By Tina Shaygan
The University of Calgary Institute for Quantum Science and Technology was launched last week, providing new research and work opportunities for students in the faculty of science.
According to IQST director and physics professor Barry Sanders, the institute will focus on four pillars of research: quantum information, quantum optics, molecular modeling and nanotechnology.
“Some people refer to the 21st century as the quantum age,” Sanders said. “The usual way we learn science without quantum no longer applies.”
The IQST is the only institute in Western Canada to concentrate on quantum research. The University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo have similar institutes in Eastern Canada.
“Alberta is the province that has been gifted with the leadership and nanotechnology in Canada,” Sanders said. “The idea is to create the foundation for outstanding quantum research.”
The IQST receives $2 million in annual funding from the Canada Foundation for Innovation and Discovery Grant.
IQST currently consists of 100 members and has plans to award intern scholarships to undergraduate science students.
“We are racing into an era where we need to know quantum and the purpose of this institute is to give us that foundation,” Sanders said.