From Passion to Opportunity: How the Womanium Quantum Scholarship Event Fueled My Quantum Computing Path - Part 5

This series of articles address the Womanium Global Quantum Media Project. The event's remarkable insights and inspiring stories were covered in five articles.

Link to Part 1 - Link to Part 2 - Link to Part 3 - Link to Part 4

This one is the final article of the series. The Quantum Journey with the Womanium team comes to a halt here, at least by now. Let's move quickly to cover the last part of the WOMANIUM Global Quantum Scholarship.

Fourth Week (7/24-7/29)

The week was open by Brian McDermott from Naval Nuclear Laboratory (FMP) . He delivered a keynote lecture titled "Quantum Technologies for Nuclear Engineering". He pointed out that there are numerous greenfield opportunities for quantum technology within the nuclear engineering field. It may potentially enable significant advancements in simulation capabilities for design and maintenance. Furthermore, Quantum Sensing will lead to the development of smaller, more durable, and more precise instrumentation across the industry. Last but not least, all engineering organizations will require a quantum-literate workforce.

After this amazing lecture, Marlene K. , Wendy Casker and Rebecca Demarest Panzer from IonQ where in charge of a fantastic virtual lab tour regarding Trapped-Ion quantum computing technology.

Moving on, it was the time for a software bootcamp. Kathrin Spendier, Ph.D. from Quantinuum led the way. Her lecture titled "?Improving quantum circuit performance with TKET on H-Series devices and other platforms" showcased Quantinuum's SDK capabilities and features, which, from where I stand, are really amazing. TKET also includes ZX calculus, and their optimization techniques seem more powerful than the Qiskit ones (it is up to you to try it!).

In the next day, Christof Wunderlich from the Universit?t Siegen and eleQtron GmbH Co-CEO delivered the hardware lecture "Trapped-Ion Quantum Computing". He covered everything from the history of quantum mechanics to the latest developments in this technology. Some strong points for Trapped-Ions include:

• perfect qubits ready and localized (10nm)
• laser-cooled (micro and mili K)
• strong isolation from the environment that leads to long coherence times
• high single qubit gate fidelities (>99.9999%)
• pretty good two qubit gate fidelities (~99.91%)

After this, Kathrin Spender took the lead again with a Trapped-Ion Quantinuum's virtual lab tour.

The landscape was set again for a Hardware Panel. Caroline Figgatt from Quantinuum, Daria Gusenkova from IQM Quantum Computers , Pedro Leopoldo e Silva Lopes from QuEra Computing Inc. , Erik Eisenach, PhD from Quantum Brilliance and Yashna Lekhai from National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) engaged in an outstanding debate on hardware, showcasing the strenghts and challenges every technology have and face into the future.

Moving on, it was the time for real quantum applications. Utkarsh Azad from Xanadu , Sarfraz N. from 强生公司 , Kristin Milchanowski, Ph.D. from 安永 , Niklas Julius Müller and Dr. Barbara Wellmann from 德勤 , Sayonsom Chanda, Ph.D from National Renewable Energy Laboratory and Elizabeth Iwasawa from Leidos shared several current quantum applications and demonstrated how these companies are riding the wave of quantum computing. They highlighted that there are a significant number of business opportunities within this field.

The last activity was the Career Fair. We put all our efforts engaging with representatives from various companies, research institutions, and organizations that are actively involved in quantum research, development, and applications. These organizations included quantum computing companies, quantum software providers, quantum hardware manufacturers, quantum sensing companies, and more. Some of them were showcased in the series of articles and were also partners and sponsors of the Womanium Program. The training given by Shabin Raj and PRACHI VAKHARIA was determinant to sail this part.

Quantum Error Correction Module

During Saturdays in August, the program offered a module about Quantum Error Correction (QEC) delivered by Abdullah Khalid . The hardware of quantum computers is noisy, which prevents the execution of quantum algorithm. In order to reduce the impact of noise, quantum error correction is used to detect and correct errors. It was an introductory tutorial on quantum error correction. It first introduced classical error correction. It then helped us explore simple quantum error correcting codes. This was followed by a discussion of stabilizer quantum error-corecting codes, which are both very simple and are the most commonly studied and used codes. Further, we dove into Pauli Groups, Hilbert Spaces and Hamming code for classical approach. Great course to take from QWorld . A python library called Stac has been developed by Abdullah to work with quantum error correction techniques. Moreover, you can check his minibook on QEC.

Final Words

In conclusion, the Womanium Global Quantum Computing Program stands as a remarkable testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity in the realm of quantum technologies. Throughout its duration, the program has not only illuminated the groundbreaking work of women in quantum but has also underscored the critical importance of fostering diversity within this rapidly advancing field.

By providing a platform for knowledge-sharing, mentorship, and hands-on experience, the Womanium Program has successfully bridged gaps and broken down barriers, empowering aspiring women quantum scientists, engineers, and enthusiasts to unlock their full potential. The showcased achievements of participants, alongside the contributions of partners and sponsors, have collectively propelled the quantum community toward greater advancements and insights.

As we reflect on the journey of the Womanium Global Quantum Computing Program, it becomes evident that its impact extends beyond the program's duration. The connections made, skills honed, and perspectives shared will continue to shape the trajectory of quantum computing, creating a ripple effect that amplifies diversity, equality, and innovation.

Considering that Emmy Noether was one of the great mathematicians in history and delivered a theorem that could be as important as the Pythagorean theorem, almost 100 years ago she was seen as an outcast at the University of G?ttingen, especially by philosophers and philologists who rejected her from becoming a Privatdozent due to her being a woman. Despite being defended by D. Hilbert and F. Klein, the authorities claimed that she could never be a professor at G?ttingen because that would have demoralized the will of soldiers. A really non-sense. Seeing people like Marlou Slot, PhD leading this program nowadays, I think that things have changed a little. Further, we expect that Marlou could lead us to a real applicable quantum computer.

While this chapter of the program concludes, its legacy lives on in the minds and aspirations of those who participated and engaged with its mission. The continued collaboration and support of the quantum community will be pivotal in ensuring that the Womanium spirit endures, paving the way for more inclusive, equitable, and groundbreaking achievements in the fascinating realm of quantum computing. Be a Quantum Leader!