It'll be hard to follow that.
My name is Kimberly Hall. I've been a professor of physics at Dalhousie University for the past 18 years. Throughout my career, my research has focused on various areas of quantum technology, ranging from spin-based electronics to quantum spectroscopy on energy materials and the development of what are called quantum emitters.
In my group, we use specialized lasers—very short laser pulses that we engineer—to study how to control these systems optimally when applied, for example, to quantum state initialization or quantum simulation using optical control of solid-state semiconductor qubit systems.
I have benefited from the significant early investments that Canada has made in the quantum area, like Discovery, CFI and Canada research chairs. I've had involvement with industry through contracts awarded via the offset programs with Lockheed Martin and Rockwell Collins. One of my graduate students started a company several years ago that applies some of the quantum science we have learned to solar cell technology.
I'm coming from Dalhousie University. Dal is a U15 school. It has strengths in areas such as ocean science and energy generation and storage. In the quantum area, we have a lot of room to grow. I'm one of only three faculty members focused on this area. The other two—Peter Selinger and Julien Ross—work in quantum algorithm development, which is a very different area from mine. Along with Peter and Julien, I'm an example of the very large number of quantum researchers in Canada that are leading internationally in their fields, but are not located at one of the three main hub institutions in the Canadian quantum space.
It has been said many times already that the most important role of the strategy is to support the full quantum ecosystem. In doing so, we need to keep in mind that fundamental research and commercial innovation are much more tightly linked in the quantum area than in any other field. This is because applications are being developed in lockstep with the development of an understanding of the basic physics behind them. Companies are being formed around concepts that are promising but not well-defined yet in some cases, and that are fundamentally evolving as the science evolves.
In funding this ecosystem, it is essential to support collaborations between the academic and industrial sectors. There are many crucial areas of quantum science that have a great potential for future innovation, but for which the research is not yet at a stage where direct ties to industry make sense. These must be supported as well.
I'll give you an example. We, along with groups around the world, are discovering and developing new two-dimensional materials right now. These are single atomic layers of a material in which it turns out that simply stretching this very thin layer over a very small pillar creates what's called a quantum emitter. It is a source of single photons, which are essential in many areas of quantum technology. The interesting thing is that you can actually deposit this layer of atoms using something quite similar to scotch tape. This means that we can create an entire photonic circuit using the technology we have now and introduce quantum functionality by simply peeling and sticking these layers on top.
This may turn out to be a crucial step needed to get quantum photonic circuits to the commercial stage, but at this point, we are just peeling and sticking different kinds of materials for the first time and trying to figure out why these emitters form. This is an example of something that's very promising, but clearly not ready to be spun off into a company.
Another point I want to make is that the more excellent scientists and researchers we have tackling this field in Canada, the more excellent ideas, companies and products we are going to produce as a country. Two heads are better than one and we need many more heads than two. Great ideas can come from anywhere in the country. They can come from small institutions or large ones. They can come from people of many different cultures and visibly distinct groups. A healthy quantum ecosystem must have a broad base to prepare us for the next 20 years of innovation. The funding landscape must support this broad base.
In relation to this, it is true that as a country we are investing less in quantum than some other countries, so there's been considerable discussion in these meetings of the need to spend the funds strategically. No matter what amount of funding you start with, you must dedicate some of it to supporting the broad base or the ecosystem won't be healthy and we will all lose in the long term.
We must do better at this. The key is to have open competitions where excellence is the metric and to avoid the artificial barriers that can come into play from the structure of the funding program that we choose. For instance, I believe that a quantum supplement to Discovery grants would reach excellent researchers within a much broader range of contexts than some of the other programs that have been explicitly highlighted in the strategy. This would also increase the number of quantum trainees. The NRC challenge programs are also quite good.
Finally, I just wanted say that it is fantastic that these meetings are happening and that you will all have a chance to share what you have learned here with your constituents.
It is crucial that the public, if not understanding how quantum tech works, at least understands why it's important to invest in. This is not easy because people think they already have fast computers. By the time you explain what an NP-hard problem is, many of those who are not in math and science will have lost interest. It is much easier to remember examples like magnetic field sensors that will mean that when you get an MRI you won't have to get into a claustrophobic chamber that takes up half a room as well as a lot of energy, the gravitational sensors that may allow us to see if a culvert is blocked without digging up the ground, or the photonic sensors that enable us to see around corners.
We all know that big money is being invested in this area because of national security, not because of these other applications, but that is not the main consideration when it comes to effective outreach. The point is, whatever words you choose to describe the value of quantum please spread those words widely.