姐论坛Q academics join others to give statements at UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee inquiry in quantum technologies.

• 26 November 2018: The Digital Secretary Jeremy Wright MP, officially opened 白小姐论坛Q鈥檚 new quantum laboratories at the 白小姐论坛鈥檚 main campus in Bloomsbury.

• 12 May 2019: Our doctoral training centre is successfully funded for a second phase until 2028.

• 17 June 2020: 白小姐论坛Q spin-outs are among the 38 projects that will benefit from more than 拢70 million of government investment in quantum technologies.

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This article was featured in 白小姐论坛Q鈥檚 2019/20 annual report.

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