BUILDING BLOCKS OF FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES
UBC’s Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute pushes the boundaries of today’s knowledge to develop the benefits of tomorrow
More than just an institution of higher learning, the University of British Columbia empowers its students and faculty in groundbreaking research that endeavours to make an impact on real-world issues. In part five of a series, we examine how UBC is creating quantum materials — the building blocks that will be used to develop the technologies of the future. The development of driverless cars, robotic surgery and other applications of artificial intelligence (AI) are all drastically increasing the need for computing power.
In 1999, well before we were even thinking about many of these AI applications, British Columbia-based D-Wave Systems, the world’s first quantum computing company, was focusing on providing the kind of computing power that could help make these technologies commonplace.
It’s not surprising that the company got its start at UBC, where researchers are continuing to make discoveries today that could transform the treatments and technologies of the future.
Take UBC’s Stewart Blusson Quantum Matter Institute (SBQMI), where a team of top scientists has been assembled to push the limits of research into quantum structures, quantum materials and applications towards quantum devices. Through research into the manipulation of matter at the quantum level, the institute is developing unconventional superconductors, new materials and mechanical devices built at the nanoscale.
“The focus here is designing and discovering new materials, and testing them to see if they can become the platform for completely new functionalities and technological applications,” says Andrea Damascelli, scientific director of SBQMI. “Our effort encompasses theoretical, experimental and applied research, defining new concepts in the design of quantum materials, fabricating them with atomic manipulation approaches, and pursuing those with the greatest potential for creating the building blocks for future technologies that will transform the world.”
For example, Douglas Bonn, a professor at UBC Physics, is researching the advanced capabilities of crystalline structures. “If we can find answers to certain fundamental questions, then we open the possibility of using superconductors to our greater advantage,” he says. “Technological applications could include medical and other imaging devices, maglev trains, tokamak fusion reactors, and particle accelerators. They could also include: low-loss power cables; faster, smaller digital circuits; improved RF and microwave filters for cellphones; and high-sensitivity particle detectors.”
Damascelli notes that UBC’s culture provides professors, staff and students with the latitude and infrastructure to explore new concepts and ideas. “We have everything in one place, the expertise, the clean room, the laser room and laboratory working spaces,” he says. “We’re the go-to people for this research, whether a company is in the market or wants the technology and expertise to test its assumptions before bringing a product to market.”
UBC will always continue to pursue pure science, but the university takes pride in its record of leveraging promising research to launch businesses that make Canada more competitive and improve the lives of people around the world. Stronger and lighter materials, more effective medications, and more efficient diagnostic equipment for hospitals are just some of the advances developed at UBC, where transforming ideas into tangible products and services has become something of an art form.
SBQMI is increasing its focus on the development of intellectual property and patents. That’s been cemented by the recent hiring of Karl Jessen for the institute’s newly minted position of director of business development.
“If a student developed an idea they wanted to patent or go to market with, I would work with that student by offering consulting expertise and looking at that idea through an entrepreneurial lens — and reaching out to an extensive network of business connections when ready,” says Jessen.
Damascelli notes that it’s an exciting time to be a scientist at UBC.
“We’re pursuing scientific breakthroughs on the quantum level in so many areas, it’s sometimes difficult to keep up with each other. What we’re working on today may not make headlines tomorrow, but it will transform and improve our lives in years to come, underpinning the development of revolutionary, next-generation quantum technologies.”