Founding Members
- Abderrahim El Allati (Marocco),
- Andreas Buchleitner (Germany),
- Edward David Davis (South Africa),
- Cornelius Fai (Cameroon),
- Salem Hegazi (Egypt),
- Thomas Konrad (South Africa),
- Henry Martin (Ghana),
- Alan Matthews (South Africa),
- Isaac Nape (South Africa),
- Prince Osei (Ghana),
- Happy Sithole (South Africa),
- Christine Steenkamp (South (Africa, Mourad Telmini (Marocco),
- Ahmed Younes (Egypt).
Strategy
The mission target is to be approached, in a long-term effort, along different stepping stones which a) need to be defined (in substance, and on the time axis), and b) need to reflect the different involved countries’ specific, realistically assessed boundary conditions, capacities, and resources.
Capacity building, in particular in the experimental domain, is a central ingredient to get the required expertise on the ground. This includes a) dedicated education and special training programmes on the local community/secondary schools/university curricular level, b) the creation of attractive PostDoc abroad+return schemes, and c) onboarding initiatives for experienced scholars of internationally highest level.
“Collateral benefits” (Sithole) need to be identified to make the effort plausible under the perspective of societal needs.
Quantum communication and metrology/sensing perspectives, as well as the interfaces between quantum computing, computer science, and applied mathematics (with the potential perspective of a systematic theory of quantum algorithms) are to be blended in.
Mission Target
Quantum computing hardware on the African continent.
Commitments of The Different Partners
There is a need to spell out a) the specific research areas (under the perspective of the mission target) individual partners want to contribute to, with b) which specific research question/project, on c) which time scale, and with d) which potential “collateral benefit” for applications which can enter local business plans.
Identification of local target areas/capacities/expertises
Ghana
Training of students in High Performance Computing (HPC), practical quantum computing (Qiskit or similar); computational material science
(Experimental) Photonics Centre at Kumasi under construction (co-funded by SPIE, Optica, ICFO)
2-5 years for local capacity building (quantum computing) and operationality of Photonics Centre
Tunisia
Interface between general quantum theory (AMO, condensed matter, material science) and quantum computing; expertise in light-matter interaction, AMO structure theory, cold atoms, Rydberg state physics, quantum computing, quantum materials, metrology
Labs: Laser physics/Spectroscopy, Condensed Matter/Material Science/Photonics
South Africa
Quantum computing with structured light, quantum computing on photonics platforms, quantum verification & validation (V&V), quantum cryptography/communication, quantum metrology, use cases in certification/cryptography/metrology; large computing facility operation/administration/ deployment/acquisition; industry partnership administration/negotiation. Quantum software: pure and hybrid algorithms, quantum machine learning, quantum simulations, quantum chemistry.
Labs: cold atoms, trapped ions, structured quantum & classical light, bio-sensing, QKD, laser physics, condensed matter/material sciences, photonics, quantum dots, Centre for High Perfomance Computing (CHPC), National Laser Centre.
Systems built: Single and entangled photon sources, single photon detectors, coincidence counters, QKD, quantum teleportation, quantum imaging systems, bio sensors
Morocco
Quantum information theory; quantum communication, quantum metrology (low temperature), photonics; curriculum development in quantum sciences, including a dedicated experimental component involving experienced researchers from abroad (transfer of expertise)
Egypt
Interface between quantum computation and computer science; quantum algorithm development; dedicated quantum computing curriculum; quantum communication and metrology
Labs: National laser institute, entangled photon sources, material science experiments on ground
Cameroon
Quantum error correction and topological quantum computing; quantum machine learning; discrete and continuous variable quantum computing scenarios; Hamiltonian models of quantum computing architectures; quantum sensing; condensed matter theory