Quantum Computing Association at Cornell

The Quantum Computing Association at Cornell is an undergraduate student organization dedicated to providing opportunities for students to explore and innovate within the field of quantum computing. 

Cornell QCA is currently focused on expanding opportunities for students to engage in cutting-edge research projects in topological quantum simulation, novel quantum memory hardware, and active problems in quantum algorithms. Our Theory and Algorithms projects are in direct collaboration with the University of Chicago and Carnegie Mellon University, and our Hardware project is supervised by Professor Or Katz. 

Each semester, the organization conducts professor talks, lab tours, and an introductory series of lectures on quantum computing open to all students. We also host IBM Quantum’s Qiskit Fall Fest each November in the form of a hackathon on campus, complete with guest speakers from IBM, introductory workshops, and quantum software challenges.

Check out our website: cornellqca.com. Help contribute to groundbreaking research and support students passionate about quantum at Cornell! 

Theory Subteam:

The Theory Subteam is collaborating with students and faculty of the University of Chicago to develop the first open-source topological quantum emulator to simulate the braiding of anyon quasiparticles as an analogue for quantum gate operations. Members are actively researching gate design, topological error correction, and backend implementation. 

Source: Kemper Lab, NC State

Hardware Subteam:

The Hardware Subteam is working with Assistant Professor Or Katz of Applied & Engineering Physics to develop a novel quantum memory for the storage of light by harnessing the strength of alkali-noble-gas coupling. Members are actively working on simulating the quantum dynamics of the system, finite element analysis, CAD modeling, fabrication, and optical implementation to configure the input, storage, and readout of quantum information.

Algorithms Subteam:

The Algorithms Subteam is collaborating with undergraduates from Carnegie Mellon University to research quantum approximate optimization algorithms for max cuts and variational quantum algorithms for machine learning. Members are working on a GUI for quantum resource estimation.

Source: Google Quantum AI