The Second Quantum Revolution: Will you join it?

The invention of devices like lasers and transistors was part of the first quantum revolution. The laws of quantum mechanics defined the collective properties of these devices which became the building blocks of present-day digital computing technology. Though tremendously powerful and extremely successful, these digital devices do not fully exploit the true power of quantum mechanics. That would require controlling individual quantum systems like a single atom or photon and thus providing access to exotic quantum properties like superposition and entanglement.  Starting in the mid-1980s with quantum control and detection of individual atoms, we now have access to a variety of controllable quantum systems, both natural and engineered, like trapped ions, superconducting electrical circuits and photons, to name a few. These new tools are bringing about the second quantum revolution in four broad areas of quantum technologies: Quantum Computing & Simulations for unparalleled processing power, Quantum Communication for ultra-secure communications, Quantum Sensing & Metrology for extremely sensitive detectors, and Quantum Materials for novel materials. 

In the first half of this talk, I will briefly introduce you to the key developments worldwide in the four broad areas mentioned above and highlight the highly interdisciplinary nature of this field involving Physicists, Computer Scientists, Mathematicians, Engineers, Chemists, and Biologists from both academia and industry. I will then focus on recent developments in India including the widely anticipated National Mission on Quantum Technologies and Applications (NMQTA) with a proposed budget of 8000 crores. I will then discuss how the extended TIFR and DAE family can leverage in-house expertise to make significant contributions to this very crucial area of science and technology. I will conclude by inviting all of you to take part in this opportunity to shape the second quantum revolution in India and beyond.

About the Speaker:
Dr. Vijayaraghavan completed his Bachelor's degree in Physics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi University in 1999. He spent two more years at the University of Cambridge pursuing a BA in Natural Sciences before starting a Ph.D. at Yale University in 2001. At Yale, he developed a new measurement technique for superconducting quantum bits. He continued work on improving quantum measurements during his postdoctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley which led to the first observation of quantum jumps and the first demonstration of quantum feedback in a solid-state quantum system. Since December 2012,  Vijay has been the Principal Investigator at the Quantum Measurement and Control Laboratory at TIFR where the main goal is to develop superior quantum processors and develop techniques to stabilize quantum states against decoherence. Some key highlights of this group's work include the development of a broadband ultralow noise amplifier for quantum measurements and a novel multi-qubit processor design. He is currently leading several projects to build small-scale quantum processors with funding from DRDO, TCS and DST.