Quantum computers: how and why, Lecture by Prof. Andrea Morello, University of NSW, on the occasion of the Day of Italian Research in the World

The Italian Cultural Institute in Sydney, an official body of the Italian government, promotes Italian language and culture in Australia and New Zealand.Through language courses, cultural events, and a dedicated library, we offer a gateway to Italy’s rich heritage.We collaborate with local and international partners to present concerts, exhibitions, film screenings, and more, fostering cultural exchange and artistic dialogue.

Istituto Italiano di Cultura

From dishwashing tablets to property management services, the attribute “quantum” is broadly used to signify “better”. But quantum is not just better: it’s different. The most striking example of how quantum is both “better” and “different” is a quantum computer. The idea of using quantum physics to perform computational tasks is 35 years old now, but only in the last few years the development of the basic components of a quantum computer has advanced far enough to trigger large investments from industry giants and start-up companies alike. In this talk I will explain simply but rigorously what a quantum computer is, how it works, what it does, and how it can become one of the most transformational technologies for the 21st century. The talk will be sprinkled with some mind-opening facts about human achievements using quantum effects, and some visual examples of quantum bits doing their work.
Andrea Morello is a Professor of Quantum Engineering at UNSW Sydney and a Program Manager in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation &amp; Communication Technology. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW, and a Fellow of the American Physical Society. He grew up near Torino and graduated from the Politecnico di Torino in 1998. He then completed his PhD in the birthplace of low-temperature physics, the Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratorium in Leiden, Netherlands, followed by a postdoc at UBC in Vancouver. He joined UNSW in late 2006. He and his team were the first in the world to demonstrate the operation of a single electron and a single nucleus quantum bit in silicon. They still hold the record for quantum memory time, and the most accurate demonstration of quantum entanglement in the solid state. For these achievements, Andrea was awarded a Eureka Prize (2011), the Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year (2013), the David Syme Research Prize (2013), the NSW Science &amp; Engineering Award (2014), and was the inaugural winner of the R. Landauer &amp; C.H. Bennett Award for Quantum Computing (2017).
The talk will be in English.
Free entry. Limited seats.