INstitute for Transdisciplinary Research In Quantum computing
INTRIQ is a regroupement stratégique of FQRNT

Quantum Computing...

...is a field of research that aims at exploiting the strange properties of quantum mechanics to solve various problems arising in computer science and information theory. Borrowing form classical computer science, quantum computation  also offers unique insights on the foundations of quantum theory.

Headline


L'INTRIQ


INTRIQ is formaly a regroupement stratégique of FQRNT. It is an association of high profile scientists working in the field of quantum information processing from four universities and institutions of the province of Quebec (McGill University, École Polytechnique, Université de Montréal, Université de Sherbrooke).


The early years of quantum information and quantum communication closely follows the history of this field in Quebec, with the seminal work on quantum cryptography by Charles Bennett and Gilles Brassard (founder of INTRIQ) in the early eighties. This pioneer work by Quebec researchers continued and led, for instance, to the discovery of quantum teleportation in the early nineties by a group of researchers including two current INTRIQ members. From its initial birth at Université de Montréal, the field continued its expansion in the province to École polytechnique and McGill University, and more recently Université de Sherbrooke. This led to an active research community in this field, mainly centered on computer science.  By the year 2000, several physicists and engineers started to join the province’s effort in quantum information and a first mini-workshop on quantum information was organized in the Spring of 2005 with Quebec researchers across disciplines (engineering, physics and computer science). The moment was ripe to create an interdisciplinary center for quantum information in Quebec, which started as CIQ2 (Calcul et Information Quantique Québec) funded by participating universities and headed by Michael Hilke. In 2006, Brassard took over the initiative and expanded the center to create an institute (INTRIQ – Institut TRansdisciplinaire d'Informatique Quantique), which became a laboratory of the Centre de Recherches Mathématiques (CRM). In 2008, under an effort let by Hilke, INTRIQ was awarded the recognition by FQRNT to become an independently funded regroupement stratégique. After a further expansion, INTRIQ will be renewed in 2010 under the leadership of Alain Tapp.


INTRIQ’s group leaders encourage applications from talented students for master’s and Ph.D. degrees  as well as postdoctoral positions in computer science, engineering, mathematics and physics.