The first Dr. Yoram Tal Quantum Excellence Award ceremony, which took place recently at the Technion, showcased outstanding multidisciplinary student projects that herald the future of quantum research
At the awards ceremony, which took place on June 4 under the auspices of the Helen Diller Quantum Center, 11 finalists presented their exciting breakthroughs in multidisciplinary fields related to quantum science. The NIS 10,000 prize was awarded to Technion doctoral student Matan Even Tzur for his research “Squeezed Light Meets Attosecond Science.” In the midst of these challenging times, it was an uplifting event which highlighted Israel’s spirit of resilience and strong commitment to excellence.
Quantum science has evolved dramatically over the last several decades and the Technion stands at the forefront of cutting-edge research in this field. The Helen Diller Quantum Center, the hub for all quantum-related activities on campus, launched a new Quantum Excellence Award to further spur Technion students from different departments to join forces and break through the scientific boundaries of theoretical chemistry.
The finalists presented posters outlining the outcome of their research projects and describing innovative proof-of-concepts for solutions to a large range of challenges related to quantum science. Most of the participants are graduate students pursuing Masters and PhD degrees in such fields as Physics, Chemistry and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE).
Two of the projects were submitted by outstanding undergraduate students. Nevo Werner-Reiss, who is completing a BSc in Physics and ECE, enthusiastically presented his project “Towards Quantum State Tomography of Attosecond Pulses by FROG-CRAB;” and the trio of Physics undergraduates Dor Hay Shacham, Nativ Maor and Ben Halperin explained about their research, “Fast Simulation of Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion via Neural Operators.” They successfully demonstrated the application of Fourier Neural Operations (FNOs) to solve the complex dynamics of Spontaneous Parametric Down-Conversion, not only matching the accuracy of the traditional method but also outperforming its computational speed.
Nir Gutman, an ECE Masters student, presented his poster on “Universal Control of Symmetric States Using Spin Squeezing.” Nir is also a reserve soldier in the IDF’s Commando Unit and was among the first soldiers to enter Gaza during the Swords of Iron War. He received a few hours off from his reserve duty to attend the event. Nir’s research led to a new way to universally control symmetric entangled quantum states – one of the challenges confounding quantum scientists. His proposed scheme relies solely on coherent rotations and spin squeezing. “We present protocols for the creation of different symmetric states including Schrodinger cat and Gottesman-Kitaev-Preskill states. The obtained symmetric states can be transferred to traveling photonic states via spontaneous emission, providing a powerful mechanism for the creation of desired quantum light states,” he elaborated.
Matan Even Tzur, who was awarded the NIS 10,000 prize for his pioneering research, is a doctoral student in the Department of Physics whose supervisor is Prof. Oren Cohen. Matan explained that his project dealt with the intersection between quantum optics and high harmonic generation in attosecond science – a new field which controls the shortest pulses humans can produce, lasting no more than 10-18 of a second. His research is the first time that high harmonic generation and attosecond science are not treated as separate fields within quantum optics. Matan studied how the quantum state of light changes the creation of high harmonies and the dynamic of electrons when they are lit by strong quantum light, and discovered possibilities for efficiently generating quantum harmonies that may be useful for meteorology. “One of the discoveries we hadn’t expected is that we found that the quantum state of light can bend and change the orbits and dynamics of the electron. We are now conducting experiments to measure the power and the harmonies’ quantum nature,” he said, adding that “there is a lot more to be discovered and this is only the beginning.”
The prize commemorates the late Dr. Yoram Tal, a theoretic chemist and Technion alumnus whose contribution to Israel’s defense industry was very significant. His wife, children and grandchildren attended the event.
The evening was hosted by Prof. Nimrod Moiseyev of the Schulich Faculty of Chemistry and the Department of Physics and Head of the Institute of Advanced Studies in Theoretical Chemistry. Prof. Moiseyev serves as the Chair of the Quantum Excellence Award selection committee and was a close friend and colleague of Dr. Tal.
Prof. Moiseyev explained how Quantum Chemistry has changed over the last 50 years, and how his generation – and Dr. Tal’s – was involved in the evolution of quantum theory. “This award commemorates Yoram in the best way possible: through a competitive prize that encourages people who are creative and think outside the box, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary approaches,” he told the audience.
Following the great success of its inaugural edition, the Dr. Yoram Tal Quantum Excellence Award is set to become an annual competition showcasing the groundbreaking research carried out by Technion students in the field of quantum science and technology.
To read about each of the nominees, please click on the following link:
https://quantum.technion.ac.il/basic/407