Ubiquity of control
Control engineering is now everywhere from aerospace to robotics, and Q-CTRL is the global leader in bringing this discipline to the quantum domain. Our aim, of course, is to address the number one problem in quantum technology - hardware errors - using the most advanced quantum control techniques.
While 'ubiquity of control' might not have the same ring as 'quantum of solace', it has the benefit of being based in physical reality.
This past week the Q-CTRL team has been busy getting that message out. In our post today we'll have a quick look at some of the events where our team has been in hot demand.
Meanwhile, our developers have been keeping busy, ensuring we build the best products to help you control your quantum future. We'll have some more discussion about the science behind our products next week.
IBM Think
As May got under way, IBM brought its Think-branded technology conference to Australia and New Zealand. Q-CTRL was invited along to talk about our role building a new quantum industry and collaborating via the IBM Q Network.
Q-CTRL founder and CEO, Professor Michael Biercuk, spoke at a busy Ideas Exchange session in Sydney about the tremendous potential of quantum technology. He also joined a panel discussion on the reality in quantum computing with IBM's Anna Phan, IBM Australia's head of research, Professor Iven Mareels and Professor Lloyd Hollenberg from the University of Melbourne.
"It was an opportunity to engage with an audience that was new to the ideas of quantum tech, but one full of leaders in industries now faced with the choice of whether to be part of the quantum revolution or to wait for it to sweep over them," Professor Biercuk said.
A few days earlier in the Auckland Think event, Dr Hush joined Anna Phan in conversation with Ten Network journalist and presenter, Hugh Riminton, sharing his excitement about the field.
Main Sequence Founders Day
While Professor Biercuk was at Sydney's International Convention Centre with IBM's Think event, across town Dr Hush and Q-CTRL's Chief Technology Officer Rob Love joined a workshop for start-up founders hosted by one of our venture-capital backers, Main Sequence Ventures. The event brought together the founders of Main Sequence Portfolio companies along with guest speakers from the technology industry, all sharing challenges and successes they have faced along the way.
"Founders Day gave us access to contacts who have been through the whole start-up cycle," Dr Hush said. Dr Hush added that being tied into a network where you learn from other's experience was extremely useful, and that he found the stories of other founders inspirational for the trajectory Q-CTRL is now on.
ADMA 18
Sensing technology is something to which quantum mechanics is remarkably well suited. The inherent instability of qubits is due to the fact they are so sensitive to the surrounding environment.
When you are trying to maintain quantum coherence to run algorithms, this is a huge problem. However, it means that by using the right control technology, you can turn this instability into a powerful sensing tool.
Our Quantum Control Engineer, Virginia Frey, travelled to Adelaide last week to present an invited talk at ADMA'18: International Workshop on Advanced Magnetometry for Defense Applications. There she presented her work developing quantum control techniques to assist quantum magnetometers function in "cluttered" environments. This work has the potential to dramatically enhance the performance of magnetometers with only "software" solutions - a theme in Q-CTRL products.
This is an area of high priority development for Q-CTRL. Our next product phase will see the roll-out of Fire Opal, providing quantum control solutions for the defense and aerospace industries.
Been a great first day at the AMDA’18 workshop - The first in the series that addresses Advanced Magnetometry for Defence Applications. pic.twitter.com/qKJ8oDl3eT
— Andre Luiten (@ClockDude) April 30, 2018
New hires
For those of you with a sharp eye, you'll have noticed a couple of extra names have been added to our staff list. You'll hear more about our team over the coming weeks and months, but a quick shout out to our two newest members.
Dr Per Liebermann joins us as a Consulting Senior Quantum Control Engineer based in Germany. He brings deep expertise in optimal control theory and the physics of superconducting circuits for quantum computing.
Dimitri Mikadze is a Senior Front-end Engineer who will be working to ensure your experience using our products is smooth and seamless. Dimitri is based in Tbilisi, Georgia, and brings with him tremendous experience in the development, testing, and continuous integration of web and mobile applications with a particular focus on security and performance.
