Top Alberta universities come together to study fundamentals of quantum science
CTV
Three Alberta universities are pooling their resources to investigate the fundamentals of quantum science, with a focus on driving innovation decades from now.
Three Alberta universities are pooling their resources to investigate the fundamentals of quantum science, with a focus on driving innovation decades from now.
"It's vital right now," said Rob Thompson, vice-president of research for Quantum Horizons Alberta.
"Because if we don't continue to push that end of our understanding of quantum (fundamentals), then 20 or 30 years from now, we'll run out of ideas."
Quantum physics, discovered in the early 1900s, is the study of the tiniest possible particles in the universe and allows for a deeper understanding of nature.
Quantum-powered tech is everywhere, from cellphones to home security systems to vehicles.
The current quantum industry, which includes semiconductors and medical imaging, relies on discoveries from three decades ago, said Thompson.
Scientists from the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge have received $25 million in private funding to answer several questions about the quantum world, which operates differently than the traditional understanding of physics.
