In March 2018, SFU Physics undergraduate students visited D-Wave
Systems. An international leader in its field, this Burnaby-based
quantum computing company was the first to create a commercial quantum
computer.
Students were introduced to the quantum mechanical principles that
govern the operation of the D-Wave computer, saw computer chips and
dilution refrigerators used to cool the computers to close to absolute
zero, and learned about how D-Wave scientists are developing tools to
test these magnetic-flux-based devices.
The D-Wave tour was organized as a field trip for the Physics 201
Undergraduate Seminar course, which exposes students to opportunities
and skills beyond the traditional academic training of their courses.
Previous class tours have included: General Fusion, a company developing
a plasma-based approach to clean energy; TRIUMF, Canada's national
particle physics laboratory; and a virtual visit to the ATLAS control
room at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland.
