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Unbounded by Binary: PNW Quantum Leaps Forward

Shawn He Yuxun - Saturday, October 11, 2025
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Finance Prof. Anh Thu Mai guest-lectured at class on quantum x finance & insurance

Above: Finance Prof. Dr. Anh Thu Mai guest-lectured on quantum finance at an OQF class


Dear QLeapers & friends,

A lot has happened since the last update—so let’s dive right in and explore what’s new across PNW Quantum.

What We’re Learning

This semester’s new quantum courses are pushing students to rethink computation itself—not as a fixed or completed idea, but as an evolving framework.

Towards the end of 1800's, scientists believed physics was nearly “finished” until the strange cat of quantum mechanics escaped its box. Likewise, students are discovering that computation too can be re-imagined beyond its classical limits.

Most of us think of computing as binary—built on 0s and 1s. That’s because the binary system, first proposed by Leibniz in the early 1700s, found its perfect partner two centuries later in electricity, whose “on” and “off” states could easily encode logic.

But quantum systems aren’t confined to two states. Their particles can exist in multiple states or even continuous combinations, meaning computation no longer has to be bound to binary logic—or even traditional logic gates.

That’s only the beginning. These new courses serve as springboards for deeper dives to come—so keep an eye out for future course offerings... (Quantum Machine Learning, anyone?)

IEEE Quantum Week
What We’re Watching

Every Friday from 12:30–2:30 pm till the end of this semester, our weekly Quantum Meet-Up doubles as a “Watch Party Series”, featuring keynote talks from this year’s IEEE Quantum Week in Albuquerque.

Upcoming lineup:

  • Software for the Era of Quantum Advantage — IBM Quantum

  • Majorana-Based Topological Qubits: A Path to Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing — Microsoft

  • An Open Platform for Quantum-Accelerated Supercomputing — NVIDIA CUDA-Q

  • Distributed Quantum Computing in Silicon — Photonic & SFU

  • Progress Toward Large-Scale Fault-Tolerant Quantum Computing with Photons — PsiQuantum

  • Quantum Multicomputers — IEEE & Keio Univ.

  • Scaling Quantum Information Systems: Digital Twins in Manufacturing of Quantum Devices — UCLA

These talks highlight where the field is headed and what “quantum advantage” might soon mean in practice.

As promised in my last newsletter, I’ll also be sharing more reflections from IEEE Quantum Week—starting with my LinkedIn post recap of the two technical paper sessions I chaired. Expect additional takeaways over the next few weeks...
 

Spooky Action Night Banner
How We’re Going to Party

This Halloween, we’re teaming up with the Paranormal Club for a truly entangled evening of science, mystery and fun dubbed Spooky Action Night.

Inspired by Einstein’s description of entanglement as “spooky action at a distance,” this collaborative event draws playful parallels between quantum phenomena (such as entanglement, superposition, and tunneling) and paranormal activity -- all in the spirit of making quantum science more engaging and more accessible to the broader campus community.

The night kicks off with a short talk on “spooky” quantum effects and how they’re shaping breakthroughs in fields like computing, communication, and sensing. Then the actions begin...

  • Campus ghost hunt
  • Quantum-themed games
  • Prizes, treats, and more...

👉 RSVP here and join this one-of-a-kind Halloween party where quantum meets the unexplained.
 


More Actions Around Town

Spooky Action Night is just a prelude to something even bigger—the first annual Midwest Quantum Week (Oct. 30 – Nov. 7), featuring events across Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin and anchored by the 8th Chicago Quantum Summit (Nov. 3 & 4).

To help advance this regional initiative -- aimed at building the “Silicon Valley of Quantum” (learn more) -- we have joined our counterparts at UChicago, DePaul, UIC, Northwestern, and UW-Madison in hosting several events, including:

  • Quantum Campus Powwow (Oct. 30, University of Chicago)
    Student researchers from five universities will present their work.

  • Building a Useful Quantum Computer in Chicago (Nov. 4, Union League Club of Chicago)
    Featuring a keynote from PsiQuantum on progress in building and deploying the world’s first million-qubit photonic quantum computer

For more details, please visit The Qampus Club upcoming events page.

More Excitations Ahead

For competitors: HardHaQ is a nine-day hybrid quantum hackathon tackling real hardware challenges. It begins with a virtual simulation weekend, followed by a week of asynchronous problem-solving, and concludes with an in-person finale at McMaster University featuring talks, lab tours, and poster sessions. (In-person participation encouraged but not required.) More at hardhaq.com

For internship seekers: Honda Research Institute USA (HRI-US) is currently recruiting graduate interns for Spring in the areas of Machine Learning/AI, Human-Computer Interaction, and Computer Vision. Learn more at usa.honda-ri.com/careers and apply at usa.honda-ri.com/intern-positions.
(Applicants must have legal authorization to work in the U.S.)


Please stay entangled for more updates in the weeks ahead.

Wishing you all a great fall break,
Shawn


 

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