At its prestigious Valletta Campus, the University of Malta hosted the international Summer School QALYPSO24: Precision in Quantum Information & Computation, between September 2- September 6 2024.
Around 100 researchers from all around the world, including 20 under- and post-graduate students from the University of Malta sponsored by MDIA and tech.mt, engaged in a week-long scientific program which featured lectures delivered by international experts on Quantum Metrology, Quantum Thermodynamics and Quantum Error Correction. The quantum metrology lectures, delivered by Prof. Landi (University of Rochester, USA) and Prof. Metelmann (University of Karlsruhe, Germany) focused on how to estimate parameters of a physical system and how to deal with noisy measurements. Quantum Thermodynamics lectures, by Dr. Guarnieri (University of Pavia, Italy) and Dr. Silva (ETH Zurich, Switzerland), delved into the relation between precision and entropy, and between quantum clocks and classical and quantum machines.
Quantum error correction, by Dr Faist and Dr Quintavalle (both at Freie Universität Berlin, Germany) illustrated theory and techniques to achieve fault-tolerant quantum computation. QALYPSO24 hosted also a basic track where Dr Elisa Baumer (IBM), Jake Xuereb (TU Wien), Mirko Consiglio (University of Malta) and Alessandro Summer (Trinity College Dublin) engaged the students into a quantum computation hackathon, with a program ranging from the basics of quantum mechanics to designing quantum algorithms for addressing real-life problems, such as determining the structure of a molecule or finding the shortest path on a complex network.
QALPSO24 included the panel discussion “Science and Society in Malta” where representatives of Xjenza Malta, the Maltese Chamber of Scientists, MDIA, Trinity College Dublin, Malta Enterprise and the University of Malta discussed the synergies and integration of fundamental research, societal and technological impact, and commercial exploitation in the EU and Maltese R&I ecosystem chaired by Prof. Andrè Xuereb.
QALYPSO24 held also an industrial session, with representatives of Merqury Cybersecurity LTD, QTI-Quantum Telecommunication Italy, Normal Computing, Quandela, Quantrolox, and IBM Quantum discussing the current status of quantum technologies, their future perspective and upcoming impact on modern societies.
The summer school provided an excellent opportunity for Maltese and international students to interact with leading researchers in quantum technologies, to showcase their research during the poster sessions, and explore and engage in scientific collaborations during the discussion time allocated in the QALYPSO program. In parallel to the scientific program, administrative and managerial staff of Trinity College Dublin and of the University of Malta held a staff knowledge exchange workshop, chaired by Mc Geever, focusing on project management for the Horizon Europe Programme and aiming at enhancing the scientific, managerial and administrative interaction between the two research institutions.
The summer school is supported by the EU co-funded project ASPECTS: a consortium of scientists investigating the thermodynamics of precision measurement using quantum systems which includes four researchers, coordinated by Dr Tony Apollaro, at the Department of Physics of the University of Malta.
Additional information is available online through the following links: