A Remarkable Journey: CQTech’s Visit to Purdue University and Chicago

Last April, Dr. Taha Rouabah, CQTech’s Pi, and Abdellah Tounsi, one of CQTech’s PhD students, traveled to the United States to deepen our collaborations with partners at Purdue University and in Chicago. Their three-week trip was filled with amazing discussions and scientific exchanges, and resulted in further collaborations for CQTech with US partners.

Collaboration with the SECQUOIA Research Group at Purdue University

Their visit began with a fruitful collaboration with the SECQUOIA (Systems Engineering via Classical and Quantum Optimization for Industrial Applications) research group, led by Professor David Esteban Bernal Neira at Purdue University’s Davidson School of Chemical Engineering. This collaboration provided a platform for discussing advanced research and exploring potential joint projects in quantum optimization, marking the start of a serious and long-term collaboration between SECQUOIA and CQTech that produced a first, of many to come, pre-print on how to augment quantum computers to estimate the ground energies of molecules using a modified Bayesian optimization.

The Presidential lecture by Nobel Laureate Prof. Moungi Bawendi

One of the trip’s highlights was attending the Presidential Lecture by Nobel Laureate Professor Moungi Bawendi. His presentation on quantum dots offered profound insights into the role these nanostructures play in the quantum technology landscape. The presentation enriched our understanding of the practical applications and theoretical foundations of quantum materials.

Quantum Summer School 2024: A Hub for Quantum Innovation

The Quantum Summer School 2024, organized by the Quantum Science Center (QSC) and sponsored by Purdue University and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, was a key event on their itinerary. The school gathered experts from various companies, including QuEra, Xanadu, Infleqtion, and Amazon Braket, bringing academia and industry together.

During the event, our researchers gave two main presentations: Abdellah Tounsi presented a poster titled “Optimized Topological Quantum Compilation of Three-Qubit Controlled Gates in the Fibonacci Anyon Model,” showcasing his research on quantum compilation techniques for topological quantum computing, and Dr. Taha Rouabah delivered a talk on “Braiding the Future: Unveiling the Fault-Tolerant Power of Topological Quantum Computing,” which explored advancements in topological quantum computing and its potential for fault-tolerant quantum systems.

They also attended several other talks, notably Ryan Lafler’s presentation on “The Future of Quantum Communications,” which provided insights into emerging quantum communication technologies, and Dr. Hiran Vedam’s talk on “Navigating the Startup Journey: Insights from Building High-Impact Climate Tech Ventures,” offering valuable perspectives on the entrepreneurial side of technology development.

More from CQTech at Purdue

In addition to their engagement in the Quantum Summer School, CQTech made significant contributions to the seminar series at Purdue University. Abdellah Tounsi’s talk on “Leveraging Quantum Utility: CQTech’s Insights from a Hackathon Journey” shed light on our team’s innovative approaches and experiences gained through hackathons in the quantum domain, focusing on our experience in QHack24.

Before heading to Chicago, Dr. Taha Rouabah had an enriching discussion with Professor Sabre Kais, Director of the Center for Quantum Technologies at Purdue University. This meeting provided CQTech with valuable insights into the latest advancements and future directions in quantum technologies. Their conversation not only highlighted the potential synergies between CQTech and the Center but also set the stage for future collaborative endeavors in the quantum research landscape.

A Final Talk and Meeting qBraid in Chicago

Their journey concluded in Chicago, where Dr. Taha Rouabah gave another talk on topological quantum computing at Lewis University and had the opportunity to meet with the qBraid team, reviewing previous collaborations with qBraid and discussing future ones. This meeting further expanded CQTech’s network and set the stage for future collaborations in the quantum field.

This visit to Purdue University and Chicago was a very productive experience for CQTech, where our researchers expanded our professional network and collaborations. The knowledge gained and connections made during this trip are set to propel our work in quantum technology forward.