The University of Queensland’s Professor Tom Stace has been selected to present at the Million Dollar International Quantum U Tech Accelerator, run by the US Air Force and US Navy.
Professor Stace will be joining keynote speaker and astrophysicist Dr Neil deGrasse Tyson, alongside a host of premiere quantum innovators, at the online event this week.
The UQ and ARC EQUS quantum researcher said he was looking forward to discussing a new kind of superconducting qubit for quantum computing.
“This research is fundamental to the advancement of quantum technologies,” he said.
“We’ve already had a number of research outputs, including a new proposal for a new kind of superconducting qubit for quantum computing.
“We called this new qubit a ‘dualmon’, as it builds on ideas from the kids of qubits that Google and IBM are developing, called ‘transmons’.
“The project was selected – by the US Air Force Research Laboratory – as their International Quantum Information Science workshop winner last year, so I’m keen to update the world on this work.”
The overarching event is a pitch program, where shortlisted applicants can pitch their ideas for new quantum technologies, which are looking to solve real-world problems.
Thirty-six finalists from 29 countries will compete for 18 seed investments to develop proof-of-principle research.
The hosts are agencies within the US Department of Defence who have various sensing, navigation, computational and communications challenges that quantum technologies may solve.
“The event is a great opportunity to secure funding for quantum researchers,” Professor Stace said.
“I’ll be speaking on Thursday evening Brisbane-time – from 11:10am to 11:30pm – so it’ll be a late one.
“Hopefully I’ll be able to capture the imagination of some of the other quantum researchers working in this space.
“I’m also part of a team that is pitching a new high-temperature ‘primary thermometer’ – one that requires no calibration – based on atomic spectroscopy using high precision lasers.
“We think this might have applications in measuring high-temperature combustion.
“It would of course have been great to meet the organisers and other participants in person, but obviously that’s not feasible at the moment.
“Even so, it’s going to be great to see a snapshot of where quantum-enabled technology will be heading.”
Registration to the event can be secured via the Million Dollar International Quantum U Tech Accelerator website.
