General News – Ion Quantum Technology Group

BBC Politics South East: Creating a Quantum Silicon Valley in Greater Brighton

administrator — Mon, 21 Jul 2025 14:55:50 +0000

Universities of Sussex and Bristol jointly launch £24m doctoral training centre

Emily Crozier — Wed, 13 Mar 2024 15:22:09 +0000

The ��, in partnership with the University of Bristol, has announced that it is to receive millions in funding to launch a brand new quantum technologies Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT). ��The Centre for Doctoral Training in Quantum Information Science and Technologies was one of 65 new CDTs announced yesterday (Tuesday 12 March) by the Science and Technology Secretary, Michelle Donelan. ��

It will receive��£24 million of funding via the government’s Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), industry and other government organisations,��as part of wider work to support leading research in areas the government has designated of national importance.��

Universities of Sussex and Bristol launch £24m doctoral training centre to develop future leaders in quantum tech

BBC Breakfast: Making quantum computers modular

Emily Crozier — Mon, 13 Nov 2023 15:01:10 +0000

Researchers from the �� and Universal Quantum have demonstrated for the first time that quantum bits (qubits) can directly transfer between quantum computer microchips and demonstrated this with record-breaking speed and accuracy. This breakthrough resolves a major challenge in building quantum computers large and powerful enough to tackle complex problems that are of critical importance to society.

The future of quantum computing in academia and industry

Emily Crozier — Wed, 01 Sep 2021 15:52:30 +0000

Professor Winfried Hensinger presented his personal journey spanning three continents and four countries, in a bid to achieve his goal of building a scalable quantum computer. He discussed the future of quantum computing and quantum technologies in academia and��industry at the online event on 3 June 2021, organised by the University of Bristol Quantum Engineering Centre for Doctoral Training. You can watch the advice he gave .

University announces strategic partnership with Universal Quantum

Emily Crozier — Wed, 25 Nov 2020 12:12:01 +0000

We are happy to announce a strategic partnership with full stack quantum computing company . Universal Quantum is a spin-out from the Sussex Ion Quantum Technology group. This partnership will allow us to develop and construct practical quantum computers. More information can be found��here.

Minister Chris Skidmore visited our lab today

administrator — Mon, 01 Jul 2019 15:37:31 +0000

He announced £94M investment for the second phase of UK’s Quantum Technology Hubs which includes funding for the development of microwave trapped ion quantum computing at Sussex

Sussex team wins place in Europe’s bid to win global quantum race

administrator — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 01:34:00 +0000

The ��’s Ion Quantum Technology Group, headed by Professor Winfried Hensinger, has been selected to participate in the European Quantum Technology Flagship initiative.

The prestigious Flagship will see Europe positioning itself at the forefront of the global race to build a quantum computer and to see quantum technologies become a reality.�� This win places the UK, and Sussex itself, at the heart of the race.

Professor Hensinger’s team is part of a €2.4m project – ‘Microwave driven ion trap quantum computing’ – and they will be working alongside research groups from the Foundation for Theoretical and Computational Physics and Astrophysics (Bulgaria), Siegen University, Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Leibniz University, Hannover.�� These research groups have expertise in compact microwave technology, which currently exists in mobile phones but which may be critical in advancing quantum computing technology.

Prof Hensinger’s team unveiled the��last year, which they are now constructing in their lab at the ��. The group will use the £550,000 funding which will come to ��, as part of the wider project, to get even closer to building a large-scale quantum computer.

Prof Hensinger says: “I’m incredibly proud that the hard work, expertise and ingenuity of Sussex’s Ion Quantum Technology Group has been recognised by the European Commission and that we are among a handful of institutions selected for the prestigious Quantum Flagship initiative. It’s particularly encouraging given the background of Brexit – especially given the uncertainty for other UK scientists on the Galileo satellite navigation system project.

“We’ve seen Europe lag behind on other technological revolutions, and so it’s crucial that the hive of world-leading quantum research��activity is focused on placing Europe at the forefront of the biggest technological��conundrum��facing the world today: how to build a quantum computer.”

The Flagship has been divided up into five areas: communication; computation; simulation; sensing and metrology; and basic enabling science required in those areas. The Sussex project falls under the basic science category, for which there were only seven successful projects out of 90 submissions.

What the Sussex team will do
The team will work on improving the error rates within the quantum computer they are developing.�� This in turn will impact the size and efficiency of the trapped-ion computer that they are in the process of developing. At present, it is estimated that the ultimate computer would fill the size of a football pitch. By focusing their efforts on reducing the magnitude of errors produced, they can in turn reduce the number of components – or qubits – which will shrink the overall size of the computer. Prof Hensinger estimates that it might be possible to bring the computer down to the size of a house.

Additionally, work over the next three years will focus on improving the resilience of the quantum computer as well as the implementation of early quantum programs to be executed on quantum computer prototypes.

Sussex quantum physicist gives evidence to MPs on future of technology

administrator — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 15:00:37 +0000

Professor Winfried Hensinger, Director of the and Head of the Sussex Ion Quantum Technology Group appeared before the House of Commons’ Science and Technology Select Committee on 17 July, to give evidence as part of the Committee’s exploring the opportunities and challenges for new quantum technologies. A of Professor Hensinger’s evidence is available on Parliament’s website and a transcript of the session will be published on the in due course, alongside written evidence the University has provided to the Committee as part of its inquiry.

Quantum technologies seek to harness the theories of quantum physics in the development of new cutting-edge applications. This includes the theory that an atom can be in two different places at the same time (known as “quantum superposition”) and the theory that atoms can be linked, so that ��changing one atom can also change another (known as “quantum entanglement”).

Researchers at the �� are working on the development of a broad range of quantum technologies, as part of an interdisciplinary approach that brings together expertise from across different academic disciplines.�� These technologies include ‘ghost imaging’ that will allow people to look around corners, high precision quantum clocks, quantum networks, a range of quantum sensors (including devices that can monitor brain activity) and the construction of a prototype quantum computer.

Referring to the development of quantum computers, told MPs they had the potential to solve certain problems which even the fastest super computers would take “billions of years” to calculate and presented “tremendous opportunities” to transform our lives.

Professor Hensinger said; “It’s very unlikely we understand all the opportunities quantum computers pose, similar to when we first built conventional computers.”

While the first conventional computers allowed us to break encryption as early as the 1940s, most of the applications of conventional computers have only been developed in the last 30 years.

Professor Hensinger described to MPs the potential of quantum technology to inspire the next generation of scientists, referring to the positive response young people had given to an innovative walk-in quantum computing installation . The University took the installation to London’s Spitalfields Market last year, to educate the public about the quantum computer being developed by Professor Hensinger and his team.

He also stressed the importance of the National Quantum Technology Programme and its impact in developing ready to market technologies than can capitalise on the UK’s unique expertise. Professor Hensinger summarised some of the achievements of the programme and made suggestions for its continuation.

University wins national awards for recruitment and public engagement work

administrator — Thu, 19 Jul 2018 13:29:43 +0000

The �� won both gold and silver at the national ��for education marketing in Manchester on Thursday 12 July.

In the category of ‘best community/business engagement campaign’,��the University’s delivery of a powerful for Quantum Technology received a gold award.

In August 2017, Sussex staff invited members of the public to join them in an innovative pop-up lab in London’s Spitalfields Market to learn about the University’s cutting-edge work to build the world’s first large-scale practical quantum computer..

The project was led by Head of Campaigns, , in conjunction with Professor of Quantum Technologies, .

Sarah said: “This project was a brilliant creative collaboration with Professor Hensinger and his team, as well as many other colleagues from across the University. I’m really pleased that everyone’s work on the project has been recognised at the HEIST Awards.”

Judges cited the ‘innovative and creative’ project as a ‘fantastic example of how research can be commercialised and a great project to get the subject of Quantum Physics to the heart of the financial centre.’

Sussex’s community festival project was also shortlisted in this category.

The University’s ‘Let’s change things’ campaign won silver in the category of ‘best undergraduate student recruitment initiative’.

The ‘powerful and effective marketing campaign’ incorporated new confident messaging, distinctive design and photography, and more focused targeting of potential students – including on public transport and at competitor open days. It received praise from judges for demonstrating real results and a wider impact beyond recruitment.

The campaign was led by Head of Marketing, . Katy said: ““These awards are a reflection of what we are already capable of as a division.��It makes me feel immensely��proud of us all, and really ambitious��for our future.”

We’re expanding out team

administrator — Sun, 01 Jul 2018 15:25:55 +0000

We are expanding our team! We have a number of PhD and postdoctoral positions available as well as a centre administrator position. More information available .