annual report 2016
People Governing Board 10 Scientific Advisory Board 11 Introduction 12 – 27 Group Listings Letter from the Director 4 – 5 28 – 29 Other Staff CQT at a glance 6 – 7 30 – 31 Alumni 32 – 33 Introducing our new Chairman Projects in focus Are quantum machines better than 46 – 49 classical ones? When QCMC came to town 50 – 53 News Security in the age of quantum 54 – 56 CONTENTS computing News in brief 36 – 39 What do the data tell us? 57 – 59 Science updates 40 – 43 University arts festival takes 60 – 61 quantum flavour Listings Education Industry collaboration Papers 76 – 81 Earn a PhD at CQT 70 – 71 From research to the real world 64 – 65 Events 82 – 83 What comes next? 72 – 73 Future-ready cybersecurity 66 – 67 Outreach 84 – 85 for Singtel On the cover Visitors 86 – 87 On the front, CQT student Nguyen Chi Huan peers into an A quantum random number 67 Money Matters 88 – 89 apparatus that can isolate and trap a single atom between two mirrors. The goal is to make single photons interact generator Supporters 90 with the atom. Such atom-photon interfaces could be a building block for quantum computers, with the trapped atoms doing logic on information-carrying photons. The back photo shows a CQT lab in perspective.
LETTER FROM drafting policies for our new centre. I shall not tell you any anecdotes about them, for THE DIRECTOR they are very serious people today, but they stayed in touch, showing a genuine interest in our work. The two of them redefined for me the meaning of civil service. The annual report introductions I have been One narrative leads us to the corridors of writing for the last nine years follow a well- power. The year was 2000 and Tony Tan, at Or perhaps I can tell you a story about an established pattern. I write a few opening the time Deputy Prime Minister and Minister outreach event, during which Christian sentences, bits and pieces about the for Defence, took a personal interest in Kurtsiefer explained the magic of quantum research I found exciting, something about the Millennium Conference on Frontiers interference to a Singaporean boy. The glow outreach, contacts with industry, VIP visits, in Science, at which I gave an overview of thoughtful curiosity emanating from his face an occasional joke, and a word or two about of quantum computation. My subsequent made a big impact on me. At this moment, I the future. There are many accomplishments I meeting with Tony Tan and a long over-dinner understood that no matter how many ground- could write about this year too; however, allow conversation left me confused. I was not breaking papers, patents and quantum me to deviate from my usual pattern. used to politicians talking in an intelligent contraptions we produce, there would be and persuasive way about big problems that another legacy. We can shape how the next As we approach our tenth anniversary, I would science can address. generation sees and understands the world, like to offer a few, more personal, remarks on how they solve problems and how they will how CQT happened. I can refer you to the Another narrative takes us to the hawker make good use of quantum technologies. rest of this report for details of our new results, stalls and Indian eateries that I frequented projects and people, while I turn the clock with Kwek Leong Chuan and Kuldip Singh, I can tell many more stories, big and small, back. I'd like to share some memories I first talking mostly about quantum physics. funny and sentimental, but none of them give recalled for the book 50 Years of Science in Their enthusiasm for this emerging field was a truly comprehensive answer to the question Singapore (World Scientific, 2017). contagious. The journal club they ran brought of how it all happened. It just happened and I together faculty members, including Lai Choy am so glad that it happened, for I truly believe 2016 felt like the end of an era when Lam Heng, Oh Choo Hiap and Tan Eng Chye, who we were given an opportunity to create Chuan Leong, a distinguished civil servant despite heavy admin duties, found time to something exceptional. before his retirement, stepped down as discuss science. Chair of our Governing Board. His help was It is heartening to have the incoming Chair invaluable. Building expertise here in quantum Then I can tell a story about Chan Chui Theng, of our Governing Board, Singapore’s Chief technologies required strategic decisions. He a brave woman who decided to risk her job Defence Scientist Quek Gim Pew, describe was always available to discuss them with me security to offer temporary administrative CQT as "a jewel in Singapore's R&D and nudge me in the right direction. support (now in its tenth year) to a wacky ang landscape" (see pp. 32–33). We welcome his moh talking quantum mumbo-jumbo, and also help as we do our best to keep CQT sparkling. There is no narrative, simple or embellished, about her assistant, Evon Tan, who from day that can capture the pioneering spirit of the one defied causality (things got done before days when Singapore took the first step anyone asked for them). towards becoming a quantum island. It happened in a truly quantum fashion, in more Yet another narrative must include a than one way. wonderful duo from the Ministry of Education, Benny Lee and Perry Lim, who spent days 4 5 Centre for Quantum Technologies Annual Report 2016
The Centre for Quantum Technologies is a national Research Centre of Excellence in Singapore. It brings together quantum physicists and computer scientists to conduct interdisciplinary research into the foundations of quantum theory and the CQT ways quantum physics enables new technologies. The Centre was established in December 2007 with support from Singapore’s National Research CQT scientists are pushing the AT A GLANCE frontiers of human knowledge Foundation and Ministry of Education. CQT is and the future of technology. This hosted by the National University of Singapore massive experiment controls tiny quantum systems, positioning (NUS). The Centre also has stafg at Nanyang ultracold atoms close to the Technological University (NTU) and Singapore surface of superconducting circuits University of Technology and Design (SUTD). measuring less than one millimeter across. A goal of this project led by CQT's Rainer Dumke is to transfer information between the atoms and circuits. Stafg numbers Stafg nationalities Budget overview Publications 7,132,726 40% 15 19 Manpower 31 Asia Research Principal Assistants/ 0 < IF < 2 Investigators Associates 5% UK 9 4% 1,169,352 N/A 40 27 USA Equipments 3% Admin, IT 13 Postdocs Others IF > 10 & Research 109 2% Support Oceania 4,558,050 2 < IF < 5 64% 37 Other Operating Expenditure 22% Core 24% 5 < IF < 10 Singapore 53 Europe Postgraduate students 36% Count of CQT – NUS stafg Nationalities of all Spending over the Publications External research stafg, admin 2016 calendar year. during 2016 by as of 31 December 2016. See pp. 88 – 89 for stafg and students journal impact In addition, the Centre employed in 2016. details. factor (IF). has 18 visiting stafg. 6 7 Centre for Quantum Technologies Annual Report 2016
PEOPLE Meet the people behind the Centre's achievements
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