UQ will be at the forefront of developing quantum technologies on a global stage, after securing more than $29 million through the Queensland Quantum and Advanced Technologies Strategy.
The 10 UQ projects include using quantum technologies to help with decarbonisation, computing.
UQ vice-chancellor and president professor Deborah Terry AC said the funding, which also includes 47 scholarships for UQ postgraduate research students, would ensure the University continued to be an international leader in developing quantum knowledge.
“These projects put us in a strong position to develop technologies to have real impacts on the world’s biggest challenges in areas like health, pharmaceuticals, resources and decarbonisation,” said Terry.
“Quantum technology is forecast to attract billions of dollars to the Queensland economy, and UQ experts are looking forward to playing our role in helping the sector to realise these benefits.
“About $10 million of the funding for UQ will establish the Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance, which will bring together partner organisations to find ways to reduce carbon emissions.
Professor Warwick Bowen, director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Quantum Biotechnology, said the world was reaching a critical phase in the roll out of quantum technologies.
“Quantum physics explains how the world works at the subatomic level,” said Bowen.
“Quantum technologies use this subatomic behaviour to achieve capabilities far exceeding what is otherwise possible.
“This technology is powerful and it has the potential to add trillions into the global economy. Now is the time to invest to make the most of this opportunity.”
As the lead in the Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance project, Bowen said the aim was to use quantum to help the world achieve net zero,” said Bowen.
“We’ll be looking at quantum computing and quantum sensing to develop more sustainable energy and technologies to help reduce carbon emissions, such as designing more efficient and stronger batteries, making green hydrogen more economically viable, and looking at how the resources industry could identify critical minerals more easily.
“These are just some examples of what quantum has the potential to achieve – there are many different applications.”
UQ projects funded include:
- Queensland Quantum Decarbonisation Alliance – led by Professor Warwick Bowen
- National Quantum Computing Testbed Facility – led by Associate Professor Arkady Fedorov
- National Advanced Photonics Facility – led by Professor Andrew White
- Queensland Photon Detector Characterisation Facility – led by Associate Professor Ebinazar Namdas
- Quantum-Enabled Low Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging for High-Performance Sport – led by Associate Professor Craig Engstrom
- Quantum Concussion Diagnostics – led by Professor Warwick Bowen
- A quantum exo-garment for unrivalled measurement of muscle function in sport – led by Dr Ryan Riddick
- Hybrid quantum sensors for rapid detection of chemical and biochemical agents – led by Associate Professor Idriss Blakey
- CERQus: Cavity-Enhanced Rydberg Quantum Sensors for Bioelectrics – led by Dr Tyler Neely
- Quantum assays for Anti-doping control – led by Dr Igor Marinkovic
- 47 scholarships for postgraduate students under the Queensland Government’s Quantum and Advanced
Technologies Talent Building Program including:
- Quantum and Advanced Technologies PhD Top-up Award – 8
- Quantum and Advanced Technologies Global Talent Attraction PhD Scholarship – 1
- Quantum and Advanced Technologies Postgraduate Pipeline Scholarship – 23 Honours and 4 Master of Philosophy
- Cross-disciplinary PhD Collaboration Scholarship – 5
- Carer’s Assistance Package – 6
