Building a quantum powerhouse in the US Midwest

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Hello, and welcome to the Physics World weekly
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podcast.
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I'm Hamish Johnston.
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In this episode,
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I'm very pleased to be in conversation
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with two
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leading lights of the quantum science and technology
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community
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in The US state of Illinois.
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They are Priti Chalsani
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and David Auchalam.
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That interview is coming up after this message
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from American Elements.
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Now invent.
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Priti and David, welcome to the podcast.
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Hi, Himesh. Thanks for having us. Hamish, likewise.
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Great to be here. So, Preeti, you're chief
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quantum officer at Intersect
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Illinois.
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Can you tell us, a bit about the
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organization
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and your role within it?
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Sure. Happy to.
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So IntraSC Illinois is a nonprofit
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organization,
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a public private partnership.
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We are essentially the state's business and economic
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development arm
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for statewide
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business and economic development. So
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in Illinois, like most other states, cities
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might have their own business development and economic
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development arms. Intersect Illinois focuses on the state
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of Illinois.
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Our mission is to bring growth to Illinois,
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so in the form of jobs,
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companies,
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investments,
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and also sort of doing what it takes
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to,
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ensure that that happens. So maybe we,
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also,
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get involved in infrastructure development
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that will help towards job creation or business
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creation.
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And then when we also,
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work
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very closely with companies or entities that are
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looking to
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grow or expand in Illinois or who are
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looking to come to Illinois
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to help make,
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you know, the necessary connections for them, whether
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they need connections to government organizations or professional
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services
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or certainly, especially in the industry, work in
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connections to,
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to
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researchers or universities
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and talent. And so we work very closely
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with
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other organizations
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throughout the state, including,
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the Chicago Quantum Exchange,
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or research organizations,
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other companies, etcetera.
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And
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my role was created very recently.
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I am the inaugural chief quantum officer for
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Illinois.
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And, really, what it is is a testament
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to the state's
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focus on this industry.
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Our governor,
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as many of you may know already, is
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really,
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he has,
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he has an interest in this,
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industry
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that comes from many different
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motivations.
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One being Illinois has been at the forefront
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of, you know, innovations in science and technology
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for many decades now, thanks to our great,
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educational research institutions.
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But
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in the past, a lot of the
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economic development
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from those innovations
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happens outside of Illinois.
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And there's a real desire to change that
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narrative.
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And then I think Illinois has been at
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the forefront of quantum science and technology, and
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you'll hear more from that more from David
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on that, I'm sure.
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And so it's trying to get ahead of
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this and be like, this is great. What
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can we do to ensure
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that the science and this technology continues to
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develop,
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and it continues to develop locally?
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So the idea behind creating my role is
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to have someone who's focused on this
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and not doing this as part of 18
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other things that they're,
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focused on.
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Oh, that's great. That's really interesting. I have
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to say, when when I heard that Illinois
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has a chief quantum officer,
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I thought we we've definitely got to get
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that person on the podcast because it sounds
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like it sounds like such a fantastic job.
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You know, not to say, David, that your
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job isn't fantastic at all. And, you're you're
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the director of the Chicago
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Quantum Exchange,
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which is one of the largest quantum consortiums
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in The US. Can can you tell us
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a bit about that,
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organization
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and your role within it?
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No. Thanks. Of course. I'd be happy to,
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and I'm glad to know I'm not entirely
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useless. So I I appreciate the introduction.
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So,
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yeah, as you mentioned, the Chicago Quantum Exchange
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or the CQE as we call it, it's
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a regional hub that spans Illinois, Wisconsin,
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and Indiana,
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and the intent really is to advance the
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science and engineering of quantum information
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to prepare the future quantum workforce
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and help drive the quantum economy.
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And one of the things we do is
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this is done in very tight collaboration with
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leading universities,
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two national laboratories,
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and more than 50 industry partners
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that we've organized in the last decade here.
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And with these partners, the CQE has had,
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I think, relatively broad impacts in this space.
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We've
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we've launched more than a 100 joint research
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projects with companies. We provided
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some of the first quantum experiences for our
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students,
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joint industry postdocs with companies like IBM and
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others,
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online professional courses
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that help current
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scientists and engineers in industry pivot
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from traditional technologies into quantum.
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And we lead the commercialization and workforce developments
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in this region spanning the three different states.
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I should also mention one thing that we
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did early on with Preeti, who used to
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be actually with the CQE before Yes. She
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went to the state,
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which was we co launched Duality, which is
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the first quantum startup accelerator
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in the country.
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And it supports that over two dozen quantum
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companies that have grown in this region. So
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I I think these deep cross sector partnerships
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that are growing in this ecosystem has sort
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of set the stage of what we've been
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seeing here in the last several years.
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For example, the US Department of Commerce has
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listed
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us as one of two national quantum tech
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hubs for quantum technologies.
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Let us bring in companies, like EeroQ and
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Cy Quantum into the region. And as Preeti
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will probably talk about later, it's led to
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the development working with the governor of the
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Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics
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Park.
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So we did launch this in 02/2017.
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And in terms of my own role, as
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you mentioned, I'm very lucky to serve as
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the inaugural director
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where my intent is to coordinate some of
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these activities, identify
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some of the most promising opportunities
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in science and technology,
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and to work with people like Priti and
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her organization
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to make this region grow as efficiently as
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possible.
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So I I guess, you know, in the
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end, we've convened academic
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and industry and government leaders.
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We have yearly
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summits here in the Midwest. It's a once
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a year big program called the Quantum Summit.
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Actually, the next one is this November,
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and we'll hear from people like Tara Shimato,
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who's the CEO of Toshiba,
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Sila Mertzbacher, who's the executive director of the
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US Quantum Economic Development Consortium.
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So that's what we do here.
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Oh, that's great. And I I should point
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out that Celia Mertzbacher has also been on
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the, the Physics World Weekly podcast.
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And, I'll I'll I'll I'll put a link
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to that,
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to that interview in the notes for this
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episode.
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I wanted to add something else to what
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David mentioned and what you said.
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CQE is certainly one of the largest
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consortia,
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in quantum. But, also,
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even more importantly, maybe it's one of the
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first ones, and
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that has played a big role in
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creating momentum in our ecosystem.
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So,
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I wanna
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make sure that we understand. It's also one
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of the earliest.
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Well, thanks, Priti.
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David, can you can you give us a
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flavor of some of the the quantum science
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and technology
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that that's being done in Illinois at the
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moment? I know that that you're an active
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researcher
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in that field. Could you may maybe start
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with some of the work that you're involved
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in and then branch out?
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Yeah. It's a very thing. That's a very
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dangerous thing to ask a physicist to talk
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about their research.
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It's okay. It's a physics world podcast. I
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know. But there'll be no there'll be no
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time left for Preeti. So maybe I can
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take I could I could step back a
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little bit and revisit this a little bit
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later, in our discussion. But, you know, I
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think one of the things that we did,
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as Preeti mentioned, we started this very early.
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So the quantum science and technology efforts here
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in Illinois are very broad and very deep,
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and the intent when we built this was
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to span basic research like my own work,
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to the industrial development
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and applications, and do this all together. And
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I think one of the unique ways that
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Illinois approached this area
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is to develop, first of all, outstanding basic
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research programs,
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but also to engage industry for collaborative research
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at the very beginning.
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So this latter point, I think, is really
284
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important for people to appreciate.
285
00:10:51,660 --> 00:10:52,799
The history of microelectronics
286
00:10:53,259 --> 00:10:55,259
taught us a pretty important lesson in collaborating
287
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with industry,
288
00:10:56,539 --> 00:10:57,279
which is
289
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do it at the beginning.
290
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Don't wait for research results to appear. Wait
291
00:11:02,379 --> 00:11:03,440
a decade later.
292
00:11:04,085 --> 00:11:05,524
Try and sort out if it might or
293
00:11:05,524 --> 00:11:07,684
might not be relevant to technology and then
294
00:11:07,684 --> 00:11:08,665
think about transition.
295
00:11:09,365 --> 00:11:11,365
What we've learned is that this type of
296
00:11:11,365 --> 00:11:13,225
engine works much more efficiently
297
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if you do it together cooperatively at the
298
00:11:16,004 --> 00:11:16,745
very beginning.
299
00:11:17,299 --> 00:11:19,059
And to be clear, it doesn't mean we're
300
00:11:19,059 --> 00:11:20,919
doing work at service to industry.
301
00:11:21,379 --> 00:11:23,860
It means that industry is watching what's going
302
00:11:23,860 --> 00:11:26,899
on, you know, in house and saying, oh,
303
00:11:26,899 --> 00:11:28,100
you know what that thing you just saw
304
00:11:28,100 --> 00:11:30,179
in your lab? This could be really important
305
00:11:30,179 --> 00:11:30,839
to us.
306
00:11:31,384 --> 00:11:33,304
So this style enabled us to prepare for
307
00:11:33,304 --> 00:11:36,985
unexpected opportunities in what's clearly a rapidly changing
308
00:11:36,985 --> 00:11:37,485
area.
309
00:11:38,184 --> 00:11:40,745
So to your point, we focused on quantum
310
00:11:40,745 --> 00:11:41,245
sensing,
311
00:11:41,865 --> 00:11:42,845
quantum communication,
312
00:11:43,625 --> 00:11:46,044
quantum computing, and algorithm development.
313
00:11:46,750 --> 00:11:48,910
So the idea was not to pick an
314
00:11:48,910 --> 00:11:51,470
early winner because we think that's impossible for
315
00:11:51,470 --> 00:11:52,210
a new field,
316
00:11:52,590 --> 00:11:54,509
but to invest broadly like a type of
317
00:11:54,509 --> 00:11:57,309
quantum mutual fund. You may not know exactly
318
00:11:57,309 --> 00:11:59,009
what's going to peak, so
319
00:11:59,710 --> 00:12:00,930
you you invest.
320
00:12:01,584 --> 00:12:04,225
And we appreciate also that in quantum science,
321
00:12:04,225 --> 00:12:06,464
all of these areas are actually connected and
322
00:12:06,464 --> 00:12:08,325
ultimately will be physically entangled.
323
00:12:09,184 --> 00:12:11,504
So it's impossible to predict the high impact
324
00:12:11,504 --> 00:12:13,424
areas of a new field, and we thought
325
00:12:13,424 --> 00:12:15,424
this was quite an effective strategy for the
326
00:12:15,424 --> 00:12:16,164
long game.
327
00:12:17,059 --> 00:12:19,139
So I can tell you to a point
328
00:12:19,139 --> 00:12:20,980
you mentioned a little earlier. I this made
329
00:12:20,980 --> 00:12:23,620
us appreciate early on how important it is
330
00:12:23,620 --> 00:12:25,639
to develop a quantum ready workforce
331
00:12:26,259 --> 00:12:27,320
in order to succeed.
332
00:12:28,259 --> 00:12:30,500
And this had to be integrated as well
333
00:12:30,500 --> 00:12:32,519
because without a quantum ready workforce,
334
00:12:33,035 --> 00:12:34,174
none of this will happen.
335
00:12:34,475 --> 00:12:35,615
So that's quite integrated.
336
00:12:36,554 --> 00:12:39,195
And this type of tight connection has actually
337
00:12:39,195 --> 00:12:42,495
led to some remarkable acceleration of homegrown startups
338
00:12:43,035 --> 00:12:44,894
where students doing the basic research
339
00:12:45,434 --> 00:12:47,370
have picked bits of what they've done
340
00:12:47,929 --> 00:12:49,929
and have developed an appreciation of where it
341
00:12:49,929 --> 00:12:51,529
may lead to an application as part of
342
00:12:51,529 --> 00:12:54,110
their training. That's led to startups like MemQ
343
00:12:54,169 --> 00:12:56,330
and Inflexion and Qubrade. There are lots of
344
00:12:56,330 --> 00:12:57,149
others here.
345
00:12:57,610 --> 00:12:59,370
So while I'm happy a little later to
346
00:12:59,370 --> 00:13:01,690
talk about some of our own developments, which
347
00:13:01,690 --> 00:13:03,309
will be great for us to chat about,
348
00:13:03,504 --> 00:13:06,384
I think this broad perspective in how science
349
00:13:06,384 --> 00:13:09,204
has spun out into industry is really important
350
00:13:09,264 --> 00:13:10,964
and really important for this field.
351
00:13:12,625 --> 00:13:15,264
I see. And, Preeti, you've spent a a
352
00:13:15,264 --> 00:13:17,664
good chunk of your career working at the
353
00:13:17,664 --> 00:13:18,964
interface between
354
00:13:19,709 --> 00:13:20,610
academic science,
355
00:13:21,230 --> 00:13:21,730
industry,
356
00:13:22,269 --> 00:13:22,929
and government.
357
00:13:23,470 --> 00:13:25,629
Can you what what what is the plan,
358
00:13:26,110 --> 00:13:28,449
in Illinois to take these
359
00:13:28,909 --> 00:13:31,789
breakthroughs that are that are being done in
360
00:13:31,789 --> 00:13:33,730
David and others' labs
361
00:13:34,184 --> 00:13:36,764
and and turn them into in into business
362
00:13:37,144 --> 00:13:37,644
opportunities?
363
00:13:39,705 --> 00:13:42,024
Yeah. It's a great question, and I'm so
364
00:13:42,024 --> 00:13:42,524
glad,
365
00:13:42,985 --> 00:13:44,125
David focuses
366
00:13:44,664 --> 00:13:45,804
on that aspect
367
00:13:46,184 --> 00:13:47,804
in addition to the
368
00:13:48,209 --> 00:13:51,350
to the scientific achievements that we have,
369
00:13:51,970 --> 00:13:53,110
created in this,
370
00:13:53,649 --> 00:13:54,549
in our region.
371
00:13:55,730 --> 00:13:56,470
I think
372
00:13:57,730 --> 00:14:00,149
for any type of technological
373
00:14:00,610 --> 00:14:01,110
advancements,
374
00:14:02,014 --> 00:14:02,514
it's,
375
00:14:03,134 --> 00:14:04,894
you know, it's a marathon. It's not a
376
00:14:04,894 --> 00:14:07,455
sprint. It requires a lot of different types
377
00:14:07,455 --> 00:14:08,195
of resources,
378
00:14:09,054 --> 00:14:09,554
funding,
379
00:14:09,934 --> 00:14:10,434
infrastructure,
380
00:14:11,535 --> 00:14:14,115
talent, and workforce, which David mentioned,
381
00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:16,300
and partnerships
382
00:14:16,759 --> 00:14:20,279
both at the, you know, the early end
383
00:14:20,279 --> 00:14:22,519
of the spectrum, partnerships with r and d
384
00:14:22,519 --> 00:14:23,019
organizations
385
00:14:24,040 --> 00:14:24,779
to ensure,
386
00:14:26,279 --> 00:14:30,195
that cutting edge advancements and research are connected
387
00:14:30,195 --> 00:14:32,054
to the, to the technology
388
00:14:32,835 --> 00:14:33,815
as well as,
389
00:14:35,154 --> 00:14:37,335
strategic partnerships at the other end,
390
00:14:38,035 --> 00:14:39,095
connecting with,
391
00:14:39,634 --> 00:14:40,774
you know, corporations
392
00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:43,779
who might help with go to market strategy
393
00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:46,179
or with the technology development.
394
00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:47,700
So Illinois,
395
00:14:48,399 --> 00:14:50,639
and all of our organizations are taking a
396
00:14:50,639 --> 00:14:53,920
really holistic approach and making sure that we
397
00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:55,335
understand what it takes
398
00:14:56,134 --> 00:14:59,975
to, to support these types of startups and,
399
00:15:00,695 --> 00:15:03,035
and work on developing each of those aspects.
400
00:15:03,575 --> 00:15:05,754
So for example, the state has created
401
00:15:06,295 --> 00:15:06,955
a whole,
402
00:15:07,495 --> 00:15:08,475
suite of incentives
403
00:15:08,934 --> 00:15:10,475
that will support startups
404
00:15:11,039 --> 00:15:14,240
and specifically startups which are pre revenue. Right?
405
00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:14,740
So,
406
00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:18,080
income tax credits don't really mean much when
407
00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:19,379
you're not making profits.
408
00:15:20,879 --> 00:15:24,684
So things like payroll withholding, things like venture
409
00:15:24,684 --> 00:15:26,784
investments for early stage startups.
410
00:15:27,164 --> 00:15:29,325
The state has created these as a way
411
00:15:29,325 --> 00:15:32,304
of catalyzing investments from the private sector.
412
00:15:33,084 --> 00:15:33,825
We're also,
413
00:15:34,445 --> 00:15:34,945
supporting
414
00:15:35,325 --> 00:15:38,524
and creating infrastructure, things like the Illinois Quantum
415
00:15:38,524 --> 00:15:39,184
and Microelectronics
416
00:15:39,730 --> 00:15:40,230
Spark,
417
00:15:41,809 --> 00:15:44,129
you know, in order to build on all
418
00:15:44,129 --> 00:15:44,950
of the infrastructure
419
00:15:45,809 --> 00:15:48,950
development at universities and innovation hubs.
420
00:15:49,809 --> 00:15:50,309
We're,
421
00:15:51,090 --> 00:15:51,590
really
422
00:15:52,129 --> 00:15:53,269
looking to support
423
00:15:54,105 --> 00:15:54,585
and,
424
00:15:55,144 --> 00:15:56,684
working with other organizations
425
00:15:57,225 --> 00:15:57,965
to create
426
00:15:58,424 --> 00:16:01,884
innovative workforce development programs to be able to
427
00:16:02,664 --> 00:16:06,125
keep these, startups and, technology companies,
428
00:16:07,659 --> 00:16:09,360
you know, supplied with
429
00:16:09,980 --> 00:16:11,120
this real,
430
00:16:12,059 --> 00:16:13,039
you know, really
431
00:16:13,419 --> 00:16:14,720
scarce resource.
432
00:16:15,899 --> 00:16:17,899
And then, overall, like, you know, I think
433
00:16:17,899 --> 00:16:20,059
what's really important is to create density in
434
00:16:20,059 --> 00:16:20,799
an ecosystem.
435
00:16:21,179 --> 00:16:21,825
So we're,
436
00:16:22,225 --> 00:16:25,024
again, working with everybody across the region and
437
00:16:25,024 --> 00:16:28,404
the, the ecosystem to make sure that we're,
438
00:16:29,345 --> 00:16:30,884
creating a support network,
439
00:16:31,585 --> 00:16:32,085
where
440
00:16:32,705 --> 00:16:34,325
natural collisions between
441
00:16:34,940 --> 00:16:37,360
large companies, small companies, researchers,
442
00:16:37,980 --> 00:16:38,480
investors,
443
00:16:39,339 --> 00:16:41,440
the public happens naturally,
444
00:16:42,059 --> 00:16:44,460
and we there's a real sense of an
445
00:16:44,460 --> 00:16:45,600
ecosystem here.
446
00:16:48,055 --> 00:16:49,014
I see. Had
447
00:16:50,375 --> 00:16:53,274
it's funny. You you mentioned collisions. Of course,
448
00:16:53,654 --> 00:16:56,795
Illinois is blessed with two national labs,
449
00:16:57,815 --> 00:17:00,795
Fermilab, which, of course, is famous for colliding
450
00:17:00,855 --> 00:17:01,355
particles,
451
00:17:01,879 --> 00:17:02,620
and Argonne
452
00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:03,980
National Lab,
453
00:17:04,279 --> 00:17:06,220
as well as several leading
454
00:17:06,839 --> 00:17:07,339
universities.
455
00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:10,140
So, I mean, it almost seems like
456
00:17:10,519 --> 00:17:11,980
the region or the state
457
00:17:12,279 --> 00:17:13,579
should have emerged
458
00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:14,380
naturally
459
00:17:14,815 --> 00:17:15,634
as a hub
460
00:17:16,255 --> 00:17:16,835
of quantum
461
00:17:17,375 --> 00:17:17,875
innovation.
462
00:17:18,335 --> 00:17:20,494
But was there also a lot of hard
463
00:17:20,494 --> 00:17:20,994
work,
464
00:17:21,855 --> 00:17:24,755
you know, from you, Preeti and David
465
00:17:25,295 --> 00:17:26,434
in in making,
466
00:17:27,695 --> 00:17:28,994
Illinois a quantum
467
00:17:29,799 --> 00:17:31,019
a quantum leader?
468
00:17:34,440 --> 00:17:36,519
I will take the first shot at this
469
00:17:36,519 --> 00:17:38,839
with a very simple answer saying, yes. A
470
00:17:38,839 --> 00:17:41,559
lot of work. Right? Like, just so, yes,
471
00:17:41,559 --> 00:17:42,779
we have these foundational
472
00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:43,580
assets,
473
00:17:44,785 --> 00:17:45,924
national labs,
474
00:17:47,025 --> 00:17:48,085
really amazing,
475
00:17:49,025 --> 00:17:49,525
universities.
476
00:17:51,505 --> 00:17:52,005
But
477
00:17:52,305 --> 00:17:53,684
just having those
478
00:17:54,384 --> 00:17:56,625
doesn't do a whole lot on its own.
479
00:17:56,625 --> 00:17:57,605
You need catalysts
480
00:17:58,369 --> 00:18:01,029
like the Chicago Quantum Exchange, like
481
00:18:01,490 --> 00:18:04,369
the work that was done by some of
482
00:18:04,369 --> 00:18:07,410
the early leaders, including David, in seeing what
483
00:18:07,410 --> 00:18:08,230
was possible
484
00:18:09,410 --> 00:18:11,570
in creating a space where we could think
485
00:18:11,570 --> 00:18:12,470
more collectively
486
00:18:13,009 --> 00:18:13,509
about
487
00:18:13,875 --> 00:18:16,174
how we could support these large,
488
00:18:17,234 --> 00:18:17,734
collaborative,
489
00:18:18,994 --> 00:18:20,535
partnerships, collaborative, you
490
00:18:21,634 --> 00:18:22,535
know, organizations,
491
00:18:23,555 --> 00:18:26,755
and how we could build support from the
492
00:18:26,755 --> 00:18:28,454
state, from the federal government,
493
00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:30,140
from the private sector
494
00:18:30,519 --> 00:18:32,460
to make it into something bigger.
495
00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:35,080
And that's something, I think, that is unique
496
00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:36,539
to our ecosystem. So,
497
00:18:37,799 --> 00:18:40,700
California has a number of amazing institutions,
498
00:18:41,494 --> 00:18:44,134
but you don't have an ecosystem for quantum
499
00:18:44,134 --> 00:18:45,894
the way you do here, and that's what's
500
00:18:45,894 --> 00:18:47,115
missing, the catalysts
501
00:18:47,734 --> 00:18:50,475
and, really, the glue that binds everything together.
502
00:18:51,815 --> 00:18:54,555
But I'll I'll also make sure that David,
503
00:18:55,015 --> 00:18:56,295
I know he has a lot to say
504
00:18:56,295 --> 00:18:57,849
on this, that Halo.
505
00:18:58,710 --> 00:19:01,670
Well, I I think Preeti made this, really
506
00:19:01,670 --> 00:19:02,170
nicely
507
00:19:02,869 --> 00:19:04,789
stated. I mean, it I agree. It was
508
00:19:04,789 --> 00:19:06,150
a lot of hard work, and it's still
509
00:19:06,150 --> 00:19:07,210
a lot of hard work
510
00:19:07,670 --> 00:19:08,970
taking different visions,
511
00:19:09,349 --> 00:19:10,490
coalescing them,
512
00:19:11,154 --> 00:19:12,674
and we can trace it back to more
513
00:19:12,674 --> 00:19:14,835
than a dozen years here and, honestly, to
514
00:19:14,835 --> 00:19:16,835
a series of pretty bold decisions by the
515
00:19:16,835 --> 00:19:17,974
University of Chicago.
516
00:19:18,755 --> 00:19:20,595
And I say that not not just because
517
00:19:20,595 --> 00:19:22,835
I'm here now, but because they were willing
518
00:19:22,835 --> 00:19:23,734
to be a pioneer
519
00:19:24,355 --> 00:19:26,869
Yeah. To invest in this nascent field in
520
00:19:26,869 --> 00:19:29,690
really big ways well before it became obvious
521
00:19:30,789 --> 00:19:32,630
that things were moving the way they are
522
00:19:32,630 --> 00:19:33,130
today.
523
00:19:33,750 --> 00:19:36,309
So you're right, Hamish. The region was already
524
00:19:36,309 --> 00:19:39,450
home to world leading quantum scientists and institutions,
525
00:19:39,750 --> 00:19:40,250
but
526
00:19:41,195 --> 00:19:43,075
with some discussion, the University of Chicago saw
527
00:19:43,075 --> 00:19:45,275
a genuine opportunity to make our region the
528
00:19:45,275 --> 00:19:47,055
national hub for quantum technology,
529
00:19:47,515 --> 00:19:49,595
and very few others were thinking this way
530
00:19:49,595 --> 00:19:50,815
in 02/2012.
531
00:19:51,515 --> 00:19:53,615
It made these investments both risky
532
00:19:53,994 --> 00:19:55,375
and remarkably visionary.
533
00:19:55,740 --> 00:19:57,579
So I I like to joke that I'm
534
00:19:57,579 --> 00:19:59,679
very good at spending other people's money.
535
00:20:00,619 --> 00:20:02,140
The making money can be more of a
536
00:20:02,140 --> 00:20:02,640
challenge,
537
00:20:03,259 --> 00:20:06,859
but I generally admire the university, Billy, being
538
00:20:06,859 --> 00:20:09,644
willing to take this remarkable risk. And,
539
00:20:11,404 --> 00:20:13,505
you know, please understand, this was a serious
540
00:20:13,644 --> 00:20:14,625
financial investment,
541
00:20:15,724 --> 00:20:16,865
to make at a time
542
00:20:17,164 --> 00:20:18,845
where it wasn't obvious how this would go.
543
00:20:18,845 --> 00:20:21,005
And I think the Midwest attitude of thinking
544
00:20:21,005 --> 00:20:23,325
big, you know, the famous quote, no small
545
00:20:23,325 --> 00:20:23,825
ideas,
546
00:20:24,569 --> 00:20:26,829
in the Midwest was really a driver here.
547
00:20:27,450 --> 00:20:29,369
So, I mean, for example, the university through
548
00:20:29,369 --> 00:20:31,549
the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering,
549
00:20:32,009 --> 00:20:32,990
which was built,
550
00:20:34,250 --> 00:20:36,809
at the same time, created the first PhD
551
00:20:36,809 --> 00:20:38,909
program in the nation for quantum science engineering.
552
00:20:39,535 --> 00:20:42,035
It built the first school of molecular engineering,
553
00:20:42,174 --> 00:20:43,954
the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering,
554
00:20:44,494 --> 00:20:46,815
and one of the four cornerstones of that
555
00:20:46,815 --> 00:20:47,875
was quantum engineering.
556
00:20:48,575 --> 00:20:49,795
We talked about the CQE,
557
00:20:50,575 --> 00:20:51,075
and
558
00:20:51,775 --> 00:20:54,174
now now we're hundreds of industry projects and
559
00:20:54,174 --> 00:20:57,349
the startup accelerators and, you know, student projects,
560
00:21:00,369 --> 00:21:01,190
things have gone
561
00:21:01,889 --> 00:21:04,450
better than we thought. And in to Preeti's
562
00:21:04,450 --> 00:21:04,950
point,
563
00:21:05,409 --> 00:21:07,750
the governor of Illinois has been an extraordinary
564
00:21:08,049 --> 00:21:08,549
supporter
565
00:21:08,849 --> 00:21:11,714
and champion of this effort, an ambassador globally
566
00:21:11,714 --> 00:21:12,214
even
567
00:21:12,835 --> 00:21:14,755
of speaking to companies around the world to
568
00:21:14,755 --> 00:21:15,654
bring them here.
569
00:21:16,434 --> 00:21:19,154
He's helped us understand the potential of this
570
00:21:19,154 --> 00:21:21,634
field in ways I certainly didn't understand. I
571
00:21:21,634 --> 00:21:23,154
honestly I never thought in my life I
572
00:21:23,154 --> 00:21:24,455
would spend time with the governor,
573
00:21:25,154 --> 00:21:25,974
as a physicist,
574
00:21:26,509 --> 00:21:28,450
and we've learned a lot from him.
575
00:21:29,309 --> 00:21:31,869
And this partnership, I think, is quite unique
576
00:21:31,869 --> 00:21:33,089
to this part of the country.
577
00:21:34,909 --> 00:21:37,069
And, Preeti, I wanted to ask you about
578
00:21:37,069 --> 00:21:37,809
the Illinois
579
00:21:38,109 --> 00:21:39,569
Quantum and Microelectronics
580
00:21:40,750 --> 00:21:43,674
Park, which is currently being built on
581
00:21:44,055 --> 00:21:44,875
Lake Michigan,
582
00:21:45,414 --> 00:21:47,975
sort of right at the Southern edge of
583
00:21:47,975 --> 00:21:50,394
Chicago, I suppose, in an in an area
584
00:21:50,934 --> 00:21:52,715
that maybe used to be very
585
00:21:53,095 --> 00:21:53,595
industrial
586
00:21:54,650 --> 00:21:56,269
but, is not
587
00:21:56,809 --> 00:21:57,289
that,
588
00:21:57,690 --> 00:21:58,190
industrial
589
00:21:58,490 --> 00:21:58,990
anymore.
590
00:22:00,009 --> 00:22:02,730
Can you tell us a bit about the
591
00:22:02,730 --> 00:22:03,529
park? What,
592
00:22:04,169 --> 00:22:05,710
what companies and facilities
593
00:22:06,009 --> 00:22:08,890
will it host? And, ultimately, how many people
594
00:22:08,890 --> 00:22:09,869
will work there?
595
00:22:11,585 --> 00:22:12,884
Sure. Happy to.
596
00:22:13,585 --> 00:22:15,845
Yeah. So the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics
597
00:22:16,304 --> 00:22:18,244
Park is the latest
598
00:22:18,625 --> 00:22:19,444
and biggest
599
00:22:19,904 --> 00:22:21,764
in a series of investments
600
00:22:22,065 --> 00:22:24,724
dating back to 2012, as David mentioned.
601
00:22:26,079 --> 00:22:27,700
And, really, it's a result
602
00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:31,460
of all of the work that happened before
603
00:22:31,839 --> 00:22:34,819
seeing the success our region has had in
604
00:22:35,679 --> 00:22:38,224
building up this kind of juggernaut
605
00:22:38,605 --> 00:22:41,805
of quantum science and technology happening here. The
606
00:22:41,805 --> 00:22:42,204
real,
607
00:22:42,765 --> 00:22:44,924
the really natural next step is how do
608
00:22:44,924 --> 00:22:46,224
we support this
609
00:22:46,684 --> 00:22:48,845
so that we can continue to make these
610
00:22:48,845 --> 00:22:50,700
technology advancements and,
611
00:22:51,500 --> 00:22:52,000
build
612
00:22:52,380 --> 00:22:54,319
economic value, build businesses
613
00:22:54,940 --> 00:22:56,559
from these techno technological
614
00:22:56,859 --> 00:22:59,980
advancements right here. So the, Illinois Quantum and
615
00:22:59,980 --> 00:23:00,480
Microelectronics
616
00:23:01,019 --> 00:23:02,000
Park is basically,
617
00:23:03,579 --> 00:23:06,375
a tech park, a very large tech park
618
00:23:06,775 --> 00:23:10,634
to support scale up further advancements and commercialization
619
00:23:11,734 --> 00:23:14,634
of quantum and adjacent technologies that you need
620
00:23:14,694 --> 00:23:16,714
for the development of quantum technologies.
621
00:23:17,414 --> 00:23:19,194
And as you mentioned, yeah, it's,
622
00:23:19,815 --> 00:23:20,220
it's
623
00:23:21,099 --> 00:23:21,599
in,
624
00:23:22,779 --> 00:23:23,279
right,
625
00:23:24,299 --> 00:23:25,440
on Lake Michigan
626
00:23:26,140 --> 00:23:28,640
in on a site that used to be
627
00:23:28,859 --> 00:23:31,200
a steel factory, US Steel Works,
628
00:23:31,659 --> 00:23:34,220
which itself is, I think, very symbolic, like,
629
00:23:34,220 --> 00:23:35,359
building this new,
630
00:23:36,215 --> 00:23:39,095
building a site for this new industry on
631
00:23:39,095 --> 00:23:39,595
a
632
00:23:39,975 --> 00:23:42,134
site that used to be a hub for
633
00:23:42,134 --> 00:23:43,035
the old industry.
634
00:23:43,575 --> 00:23:45,975
And what I've learned is that much of
635
00:23:45,975 --> 00:23:48,295
the steel that was produced there went into
636
00:23:48,295 --> 00:23:50,075
building New York City and Chicago,
637
00:23:51,049 --> 00:23:53,369
you know, all of the amazing architecture that
638
00:23:53,369 --> 00:23:54,670
we're familiar with.
639
00:23:55,289 --> 00:23:56,029
I myself
640
00:23:56,410 --> 00:23:58,250
grew up in what's called a steel city
641
00:23:58,250 --> 00:23:59,710
in India, so it's very
642
00:24:00,329 --> 00:24:02,970
cool for me to think about working in
643
00:24:02,970 --> 00:24:03,944
this site that,
644
00:24:04,744 --> 00:24:06,284
heralds new technology.
645
00:24:07,304 --> 00:24:08,585
It's a 130
646
00:24:08,585 --> 00:24:09,085
acres.
647
00:24:10,744 --> 00:24:11,565
And, essentially,
648
00:24:12,264 --> 00:24:14,345
what it is is that the state is
649
00:24:14,345 --> 00:24:15,884
investing in infrastructure
650
00:24:16,825 --> 00:24:18,204
that can be leveraged
651
00:24:18,585 --> 00:24:19,404
by companies
652
00:24:20,619 --> 00:24:22,460
to do what they do best, which is
653
00:24:22,460 --> 00:24:24,160
advancing technologies. So,
654
00:24:24,859 --> 00:24:26,720
one of the first companies that,
655
00:24:27,179 --> 00:24:29,759
choose chose to locate there is PsiQuantum,
656
00:24:30,380 --> 00:24:33,019
which, as you know, is a quantum computing
657
00:24:33,019 --> 00:24:33,519
company,
658
00:24:34,059 --> 00:24:35,755
based in Silicon Valley.
659
00:24:36,294 --> 00:24:39,015
They were looking to expand so that they
660
00:24:39,015 --> 00:24:40,875
could build their next generation
661
00:24:41,255 --> 00:24:42,075
fault tolerant,
662
00:24:42,774 --> 00:24:44,315
photonic quantum computer.
663
00:24:44,934 --> 00:24:45,434
And,
664
00:24:46,294 --> 00:24:46,794
after
665
00:24:47,255 --> 00:24:48,394
a very long
666
00:24:48,855 --> 00:24:49,950
eighteen month search,
667
00:24:50,509 --> 00:24:53,950
settled on this location as being the place
668
00:24:53,950 --> 00:24:54,769
where they could
669
00:24:55,230 --> 00:24:55,730
really
670
00:24:56,109 --> 00:24:59,549
have access to everything they needed, including talent
671
00:24:59,549 --> 00:25:00,289
and ecosystem
672
00:25:00,589 --> 00:25:02,909
support to do what they're doing, which is
673
00:25:02,909 --> 00:25:04,529
not an easy thing to do.
674
00:25:05,105 --> 00:25:08,384
Since then, we've also announced a partnership with
675
00:25:08,384 --> 00:25:11,125
IBM, who will also host their next generation
676
00:25:11,505 --> 00:25:13,365
quantum computer on the park
677
00:25:13,744 --> 00:25:15,424
and build a team of,
678
00:25:16,065 --> 00:25:16,565
50,
679
00:25:17,265 --> 00:25:18,325
algorithm specialists.
680
00:25:19,984 --> 00:25:20,884
We've announced,
681
00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,700
Duraq, which is an Australian quantum computing company,
682
00:25:25,079 --> 00:25:27,259
and there's several others in the works.
683
00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:29,819
What the park will have is
684
00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:31,740
infrastructure
685
00:25:32,119 --> 00:25:32,619
including
686
00:25:33,000 --> 00:25:34,059
access to
687
00:25:34,575 --> 00:25:37,954
equipment, things like very expensive, complicated,
688
00:25:38,335 --> 00:25:40,515
specialized equipment, like dilution refrigerators,
689
00:25:40,894 --> 00:25:41,954
control electronics
690
00:25:42,734 --> 00:25:43,554
that will
691
00:25:44,414 --> 00:25:47,234
that that are really necessary to make advancements
692
00:25:47,294 --> 00:25:49,259
in these fields, but can be a big
693
00:25:49,259 --> 00:25:51,500
barrier in terms of both the capital needed
694
00:25:51,500 --> 00:25:52,720
and the time needed
695
00:25:53,259 --> 00:25:53,759
to,
696
00:25:54,380 --> 00:25:56,860
kind of set up equipment like that. So
697
00:25:56,860 --> 00:25:59,980
the idea is providing access. We're building what
698
00:25:59,980 --> 00:26:02,299
we call the National Quantum Facility, which will
699
00:26:02,299 --> 00:26:03,360
have this equipment
700
00:26:03,904 --> 00:26:05,524
available for lease,
701
00:26:06,384 --> 00:26:08,384
so that companies can come in and start
702
00:26:08,384 --> 00:26:09,284
working immediately.
703
00:26:09,904 --> 00:26:12,884
We're also building other things like a facility
704
00:26:12,944 --> 00:26:15,924
where suppliers, you know, who are building enabling
705
00:26:16,065 --> 00:26:16,565
technologies
706
00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:20,279
can locate and manufacture these technologies that can
707
00:26:20,279 --> 00:26:20,779
then,
708
00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:23,900
they can be colocated
709
00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:25,259
with their users
710
00:26:25,720 --> 00:26:28,619
again to enable development of new technologies.
711
00:26:29,799 --> 00:26:32,805
There is an industrial scale cryo plant, which,
712
00:26:33,125 --> 00:26:35,525
again, as we're thinking about scaling some of
713
00:26:35,525 --> 00:26:37,625
these quantum computers that need access
714
00:26:38,404 --> 00:26:41,445
to cooling and large amounts of cooling, having
715
00:26:41,445 --> 00:26:43,605
access to a cryo plant makes that more,
716
00:26:44,244 --> 00:26:46,585
cost efficient and energy efficient.
717
00:26:47,759 --> 00:26:49,279
And there's a lot of room,
718
00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:52,960
for others to build their own facilities, so
719
00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:54,099
similar to PsiQuantum.
720
00:26:55,759 --> 00:26:56,259
And
721
00:26:56,559 --> 00:26:59,920
the advantage would be having access to all
722
00:26:59,920 --> 00:27:02,404
of this all of these resources being in
723
00:27:02,404 --> 00:27:03,144
this ecosystem
724
00:27:03,445 --> 00:27:04,585
with other companies.
725
00:27:05,285 --> 00:27:06,105
And, really,
726
00:27:06,644 --> 00:27:08,965
the location, it's about a fifteen minute drive
727
00:27:08,965 --> 00:27:10,984
from UChicago, and you're embedded
728
00:27:11,525 --> 00:27:12,805
right in the heart of the,
729
00:27:13,445 --> 00:27:15,305
quantum ecosystem in Illinois.
730
00:27:16,799 --> 00:27:19,279
It's it's a really exciting project, and,
731
00:27:19,919 --> 00:27:20,900
we are
732
00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:24,000
working very hard on building a lot of
733
00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:27,059
the infrastructure, but also partnering with other companies,
734
00:27:27,599 --> 00:27:28,980
and more announcements
735
00:27:29,359 --> 00:27:30,845
will be forthcoming soon.
736
00:27:32,424 --> 00:27:34,924
Wow. That that does sound very exciting.
737
00:27:35,865 --> 00:27:38,044
Yeah. And And Yeah. It it's
738
00:27:38,505 --> 00:27:40,825
based on a, you know, a really historic
739
00:27:40,825 --> 00:27:42,105
$500,000,000
740
00:27:42,105 --> 00:27:44,664
investment from the state. And, again, this is
741
00:27:44,664 --> 00:27:45,509
a like, it's
742
00:27:46,950 --> 00:27:49,210
this was the first time a state
743
00:27:49,750 --> 00:27:51,130
invested this much
744
00:27:51,670 --> 00:27:52,890
in quantum technologies.
745
00:27:53,269 --> 00:27:55,769
We're used to the federal government making investments
746
00:27:55,910 --> 00:27:58,070
like that, but for a state to do
747
00:27:58,070 --> 00:28:00,234
that is really amazing.
748
00:28:02,294 --> 00:28:04,375
David, I I wanted to ask you about
749
00:28:04,375 --> 00:28:05,194
your move,
750
00:28:05,734 --> 00:28:06,474
to Chicago.
751
00:28:07,494 --> 00:28:08,954
I think we met about
752
00:28:09,255 --> 00:28:10,315
ten years ago,
753
00:28:10,855 --> 00:28:13,170
when you were still at the University of
754
00:28:13,650 --> 00:28:14,150
California
755
00:28:14,450 --> 00:28:15,910
at Santa Barbara.
756
00:28:17,009 --> 00:28:19,490
And you've since moved to Chicago where you're
757
00:28:19,490 --> 00:28:20,150
the director
758
00:28:20,609 --> 00:28:21,509
of the quantum
759
00:28:21,809 --> 00:28:25,109
engineering theme at the Pritzker School for Molecular
760
00:28:25,490 --> 00:28:25,990
Engineering.
761
00:28:26,835 --> 00:28:29,234
Why did you make the move, and can
762
00:28:29,234 --> 00:28:30,375
you give us a flavor
763
00:28:30,914 --> 00:28:34,054
of what your current research interests are?
764
00:28:35,634 --> 00:28:37,875
No. Thanks for the thanks for the question.
765
00:28:37,875 --> 00:28:39,734
Well, to be clear, it wasn't the weather
766
00:28:40,034 --> 00:28:41,279
that drove this move,
767
00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:42,740
but,
768
00:28:43,359 --> 00:28:44,799
I I know Preeti has a lot to
769
00:28:44,799 --> 00:28:47,299
say about that. But at at that time,
770
00:28:48,000 --> 00:28:50,240
there was a president, president Bob Zimmer, a
771
00:28:50,240 --> 00:28:52,099
mathematician at the University of Chicago,
772
00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:55,299
who was keen on building the first
773
00:28:55,705 --> 00:28:58,205
engineering and applied science school for this university.
774
00:28:59,225 --> 00:29:00,985
And they decided that time to take a
775
00:29:00,985 --> 00:29:04,105
risk on building thematic areas. Very different design
776
00:29:04,105 --> 00:29:05,565
for education, not departments.
777
00:29:06,345 --> 00:29:08,684
But could you pick a few important
778
00:29:09,225 --> 00:29:10,365
problems for society
779
00:29:11,360 --> 00:29:13,140
and assemble people around them?
780
00:29:13,759 --> 00:29:15,360
And one of the areas that I proposed
781
00:29:15,360 --> 00:29:17,440
to them was quantum science and engineering as
782
00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:19,120
part of creating this endeavor. And then as
783
00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:20,960
I said earlier it's important to recognize this
784
00:29:20,960 --> 00:29:22,259
was in 2012.
785
00:29:23,279 --> 00:29:25,120
So as I mentioned it was pretty bold
786
00:29:25,120 --> 00:29:26,055
for them to do this.
787
00:29:27,015 --> 00:29:28,695
To be clear, it meant building state of
788
00:29:28,695 --> 00:29:30,775
the art labs, hiring over a dozen new
789
00:29:30,775 --> 00:29:34,235
faculty in addition to people in related areas,
790
00:29:35,575 --> 00:29:36,634
and consider
791
00:29:37,414 --> 00:29:40,750
very broad ways of building a school and
792
00:29:41,130 --> 00:29:42,570
university, including, by the way, one of the
793
00:29:42,570 --> 00:29:44,750
themes that integrates the arts and sciences,
794
00:29:45,049 --> 00:29:46,730
which turns out to be particularly important in
795
00:29:46,730 --> 00:29:47,789
our current times.
796
00:29:48,730 --> 00:29:51,070
So they also appreciated the concept that universities
797
00:29:51,210 --> 00:29:52,750
couldn't do some of this alone,
798
00:29:53,210 --> 00:29:55,710
and that success would depend on thinking regionally,
799
00:29:56,465 --> 00:29:59,664
strategically with international partners, companies as we talked
800
00:29:59,664 --> 00:30:00,164
about.
801
00:30:00,865 --> 00:30:02,384
And so they embraced all of this, and
802
00:30:02,384 --> 00:30:03,984
that that's why I moved here, frankly. It
803
00:30:03,984 --> 00:30:04,884
was a remarkably
804
00:30:05,265 --> 00:30:07,825
exciting endeavor to build what turned out to
805
00:30:07,825 --> 00:30:10,144
be a globally competitive activity, but in a
806
00:30:10,144 --> 00:30:12,380
very different way. It was, honestly, it was
807
00:30:12,380 --> 00:30:14,399
an impossible opportunity to resist.
808
00:30:15,259 --> 00:30:16,720
In terms of my own research,
809
00:30:17,339 --> 00:30:19,419
and I'll try and keep this short, Amish,
810
00:30:19,419 --> 00:30:21,519
because this could be a separate podcast.
811
00:30:23,179 --> 00:30:24,639
We focus on creating,
812
00:30:25,335 --> 00:30:25,835
entangling,
813
00:30:26,375 --> 00:30:29,515
and controlling quantum states in matter and particularly,
814
00:30:29,815 --> 00:30:31,434
atomically engineered semiconductors
815
00:30:31,894 --> 00:30:32,634
and molecules.
816
00:30:33,335 --> 00:30:36,315
And I mean, individual electrons and individual nuclei.
817
00:30:36,694 --> 00:30:39,755
So at the subatomic level for processing information.
818
00:30:40,309 --> 00:30:42,710
And, you know, today our current technology is
819
00:30:42,710 --> 00:30:44,789
created from a top down approach where we
820
00:30:44,789 --> 00:30:47,429
build nanometer scale of devices from wafers of
821
00:30:47,429 --> 00:30:47,929
semiconductors.
822
00:30:49,029 --> 00:30:50,789
But in my own group, we're also exploring
823
00:30:50,789 --> 00:30:52,650
what I think is a very different approach.
824
00:30:52,950 --> 00:30:55,429
Could you build quantum bits for technology from
825
00:30:55,429 --> 00:30:56,055
the bottom up
826
00:30:56,695 --> 00:30:58,075
using molecular chemistry?
827
00:30:59,174 --> 00:31:03,035
And this offers a chance to custom design
828
00:31:03,414 --> 00:31:05,654
quantum states that can be assembled into much
829
00:31:05,654 --> 00:31:06,795
more complex systems.
830
00:31:07,255 --> 00:31:09,515
For example, could you integrate a quantum sensor
831
00:31:09,975 --> 00:31:11,515
and communication technology?
832
00:31:12,079 --> 00:31:14,099
Could you convert a qubit into a photon
833
00:31:14,559 --> 00:31:16,579
to make a flying qubit if you like
834
00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:18,400
that could be on a chip or across
835
00:31:18,400 --> 00:31:19,940
the country or across the world?
836
00:31:21,039 --> 00:31:23,039
And this has been to some pretty exciting
837
00:31:23,039 --> 00:31:24,500
new directions. Most recently,
838
00:31:25,365 --> 00:31:27,444
a new technique has emerged where we, with
839
00:31:27,444 --> 00:31:29,845
collaborations with colleagues here at Chicago, can create
840
00:31:29,845 --> 00:31:31,144
quantum bits out of proteins.
841
00:31:32,085 --> 00:31:34,085
So it's an interesting idea not to try
842
00:31:34,085 --> 00:31:36,805
and force a semiconductor quantum center into a
843
00:31:36,805 --> 00:31:37,865
cell, for example,
844
00:31:38,539 --> 00:31:39,980
but could you turn a part of a
845
00:31:39,980 --> 00:31:42,619
cell into a quantum bit and use that
846
00:31:42,619 --> 00:31:44,559
to probe the behavior of a cell,
847
00:31:44,859 --> 00:31:47,419
sub cellular medicine in the future using a
848
00:31:47,419 --> 00:31:47,919
single
849
00:31:48,220 --> 00:31:49,839
atom scale quantum sensor?
850
00:31:50,380 --> 00:31:52,240
So that's turned out to work in surprising
851
00:31:52,299 --> 00:31:54,424
ways, and it's just an example of things
852
00:31:54,424 --> 00:31:55,945
you might not have predicted a few years
853
00:31:55,945 --> 00:31:58,424
ago. We wouldn't have predicted this, that now
854
00:31:58,424 --> 00:31:59,724
we're moving very quickly.
855
00:32:00,984 --> 00:32:01,644
I see.
856
00:32:02,424 --> 00:32:03,884
The so so the,
857
00:32:04,505 --> 00:32:06,825
these systems that you're studying at the moment,
858
00:32:06,825 --> 00:32:09,679
are they are they still some way from
859
00:32:09,679 --> 00:32:10,179
being,
860
00:32:11,359 --> 00:32:13,220
being used as as practical
861
00:32:13,839 --> 00:32:16,319
qubits, you know, in a quantum computer or,
862
00:32:16,319 --> 00:32:18,659
let's say, you know, as a quantum sensor?
863
00:32:19,119 --> 00:32:20,879
Or are you are you at the point
864
00:32:20,879 --> 00:32:21,974
where you can start
865
00:32:22,454 --> 00:32:25,255
manipulating them in that way or or connecting
866
00:32:25,255 --> 00:32:27,434
them together and entangling them?
867
00:32:28,054 --> 00:32:28,775
Well, I think,
868
00:32:29,414 --> 00:32:31,674
some of the work is, moving into
869
00:32:32,134 --> 00:32:33,994
prototype technologies right now.
870
00:32:34,460 --> 00:32:34,960
So,
871
00:32:35,420 --> 00:32:36,940
a number of years ago with our theory
872
00:32:36,940 --> 00:32:39,039
colleagues, we explored what new semiconductors
873
00:32:39,500 --> 00:32:42,079
might host quantum states that no one ever
874
00:32:42,220 --> 00:32:42,720
explored.
875
00:32:43,579 --> 00:32:44,079
And
876
00:32:44,380 --> 00:32:47,660
this theoretical program identified over a dozen materials,
877
00:32:47,660 --> 00:32:49,180
and the top of list was a material
878
00:32:49,180 --> 00:32:50,319
called silicon carbide.
879
00:32:51,315 --> 00:32:53,714
You and your audience may not be quite
880
00:32:53,714 --> 00:32:55,794
as familiar with this as silicon, but it's
881
00:32:55,794 --> 00:32:57,554
one of the most popular materials on the
882
00:32:57,554 --> 00:32:59,335
planet. It's used in LED lighting.
883
00:32:59,714 --> 00:33:02,275
It's used essentially silicon that works at high
884
00:33:02,275 --> 00:33:02,759
temperature,
885
00:33:03,320 --> 00:33:06,140
used in aircraft and satellites, five g technology,
886
00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:08,619
electric vehicles.
887
00:33:09,720 --> 00:33:10,460
So ironically,
888
00:33:10,839 --> 00:33:12,759
the prediction was that you could build qubits
889
00:33:12,759 --> 00:33:14,859
off out of commercial wafers in this material,
890
00:33:14,920 --> 00:33:16,964
and no one had looked. So we looked,
891
00:33:16,964 --> 00:33:18,805
and after a few years, it became clear
892
00:33:18,805 --> 00:33:20,505
you could do this. You could buy materials
893
00:33:20,565 --> 00:33:21,065
online
894
00:33:22,085 --> 00:33:23,384
and use classical
895
00:33:23,684 --> 00:33:24,904
manufacturing technologies
896
00:33:25,365 --> 00:33:26,744
to build quantum technologies
897
00:33:27,365 --> 00:33:28,585
with a commercial material.
898
00:33:29,369 --> 00:33:31,769
So we've now been able to demonstrate record
899
00:33:31,769 --> 00:33:35,049
long quantum coherences over ten minutes in these
900
00:33:35,049 --> 00:33:37,390
materials. They're extraordinarily long,
901
00:33:37,769 --> 00:33:39,690
and this work now is transitioned to a
902
00:33:39,690 --> 00:33:41,069
number of our industrial partners,
903
00:33:42,490 --> 00:33:44,430
for applications and sensing and communication.
904
00:33:44,805 --> 00:33:45,305
And
905
00:33:45,684 --> 00:33:47,525
tying back to our earlier conversation, that's the
906
00:33:47,525 --> 00:33:48,985
fun of working with industry.
907
00:33:49,924 --> 00:33:52,725
We can focus on fundamental science, often find
908
00:33:52,725 --> 00:33:53,545
big surprises,
909
00:33:54,164 --> 00:33:56,345
and then our colleagues can help us identify
910
00:33:56,404 --> 00:33:57,865
how one can use that
911
00:33:58,500 --> 00:34:00,759
and often hire our students into these companies
912
00:34:01,059 --> 00:34:03,559
to use these discoveries to build new technologies.
913
00:34:05,460 --> 00:34:08,019
I see. And and, Preeti, here at at
914
00:34:08,019 --> 00:34:10,820
Physics World, we're we're always very interested in
915
00:34:10,820 --> 00:34:13,400
talking to physicists about their career.
916
00:34:13,954 --> 00:34:15,715
And, you know, I think you you've had
917
00:34:15,715 --> 00:34:18,114
a very interesting career. You you did a
918
00:34:18,114 --> 00:34:21,795
PhD in applied physics at Cornell University, and
919
00:34:21,795 --> 00:34:23,815
you've spent more than twenty years
920
00:34:24,434 --> 00:34:27,014
working at the intersection of,
921
00:34:27,394 --> 00:34:27,894
academia
922
00:34:28,275 --> 00:34:29,175
and industry.
923
00:34:30,059 --> 00:34:32,960
Can you describe the path that took you
924
00:34:33,019 --> 00:34:33,840
to intersect
925
00:34:34,219 --> 00:34:34,719
Illinois
926
00:34:35,180 --> 00:34:37,980
and perhaps give a few tips to to
927
00:34:37,980 --> 00:34:40,860
some, you know, to young physicist listeners who
928
00:34:40,860 --> 00:34:43,280
might be interested in such a career?
929
00:34:44,795 --> 00:34:45,295
Sure.
930
00:34:46,714 --> 00:34:48,634
And as David said, this could be its
931
00:34:48,634 --> 00:34:51,375
own podcast. It was certainly not a
932
00:34:51,755 --> 00:34:54,795
planned path to where I am, definitely a
933
00:34:54,795 --> 00:34:58,140
very nonlinear one, but one that I've enjoyed,
934
00:34:58,679 --> 00:35:00,940
you know, along the way a lot.
935
00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:04,119
As you said, yes, I did start. I'm
936
00:35:04,119 --> 00:35:06,780
a physicist by training. I have a degree,
937
00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:08,860
a PhD in applied physics.
938
00:35:10,255 --> 00:35:10,755
Incidentally,
939
00:35:11,454 --> 00:35:13,534
I I also have an undergrad degree in
940
00:35:13,534 --> 00:35:16,994
applied physics with a focus on quantum electronics.
941
00:35:17,295 --> 00:35:19,074
This is in the mid nineties,
942
00:35:19,695 --> 00:35:21,855
long before I had even thought about quantum
943
00:35:21,855 --> 00:35:24,300
computing or anyone had. Wow. So you're a
944
00:35:24,300 --> 00:35:25,840
true pioneer as well.
945
00:35:27,820 --> 00:35:31,280
Of some kind. Yes. But, I've enjoyed being
946
00:35:31,340 --> 00:35:32,320
with the pioneers.
947
00:35:33,019 --> 00:35:35,180
You know, I think for me, I really
948
00:35:35,180 --> 00:35:37,840
enjoyed the work I was doing and
949
00:35:39,635 --> 00:35:40,135
being
950
00:35:41,234 --> 00:35:41,974
in this,
951
00:35:42,914 --> 00:35:43,894
in this space.
952
00:35:44,434 --> 00:35:46,114
You know? I was working in an area
953
00:35:46,114 --> 00:35:46,934
called spintronics,
954
00:35:47,875 --> 00:35:48,375
which
955
00:35:48,755 --> 00:35:50,295
while it involved fundamental
956
00:35:50,594 --> 00:35:52,054
science, also had
957
00:35:52,460 --> 00:35:54,000
really interesting applications.
958
00:35:54,859 --> 00:35:56,859
I like science and technology and all of
959
00:35:56,859 --> 00:35:57,099
the,
960
00:35:58,539 --> 00:35:59,039
applications,
961
00:36:00,059 --> 00:36:01,920
you know, across different industries.
962
00:36:02,460 --> 00:36:04,539
But, frankly, I just didn't want to be
963
00:36:04,539 --> 00:36:06,059
in a lab anymore, and so I was
964
00:36:06,059 --> 00:36:08,000
looking for other things to do
965
00:36:08,644 --> 00:36:11,065
with my interests, with my skill sets,
966
00:36:11,764 --> 00:36:12,824
and still being
967
00:36:13,605 --> 00:36:14,824
within this industry
968
00:36:15,125 --> 00:36:17,864
without being in an actual lab. And
969
00:36:20,085 --> 00:36:23,420
so things like this don't happen.
970
00:36:24,599 --> 00:36:25,339
You know,
971
00:36:25,880 --> 00:36:28,199
it it it's not hard to predict or
972
00:36:28,199 --> 00:36:29,079
plan this.
973
00:36:29,400 --> 00:36:30,139
For me,
974
00:36:30,519 --> 00:36:32,760
after I finished my PhD, I was also
975
00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:35,000
moving to Canada, which is a new country,
976
00:36:35,000 --> 00:36:35,819
and I
977
00:36:36,244 --> 00:36:38,965
didn't have established network. So I did a
978
00:36:38,965 --> 00:36:39,465
postdoc,
979
00:36:39,925 --> 00:36:42,324
which was a more natural step for me
980
00:36:42,324 --> 00:36:44,184
while I was thinking of other things.
981
00:36:44,565 --> 00:36:46,105
I taught for two years.
982
00:36:46,644 --> 00:36:48,239
Again, I really enjoyed it,
983
00:36:49,599 --> 00:36:51,199
but I wanted to be more at the
984
00:36:51,199 --> 00:36:52,420
cutting edge of things.
985
00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:53,940
So I,
986
00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:57,380
I worked in intellectual property, which is
987
00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,559
again, I really enjoyed that because it gave
988
00:37:00,559 --> 00:37:01,059
me
989
00:37:01,565 --> 00:37:03,805
what I what, for me, it was sort
990
00:37:03,805 --> 00:37:05,885
of like the opposite of being in grad
991
00:37:05,885 --> 00:37:07,505
school with all of the advantages,
992
00:37:07,885 --> 00:37:09,265
but none of the disadvantages
993
00:37:09,644 --> 00:37:11,644
as I saw them. I got to work
994
00:37:11,644 --> 00:37:13,345
on a number of different projects,
995
00:37:14,690 --> 00:37:16,929
unlike in grad school where you work on
996
00:37:16,929 --> 00:37:19,269
one project for a very long time.
997
00:37:20,849 --> 00:37:22,769
And I got to work with all of
998
00:37:22,769 --> 00:37:24,929
the success stories, all of the hard work
999
00:37:24,929 --> 00:37:27,089
that happens in research labs and at start
1000
00:37:27,089 --> 00:37:29,425
ups. I got to see them once they
1001
00:37:29,425 --> 00:37:30,324
were successful,
1002
00:37:30,704 --> 00:37:32,885
and it was immensely joyful.
1003
00:37:34,464 --> 00:37:37,045
And from there, it's sort of a natural
1004
00:37:37,105 --> 00:37:39,744
step to go in house at some point.
1005
00:37:39,744 --> 00:37:39,905
So,
1006
00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:42,539
I had an opportunity
1007
00:37:42,920 --> 00:37:44,699
right when University of Chicago
1008
00:37:45,400 --> 00:37:46,059
was expanding
1009
00:37:46,679 --> 00:37:49,800
like, really expanding their quantum efforts. I had
1010
00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:50,460
an opportunity
1011
00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:52,359
to move in house and work in the
1012
00:37:52,359 --> 00:37:53,179
tech commercialization
1013
00:37:53,559 --> 00:37:54,059
team
1014
00:37:54,394 --> 00:37:56,974
at the Polsky Center at University of Chicago.
1015
00:37:57,755 --> 00:37:59,855
And it was sort of, for me,
1016
00:38:00,394 --> 00:38:02,474
life coming full circle because I was able
1017
00:38:02,474 --> 00:38:04,414
to get back to my original roots,
1018
00:38:04,954 --> 00:38:05,454
in,
1019
00:38:05,755 --> 00:38:07,139
you know, quantum physics
1020
00:38:07,539 --> 00:38:10,359
and adjacent sciences and work with the faculty
1021
00:38:10,579 --> 00:38:11,559
as they were,
1022
00:38:13,059 --> 00:38:13,559
developing,
1023
00:38:14,659 --> 00:38:17,480
this area, help like, I worked with David,
1024
00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:19,480
and his team
1025
00:38:19,859 --> 00:38:23,074
as they were, you know, filing new patents,
1026
00:38:23,135 --> 00:38:24,195
launching startups.
1027
00:38:26,255 --> 00:38:28,655
And then having worked with the CQE, I
1028
00:38:28,655 --> 00:38:29,554
also then,
1029
00:38:29,934 --> 00:38:32,494
decided it was really interesting to work within
1030
00:38:32,494 --> 00:38:33,795
the CQE, and
1031
00:38:34,094 --> 00:38:37,074
I worked on David's team leading industry partnerships.
1032
00:38:38,059 --> 00:38:40,639
Again, sort of a natural transition because,
1033
00:38:41,980 --> 00:38:44,300
it I had worked in industry. I knew
1034
00:38:44,300 --> 00:38:45,519
how to work with industry.
1035
00:38:45,820 --> 00:38:47,900
I had worked with researchers. I knew how
1036
00:38:47,900 --> 00:38:49,674
to work with them, and so it was
1037
00:38:49,674 --> 00:38:51,755
natural to try work in an area where
1038
00:38:51,755 --> 00:38:53,694
my job was making those connections.
1039
00:38:55,114 --> 00:38:58,014
Help launch Duality, the startup accelerator,
1040
00:38:58,795 --> 00:39:00,875
because, again, I had been working at this
1041
00:39:00,875 --> 00:39:01,375
intersection
1042
00:39:01,755 --> 00:39:04,469
of cutting edge technology and commercialization.
1043
00:39:06,049 --> 00:39:06,549
And,
1044
00:39:07,250 --> 00:39:09,569
from there, it was, again, a natural step
1045
00:39:09,569 --> 00:39:12,289
as the state decided that they really wanted
1046
00:39:12,289 --> 00:39:14,690
to focus on these efforts to try to
1047
00:39:14,690 --> 00:39:16,630
do that in a more focused way.
1048
00:39:17,214 --> 00:39:18,655
So I don't know if that answers your
1049
00:39:18,655 --> 00:39:21,155
question. No. No. No. That's no. No.
1050
00:39:21,614 --> 00:39:24,014
Lots of very sort of interesting tips there,
1051
00:39:24,014 --> 00:39:24,815
I think, for,
1052
00:39:25,614 --> 00:39:28,574
you know, for for for early career people
1053
00:39:28,574 --> 00:39:30,659
to, you know, sort of set a path.
1054
00:39:31,219 --> 00:39:32,980
Yeah. I mean, I mean, it does you
1055
00:39:32,980 --> 00:39:34,679
know, it sounds like you've got the best
1056
00:39:34,900 --> 00:39:37,380
of both worlds, you know, as you as
1057
00:39:37,380 --> 00:39:39,539
you say. You get you you're you're still
1058
00:39:39,539 --> 00:39:40,199
in touch
1059
00:39:40,500 --> 00:39:42,739
with the physics and the researchers and all
1060
00:39:42,739 --> 00:39:43,480
the exciting
1061
00:39:43,859 --> 00:39:44,359
new
1062
00:39:45,224 --> 00:39:47,385
science that's happening. But on the other hand,
1063
00:39:47,385 --> 00:39:47,785
you,
1064
00:39:48,265 --> 00:39:50,605
you also get to see it turned into
1065
00:39:52,345 --> 00:39:53,965
real useful technologies
1066
00:39:54,265 --> 00:39:56,045
that improve people's lives.
1067
00:39:56,505 --> 00:39:58,889
Yeah. And businesses. Right? Like, how do you
1068
00:39:58,889 --> 00:40:00,109
make it a viable
1069
00:40:00,889 --> 00:40:02,670
economic effort as well?
1070
00:40:04,089 --> 00:40:06,730
And I I've got one last question for
1071
00:40:06,730 --> 00:40:07,630
both of you.
1072
00:40:08,329 --> 00:40:10,989
May maybe, David, you could you could start.
1073
00:40:11,304 --> 00:40:14,025
What what does the future hold for quantum
1074
00:40:14,025 --> 00:40:16,585
science and technology in Illinois? What what are
1075
00:40:16,585 --> 00:40:18,585
you most excited about? What are you looking
1076
00:40:18,585 --> 00:40:19,485
forward to?
1077
00:40:20,105 --> 00:40:22,664
Oh, that's a fantastic question. Although I should
1078
00:40:22,664 --> 00:40:23,164
say,
1079
00:40:23,840 --> 00:40:25,599
Preeti, I have to I have to say
1080
00:40:25,599 --> 00:40:27,280
I'm I'm disturbed that you don't want to
1081
00:40:27,280 --> 00:40:28,420
be in a lab anymore.
1082
00:40:28,719 --> 00:40:29,920
So I dream of being in a and
1083
00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:31,280
I dream of being in a lab full
1084
00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:33,360
time. So maybe offline we can talk about
1085
00:40:33,360 --> 00:40:33,860
that.
1086
00:40:36,800 --> 00:40:39,224
In terms of Illinois, I you know, I
1087
00:40:39,224 --> 00:40:41,005
think as scientists and engineers,
1088
00:40:41,545 --> 00:40:44,525
it's quite remarkable that we have an opportunity
1089
00:40:44,664 --> 00:40:47,065
to make life better for people by bringing
1090
00:40:47,065 --> 00:40:49,805
jobs and economic security to this region.
1091
00:40:51,519 --> 00:40:53,039
You know, one of the things we've learned
1092
00:40:53,039 --> 00:40:55,840
from our colleagues, talking to analysts about what
1093
00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:57,680
might happen down the line is the analysts
1094
00:40:57,680 --> 00:41:00,180
predict that, you know, the Illinois, Wisconsin,
1095
00:41:00,480 --> 00:41:01,460
Indiana region
1096
00:41:02,239 --> 00:41:04,720
could see as many as 200,000
1097
00:41:04,720 --> 00:41:06,720
jobs in the quantum space in the next
1098
00:41:06,720 --> 00:41:07,125
decade.
1099
00:41:08,005 --> 00:41:10,724
And what's remarkable is the vast majority of
1100
00:41:10,724 --> 00:41:12,885
these will be open to people without graduate
1101
00:41:12,885 --> 00:41:13,385
degrees.
1102
00:41:14,565 --> 00:41:16,965
So what I to your question, what am
1103
00:41:16,965 --> 00:41:18,965
I most excited about? While there's a lot
1104
00:41:18,965 --> 00:41:21,045
of science I'm very excited about, I think
1105
00:41:21,045 --> 00:41:22,344
the impact on society
1106
00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:24,340
is something that could be extraordinary.
1107
00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:27,280
At the end of the day, tying a
1108
00:41:27,280 --> 00:41:29,780
bit to what Preeti was saying, quantum technology
1109
00:41:29,920 --> 00:41:31,840
has been projected to drive as much as
1110
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:33,059
$80,000,000,000
1111
00:41:33,440 --> 00:41:35,655
in economic development for this region
1112
00:41:36,215 --> 00:41:38,054
in the next decade. And that's according to
1113
00:41:38,054 --> 00:41:40,375
analysis by the Boston Consulting Group, not by
1114
00:41:40,375 --> 00:41:40,875
us.
1115
00:41:41,655 --> 00:41:43,735
So this is something I'm excited about. In
1116
00:41:43,735 --> 00:41:44,795
terms of the science,
1117
00:41:45,815 --> 00:41:47,574
to your point about the future for science
1118
00:41:47,574 --> 00:41:49,034
and technology in this area,
1119
00:41:50,550 --> 00:41:52,010
honestly, I think it's boundless.
1120
00:41:53,110 --> 00:41:55,190
If every day, there are new discoveries from
1121
00:41:55,190 --> 00:41:56,890
quantum memories to entanglement
1122
00:41:57,269 --> 00:41:59,989
to improvements in error correction. It's incredible how
1123
00:41:59,989 --> 00:42:01,289
quickly things are moving.
1124
00:42:02,065 --> 00:42:03,925
There are growing applications in finance,
1125
00:42:04,224 --> 00:42:07,125
in medicine, you know, in security and computation,
1126
00:42:07,905 --> 00:42:10,085
and there are also new opportunities in cosmology,
1127
00:42:10,704 --> 00:42:12,164
developing new types of telescopes,
1128
00:42:13,905 --> 00:42:16,050
cosmological sensing. And the truth is,
1129
00:42:16,530 --> 00:42:17,570
I think at the end of the day
1130
00:42:17,570 --> 00:42:19,890
with all new endeavors like this, history has
1131
00:42:19,890 --> 00:42:22,210
taught us that the most exciting impacts are
1132
00:42:22,210 --> 00:42:23,110
ahead of us.
1133
00:42:23,650 --> 00:42:25,750
Wait. You know, when the transistor was invented
1134
00:42:25,969 --> 00:42:26,869
in the fifties,
1135
00:42:27,250 --> 00:42:28,630
well, before that actually,
1136
00:42:29,555 --> 00:42:32,035
people wrote down pages of things they thought
1137
00:42:32,035 --> 00:42:33,335
would impact the world.
1138
00:42:33,795 --> 00:42:35,555
But you know what they didn't write? No
1139
00:42:35,555 --> 00:42:37,095
one thought of integrated circuits.
1140
00:42:37,715 --> 00:42:38,454
The lasers,
1141
00:42:39,235 --> 00:42:40,135
social media.
1142
00:42:40,675 --> 00:42:41,575
Right? TikTok.
1143
00:42:41,989 --> 00:42:42,489
Exactly.
1144
00:42:42,949 --> 00:42:44,469
Oh, yeah. No. And there are things maybe
1145
00:42:44,469 --> 00:42:46,569
they should have thought about, but, yes, correct.
1146
00:42:47,670 --> 00:42:49,670
But the so to your point, I think
1147
00:42:49,670 --> 00:42:51,589
what I'm most excited about is the road
1148
00:42:51,589 --> 00:42:54,389
ahead. Right? We're creating a new generation of
1149
00:42:54,389 --> 00:42:56,864
quantum scientists and engineers that will drive this.
1150
00:42:58,065 --> 00:42:59,585
It's like driving down a road at a
1151
00:42:59,585 --> 00:43:01,425
100 miles an hour in low beams with
1152
00:43:01,425 --> 00:43:03,344
a lot of fog. We're we're moving very
1153
00:43:03,344 --> 00:43:03,844
quickly.
1154
00:43:04,144 --> 00:43:06,304
We don't know exactly where we're going, but
1155
00:43:06,304 --> 00:43:07,525
we're going very fast.
1156
00:43:09,309 --> 00:43:11,949
And, Priti, what what excites you the most,
1157
00:43:12,349 --> 00:43:13,250
about the future
1158
00:43:13,789 --> 00:43:15,569
of quantum science and technology
1159
00:43:16,190 --> 00:43:17,010
in Illinois?
1160
00:43:19,309 --> 00:43:20,190
Yeah. I think,
1161
00:43:21,485 --> 00:43:24,364
I will agree with everything that David has
1162
00:43:24,364 --> 00:43:25,265
said and
1163
00:43:25,644 --> 00:43:26,385
kind of
1164
00:43:26,765 --> 00:43:28,945
along the same lines. I think,
1165
00:43:30,045 --> 00:43:32,204
for me, I really think what's exciting is
1166
00:43:32,204 --> 00:43:35,079
that we're working in this space with a
1167
00:43:35,079 --> 00:43:37,719
lot of really smart people who are thinking
1168
00:43:37,719 --> 00:43:41,339
very creatively and working very hard about
1169
00:43:44,760 --> 00:43:46,380
ways in which this technology
1170
00:43:46,679 --> 00:43:48,460
can take on new shape and,
1171
00:43:49,284 --> 00:43:50,344
have new impact.
1172
00:43:50,885 --> 00:43:51,784
And for me,
1173
00:43:53,204 --> 00:43:55,844
just the journey itself, the effort itself is
1174
00:43:55,844 --> 00:43:58,344
really exciting, and I like to be,
1175
00:44:00,005 --> 00:44:01,445
I like to be in a place where
1176
00:44:01,445 --> 00:44:03,480
I'm able to help with that. And I
1177
00:44:03,480 --> 00:44:03,980
honestly,
1178
00:44:04,280 --> 00:44:06,760
humbly, really don't think we know what will
1179
00:44:06,760 --> 00:44:07,659
happen. And,
1180
00:44:08,360 --> 00:44:10,380
and I'm definitely quoting someone here,
1181
00:44:10,840 --> 00:44:12,699
you know, the this idea that
1182
00:44:13,000 --> 00:44:14,139
we're almost certainly,
1183
00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:15,900
overestimating
1184
00:44:16,920 --> 00:44:18,699
the impact in the short term
1185
00:44:19,155 --> 00:44:20,375
and very definitely
1186
00:44:20,755 --> 00:44:21,255
underestimating
1187
00:44:21,635 --> 00:44:23,255
the impact in the long term.
1188
00:44:23,635 --> 00:44:25,795
So I'm really curious to see what comes
1189
00:44:25,795 --> 00:44:27,655
out of this. And in the meanwhile,
1190
00:44:28,114 --> 00:44:29,494
like, the creativity
1191
00:44:29,875 --> 00:44:31,894
and the hard work that goes into
1192
00:44:32,550 --> 00:44:35,989
making these technologies happen. Quantum computers are hard
1193
00:44:35,989 --> 00:44:38,329
enough, but even building things like
1194
00:44:38,869 --> 00:44:42,250
detectors and sensors and lasers and cryostats
1195
00:44:42,710 --> 00:44:44,410
that help enable this,
1196
00:44:44,949 --> 00:44:48,534
it's it's just really interesting, really hard work,
1197
00:44:48,554 --> 00:44:51,974
and will lead to impacts in other industries
1198
00:44:52,114 --> 00:44:54,614
and other sectors that we don't know about.
1199
00:44:55,234 --> 00:44:55,734
And
1200
00:44:56,194 --> 00:44:57,014
the opportunity
1201
00:44:57,394 --> 00:45:00,449
we have here to engage a wide audience
1202
00:45:00,910 --> 00:45:01,650
and to
1203
00:45:02,030 --> 00:45:03,969
create new ways of creating,
1204
00:45:05,070 --> 00:45:06,610
workforce development programs
1205
00:45:06,910 --> 00:45:07,410
or,
1206
00:45:08,829 --> 00:45:12,269
technology acceleration programs. It's just fantastic to be
1207
00:45:12,269 --> 00:45:14,164
able to work in this. And,
1208
00:45:15,985 --> 00:45:17,025
Well, that's great.
1209
00:45:17,425 --> 00:45:19,505
That that that's a good place to to
1210
00:45:19,505 --> 00:45:21,684
stop. Looking forward to the future.
1211
00:45:22,465 --> 00:45:25,664
David and Preeti, thanks so much for joining
1212
00:45:25,664 --> 00:45:27,605
me today on the on the podcast.
1213
00:45:28,760 --> 00:45:30,219
Well, thank you for having us.
1214
00:45:30,519 --> 00:45:31,980
Yeah. I like thank you.
1215
00:45:40,679 --> 00:45:42,164
That was Q NEXT's
1216
00:45:42,644 --> 00:45:43,625
David Auchlum
1217
00:45:44,005 --> 00:45:44,824
and Priti
1218
00:45:45,125 --> 00:45:45,625
Chalsani
1219
00:45:46,244 --> 00:45:47,144
of Intersect
1220
00:45:47,445 --> 00:45:47,945
Illinois.
1221
00:45:48,804 --> 00:45:50,965
Thanks to both of them for speaking to
1222
00:45:50,965 --> 00:45:51,704
me today,
1223
00:45:52,085 --> 00:45:54,804
and a special thanks to our producer, Fred
1224
00:45:54,804 --> 00:45:55,304
Isles.
1225
00:45:55,910 --> 00:45:57,910
I'm afraid that's all the time we have
1226
00:45:57,910 --> 00:45:59,130
for this week's podcast,
1227
00:45:59,510 --> 00:46:00,489
which is supported
1228
00:46:00,869 --> 00:46:02,650
by American Elements.
1229
00:46:03,829 --> 00:46:06,329
This podcast is brought to you by American
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