2008-02-09 Antonella Karlson

I fear to type this news because it would mean that the unthinkable really happened. But I have to.
Early this morning Antonella Karlson passed away in Milan after fighting for several months against cancer.
We have lost a colleague, who inspired us in an unprecedented way to develop a community vision for the future of our field, and a true friend for several of us.

We will mourn this loss for countless days to come.
(Daniele Binosi, 17:50:09 GMT)

2007-12-07 QIPC groups last ERA update call

As the ERA-Pilot project is ending (but the data collected will leave through the Coordination Action QUROPE, see www.qurope.net) we ask all the groups to complete the on-line form that can be accessed in the group's personal web page (login at http://qist.ect.it/Scripts/log.htm with the username and password you received at the moment of the first registration and then click on the "Group Update" entry on the top menu). The data you will be asked to provide are the following
  • the year your group started the QIPC activity
  • the main activity field of your group (to be chosen between Theoretical Physics, Experimental Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science and Chemistry)
  • three QICS codes characterizing the group activity
You might want to take the occasion to update your group data :). The deadline for completing the registration is Monday the 24th.
(Daniele Binosi, 15:28:22 GMT)

2007-10-25 New version of the QIPC Strategic Report available

Version 1.4 of the QIPC Strategic Report is available for download. The main change with respect to version 1.3 is that the Appendix have been rewritten for introducing the concepts of Quantum Information Technologies (QITs). Accordingly, Section 5 ("Prospects for Applications and Commercial Exploitation") have been removed, due to the large overlap with the new Appendix.

At this address of the QUROPE web site the Forum on QITs has been (re)opened: use this to give us feedback about this new roadmap section.

The new version can be downloaded in the Report section of the website, as well as from the QUROPE website at this address .

(Daniele Binosi, 12:46:41 GMT)

2007-03-05 New version of the QIPC Strategic Report available

Version 1.3 of the QIPC Strategic Report is available for download. Changes with respect to version 1.2 include:
  • Executive summary completely rewritten
  • QIPC research in Europe updated:
    • Up-to-date description of the QIPC Proactive Initiative
    • More detailed (but still work in progress) description of the QIPC funding at the EU regional level (WP3)
    • Incomplete/obsolete data on International funding programs tagged: will be updated by WP2 in the final version of the document
  • Section on "Atoms and Cavity QED" broadened to "Neutral Atoms, Molecules and Cavity QED"
  • Updated short- and long-term goals for semiconductor quantum dots and for impurity spins
  • Some changes/addenda in the theory section (most notably in the following subsections: Quantum Algorithms and Complexity, Geometric and topological methods for fault tolerant quantum computing, Noisy communication channels, Spin-off to other fields)
  • Format changing of the document to the QUROPE styles
The new version can be downloaded the new in the Report section of the website, as well as from the QUROPE website at this address .
(Daniele Binosi, 10:05:31 GMT)

2006-11-15 Integration of QICS with PACS

We are happy to announce that in a meeting held back in June, the PACS Committee has accepted the suggestions for changes of the Quantum Information PACS codes that has been elaborated by WP1 on the basis of the QICS codes. These revisions will appear in the 2008 update of the PACS scheme which will be released around September 2007 (and therefore he actual numbers of the new/modified PACS will not be known until then).

The full list of the approved changes can be found here.

(Daniele Binosi, 15:52:21 GMT)

2006-10-23 On-line registration for QUROPE

An on-line registration is now available for groups/institutions that wish to become affiliated members of the QUROPE project .
Affiliation to QUROPE is crucial both for strengthening the image of a compact European QIPC community, as well as to participate in the activities of QUROPE and in the information flow assured by it.
If you are an ERA-Pilot registered group, you can become a QUROPE affiliated member in basically no-time. All you have to do is to follow this link , insert your ERA-Pilot username, choose the QUROPE node you want to be affiliated to, press the Register button, confirm your retrieved data and it's done!
No more than 10 seconds, promise!
(Daniele Binosi, 10:54:11 GMT)

2006-10-18 Quantiki article writing competition

The quantiki.org team announced an article writing competition. The intention is to offer a prize of GBP 100 (with some runner-up prizes as well) for the best article added to the Handbook of Quantum Information available at the Quantiki website before 1st Nov. 2006.

To make things even simpler for competitors, they have even created a page which will (try to) convert latex files into the correct syntax - so you could use files you have already written in latex as a starting point of your contribution.

You are invited to spread the word to anyone who may be interested. For more information, please see the Quantiki Competition Page .
(Daniele Binosi, 10:14:28 GMT)

2006-10-10 The QUROPE CA launched its web-site

The QUROPE (Quantum Information Processing and Communication in Europe) Coordination Action program has announced the launch of its public web site:

www.qurope.net

This site will serve as an information dissemination and communication platform for the European QIPC community during the next three years (the duration of the QUROPE CA). Everybody is invited to visit the site and leave any comments or suggestions.
(Daniele Binosi, 10:58:23 GMT)

2006-08-29 Prof. Peter Zoller awarded with ICTP's Dirac Medal

We are pleased to inform you that on the 8th of August (the birthday of Paul Dirac) Prof. Peter Zoller scientific director of IQOQI (and member of the ERA-Pilot WP1) has been awarded the 2006 Dirac medal of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) in Trieste, Italy.
He has been honoured for "his work in atomic physics, including proposing the use of trapped ions for quantum computing."

All WP1 members are privileged to work with Prof. Zoller, and extend our congratulations on this achievement.
(Daniele Binosi, 11:06:56 GMT)

2006-08-22 ERA-Pilot in IST-Results

It is a great pleasure to announce that the coordination action project ERA-Pilot QIST has made it in the EU IST-Results Service . IST-Results gives online news and analysis on the emerging results from Information Society Technologies research reporting on prototype products and services ready for commercialisation as well as work in progress and interim results with significant potential for exploitation.
The full article can be found following this link .
(Daniele Binosi, 17:00:55 GMT)

2006-07-21 QICS update

The new version of the Quantum Information Classification Scheme (QICS) is now available for download. For preparing this update the abstract (and sometime the introduction and the conclusions) of all the papers available on the Virtual Journal of Quantum Information until May 2006 have been reviewed and classified accordingly.
The result is this new version of the codes, in which extensive changes have been made (few more topics, fields and subfields, were added, some code renaming has been done, and so on.) A changelog file describing all the changes will be made available in the (link) QICS pages (link) of this site, where all the new codes can already be consulted. Finally, also the QICS Quantiki version have been updated.
As usual, the 'living document' nature of the QICS has not changed, so you can give us feedback on the new codes either by using the QICS feedback form or by modifying directly the QICS-Quantiki version.
(Daniele Binosi, 10:20:19 GMT)

2006-06-14 Third roadmap update

The third update roadmap-like document "QIPC Strategic Report" will be delivered by the ERA-Pilot WP1 by the end of July / beginning of August.
As usual, we would like to hear from you as far as suggestions of content modifications/additions to the roadmap are concerned. The proposed suggestions should be e-mailed to era-qist@ect.it, and should contain the proposed modified/added part, as well as a brief and clear description of the motivations behind the suggested changes. We will then forward everything to the appropriate member of the scientific committee, who will take a decision about the proposed modifications. The deadline for sending your suggestions is the 30th of June (with anything received after this date considered for the final update).
Aside from the changes we will collect, we can anticipate that with respect to the previous version (1.2) the main difference will be that the Executive Summary has been completely rewritten. This has been done with the goal in mind of making QIST understandable for engineers and computer scientists with no quantum physics background, while preserving at the same time a clear and rigorous picture of its main research goals, visions and challenges.
(Daniele Binosi, 15:32:04 GMT)

2006-04-05 FET Consultation procedure extended

Two months ago in the context of preparing the funding strategies for the coming years under FP7, the FET (Future and Emerging Technologies) unit of DG INFSO, European Commission, opened a consultation procedure for eight research fields, one of which is QIPC.
Through the ERA-Pilot QIST website forum you could give your comments on the “Strategic report on current status, visions and goals for QIPC research in Europe”. So far we have received 75 comments.

FET has decided that the consultation will be extended till 30 April 2006.

If you have not yet done so, please use the simple on-line form and express your support for the QIPC roadmap, since a wide and active support for the QIPC roadmap by the entire QIPC community may make a significant difference towards continued EC investment in QIPC over the next years.
(Daniele Binosi, 09:50:36 GMT)

2006-02-23 EU/US QIPC roadmaps comparison

One of the task of WP1 is aimed at analysing QIST-related guidelines and roadmaps that have been developed within other countries and/or research areas, and investigating the applicability of such roadmaps to the European situation. We have started this task by comparing the two available QIPC roadmaps, i.e., the US and the EU ones.
The outcome of our analysis is a 12 pages document that can be downloaded in the Report section of the website.
(Daniele Binosi, 15:00:34 GMT)

2006-02-13 New version of the QIPC Strategic Report available

Version 1.2 of the QIPC Strategic Report is available for download. Changes with respect to version 1.1 include
  • State-of-the-art has been updated to November 2005
  • Quantum computing with trapped electrons has been included in Section 4.2.1 ("Quantum comuputing with trapped ions")
  • Single molecular magnets have been added to section 4.2.6 ("Impurity spins in solids", which is now titled "Impurity spins in solids and molecular spin cluster")
  • In the theory section, a new section has been added (4.3.4 "Geometric and topological methods for quantum computing"), and decoherence free subspaces have been included in section 4.3.6 ("Quantum error corrections & purification")
You can download the new version in the Report section of the website.
(Daniele Binosi, 17:59:58 GMT)

2006-02-10 Feedback for the QIPC roadmap requested

FET (Future and Emerging Technologies) of DG INFSO, European Commission is preparing its funding strategies for the coming years under FP7. Out of eight research fields, on which FET is running consultation procedures, one is QIPC. Through the ERA-Pilot QIST website forum you can give your comments on the “Strategic report on current status, visions and goals for QIPC research in Europe”. The consultation is open between 1 February and 31 March 2006. Afterwards the feedback given by the research communities, together with the documents subject to the consultation will serve as input to write the Work Programme for FET in FP7. A wide and active support for the QIPC roadmap by the entire QIPC community may make a significant difference towards continued EC investment in QIPC over the next years.

Your participation is really crucial. Please use the simple on-line form and express your support for the QIPC roadmap!
(Daniele Binosi, 16:54:37 GMT)

2005-11-24 EU funding agencies database and cartography available

Few months ago ERA-Pilot WP1 in collaboration with WP5 has started a survey of European funding agencies. The procedure consisted of 2 steps: (i) localizing the funding institutions and the corresponding contact persons, and (ii) sending to the latter a questionnaire that should be completed and returned to us.
The preliminary version of the corresponding database and cartography are now available to the QIPC community. As for the case of the data on QIPC groups (see previous news), to access them, login at the usual place, click on the top menu entry 'QIST Database', and then follow the instructions there.

Notice that this is just a preliminary version and new data will be added as soon as we receive the completed questionnaire from funding institutions (and, again, if you notice that some funding agency that you know of is missing, please let us know).
(Daniele Binosi, 14:50:45 GMT)

2005-11-24 QIPC groups database and cartography available

The data about QIPC groups in Europe collected by the ERA-Pilot WP1 through its two calls, are now made available to the QIPC community, in the form of both a searchable database as well as a map displaying the geographical location of the groups (and various information about them). To access the database and cartography, login at the usual place, click on the top menu entry 'QIST Database', and then follow the instructions there.
If you notice that some group that you know of is missing, please tell them to register, or tell us how we could contact them.

Notice that at the moment 35 groups out of the 152 that have registered did not complete the second step of registration, and we encourage (and urge) them to do so, since soon all the data will be handed over to WP2 for benchmarking.
(Daniele Binosi, 14:39:11 GMT)

2005-11-14 The ERA Quantiki Project

Quantiki is a wiki for quantum information processing and communication related subjects hosted at the Cambridge Centre for Quantum Computation .
Such an initiative has the potential to evolve into a really useful resource for everybody in the field, since, apart from scientific content, it can serve as a repository of useful information about research projects in quantum information science, world funding, etc.
With this objective in mind we are pleased to announce a newly borned WP1 initiative, called ERA Quantiki Project . This is basically a dedicated space in the Quantiki site, where one can find the 'wikinized' versions (i.e., versions that anyone can edit) of the 'living' documents we are delivering. The available documents are the QIPC Strategic Report and the Quantum Information Classification Scheme .

Details on how WP1 will collect the user contributions to these documents and address them can be found at the Quantiki site.
(Daniele Binosi, 15:32:19 GMT)

2005-10-20 Second roadmap upadate

The second update of the roadmap-like document "QIPC Strategic Report" has to be delivered by the ERA-Pilot WP1 by the end of December / beginning of January.
Therefore, starting from today (20/10/2005) we have asked all the contributors to revise their corresponding parts of the roadmap, for inclusion of all the relevant developments that has occurred in their field since the last roadmap update (November 2004) and until September 2005 at the latest.
At the same time, we have decided to launch a call (in the form of an e-mail sent to all QIPC groups contacts) for suggestions of content modifications/additions. The proposed suggestions should be e-mailed to era-qist@ect.it, and should contain the proposed modified/added part, as well as a brief and clear description of the motivations behind the suggested changes. We will then forward everything to the appropriate member of the scientific committee, who will take a decision about the proposed modifications. The deadline for sending your suggestions is the 20th of November: anything received after this date will be considered for a subsequent update, to be scheduled during 2006.
(Daniele Binosi, 10:33:15 GMT)

2005-10-19 The European Physics Journal D tests the QICS

As for any other document delivered by the ERA-Pilot WP1, the Quantum Information Classification Scheme© (QICS, see previous news) is intended to be a 'living document', open to the (QIPC) community discussion.
It is with this goal in mind that The European Physics Journal D has accepted to collaborate with the ERA-Pilot WP1 for launching a test of the QICS codes. (You can see the news about the collaboration at the EPJD website - look under the section Information - which shows both a direct link to the newly added QICS pages and to the full announcement text ). Therefore, from now on, a special note in the acknowledgment of receipt of a paper sent to EPJD will invite the authors of the QIST and related areas to provide their QICS codes in addition to the usual PACS ones. QICS codes will then appear in the paper and electronic version of accepted articles (in addition to the usual PACS codes).
The purpose of this test is twofold: from the one hand it will spread the QICS inside the QIPC community; on the other hand, we expect it to trigger community feedback in the form of comments, suggested changes and/or new codes, that can be sent directly to the ERA-Pilot WP1 through the QICS feedback form. Community suggestions will be continuously addressed, and if relevant will appear in subsequent updates of the codes (which are scheduled to take place every two-to-three months).
(Daniele Binosi, 11:49:30 GMT)

2005-09-30 Quantum Information Classification Scheme (QICS) now available!

One of the tasks of the ERA-Pilot QIST WP1, aims at a survey of European QIST related structures. To achieve this goal, it is essential to elaborate a list of QIST topics that can be widely accepted by the QIST community, and which indicates what techniques are part of QIST, where are the borders to other scientific and technological areas, etc.
The first version of a Quantum Information Classification Scheme (QICS) has been elaborated by the WP1 team, and is now available for download.
Inspired by the APS PACS scheme, we have identified 5 broad categories, which we divided into 23 major topics. Each topic was then split up into different fields which could possibly show an ulterior division into sub-fields.
As usual this is intended to be a 'living document', open to a community discussion. Therefore, if you think that some QIST subjects are missing, or that a new promising field has opened up, please send the suggested field/sub-field together with a proposed code (constructed following the aforementioned rules) to qist@ect.it. Valid codes will be included in subsequent updates of the QICS.
(Daniele Binosi, 12:35:48 GMT)

2005-09-30 EPJ D version of the QIPC Strategic Report

We are pleased to inform all the QIPC Strategic Report contributors as well as the whole QIPC community that an excerpt of the QIPC Strategic Report has been accepted for publication by The European Physics Journal D. The paper (which is already available in the On-line First section of the journal), contains the detailed scientific assessment of the state-of-the-art, main research goals, challenges, strengths, weaknesses, visions and perspectives of all the most relevant QIPC sub-fields.

We would like to take the occasion to dedicate this paper to the memory of Prof. Th. Beth, one of the pioneers of QIPC, whose contributions have had a significant scientific impact on the development as well as on the visibility of a field that he enthusiastically helped to shape since its early days.
(Daniele Binosi, 09:30:55 GMT)

2005-09-20 Obituary: Prof. Th. Beth

We are sad to report the death of Prof. Thomas Beth (IAKS, Universitaet Karlsruhe) , who died on August the 17th 2005. All the Roadmap Contributors and the ERA-Pilot staff are mourning this loss and extend their sympathy to his colleagues, his family and his friends.
(Daniele Binosi, 18:08:16 GMT)

2005-07-20 New version of the QIPC Strategic Report

A new version (1.1) of the "QIPC Strategic Report" is now available for download. With respect to the previous version changes have been mainly typographic, with few additions among which paragraph highlights for Sections 1, 2, 3 and 5, and finally some typos corrections. This is the version that WP1 has decided to deliver to FET for desktop publication as an official EU Document.
(Daniele Binosi, 16:28:53 GMT)

2005-07-05 Call for suggestions for the QIPC Strategic Report

On March 22nd, 2005, the first version of the QIPC strategic report has been published on the IST-FET website as well as on our website.
This roadmap-type document is a living document, and it is with this concept in mind that we have decided, for its second update (to be delivered by the end of December), to call for suggestions of content modifications/additions.
The proposed suggestions should be e-mailed to era-qist@ect.it, and should contain the proposed modified/added part, as well as a brief and clear description of the motivations behind the suggested changes. We will then forward everything to the appropriate member of the scientific committee, who will make a decision about the proposed modifications.
The deadline for sending your suggestions is the 15th of October: anything received after this date will be considered for a subsequent update, to be scheduled during 2006.
(Daniele Binosi, 14:23:05 GMT)

2005-07-05 QIPC groups registration call (second round)

After the first registration call for QIPC groups, launched back in April, we have received the registration of roughly 130 QIPC groups that have provided the general data we asked (but we know for sure that not ALL the QIPC groups have registered, as they should).
However, now the time has come for the second call, in which all the group contacts are requested to provide us more detailed information about their group, through the completion of an on-line form that can be accessed in the group's personal web page.
Some of the data you will be asked to provide are the following
  • memberships in funded projects (EC, national and others);
  • third countries involvement (% in funded projects);
  • representation of women (how many % of women in funded projects and prospective % in the next 5 years);
  • list of recent publications (last 5 years);
  • list of collaborations that have produced joint publications (last 5 years);
  • patents.
The form is available at your group's personal page (login at http://qist.ect.it/Scripts/log.htm with the username and password you received at the moment of the first registration and then click on the "Group Update" entry on the top menu).

The deadline for completing the registration is October the 15th.
(Daniele Binosi, 11:40:50 GMT)

2005-05-31 QIPC Strategic Report freely downloadable

The QIPC Strategic Report document can now be freely downloaded from the Reports section of our website.
(Daniele Binosi, 15:08:14 GMT)

2005-05-30 ERA-Pilot official web-site on-line

The ERA-Pilot official website (http://www.qist-europe.net ) is now on-line. Browse through it (the site design is very similar to our one), and make sure you register in order to get the ERA-Pilot related material (newsletter, press releases, invitation to events, etc.). By the way (as you can see for the official site) the logo created by one of us (DB) has been chosen as the official logo of the ERA-Pilot on QIST.
(Daniele Binosi, 14:24:56 GMT)

2005-05-10 Publication "QIPC in Europe" available!

The full text of the publication "QIPC in Europe" is available for download from the IST-FET website .
This publication (a meaningful complement to the strategic report published three weeks ago) contains 28 short articles written by 58 of the most prominent experts in Europe, and gives a balanced coverage of all areas of QIPC research (quantum communication, computation, information theory and applications) at a level appropriate for non-specialists.
The aim is to disseminate and promote QIPC research in Europe, as well as to give a balanced geographical coverage of the activities of most research groups in Europe.
(Daniele Binosi, 12:45:38 GMT)

2005-04-22 QIPC Strategic Report now available!

We are very happy to inform you that we have now a stable version of "Quantum Information Processing and Communication: strategic report on current status, visions and goals for research in Europe". This is a roadmap-type document which has the following goals:
  • promote QIPC research in Europe, strengthen its image and express it in a coherent way;
  • unify the research community, elaborate a common European strategy and goals;
  • provide input to the European Commission for the preparation of the Seventh Framework Programme and reach in an appropriate way decision makers;
  • expand and strengthen activities on European level.
The QIPC Strategic Report document can be downloaded at the IST-FET website . If you are member of a European QIPC group, we instead strongly suggest to download it from the Login area of this website, after registering your group.
(Daniele Binosi, 10:11:31 GMT)

2005-04-11 QIPC groups registration call (first round)

One of the ERA-Pilot WP1 tasks consists in analyzing the QIST community for developing a database that contains a list of European QIST-groups, their expertise, sizes, collaborations etc. In order to have such a database as complete as possible we need your help in the form of a registration. The latter will be done in two rounds: a first one requiring only general data (such as the name of the group, the size, the group's leader, contact person etc.), and a second one (to be announced at a later time) where more specific questions will be asked. Two are the main reasons for subscribing: (i) we will get to know about your group, and (ii) you will get a username and a password to access restricted area of the web site, where you can download WP1 deliverables and other documents (and which is the only place for now where to get the draft version of the QIST roadmap). To get more details about the registration and compile the corresponding form, please refer to the Subscribe section of the site.
Thank you for your help!
(Daniele Binosi, 11:30:47 GMT)

2005-04-08 Web site launched

Welcome to the official web site of the ERA-Pilot Project Workpackage 1 (WP1) "Drawing a European Guideline for QIST". Its main purpose is to serve as a means to share and exchange information within the QIPC community, for it to develop a common vision and strategy for the future of quantum information research.
WP1 will be producing more and more documents as time goes by (the ERA-Pilot will last for 2 years), so that this web site will be a "living one", in the sense that its content (especially in the Reports and Login sections) will be continually updated.
(Daniele Binosi, 17:53:29 GMT)