The University of Waterloo's Institute for Quantum Computing will host the third annual QCrypt conference August 5-9. More than 170 researchers will discuss research progress in the field of quantum cryptography, an important element in future cyber security.

Today’s cryptographic schemes keep everyday transactions on the internet secure. In the not-so-distant future, quantum computers will be able to break these schemes.

But the same technology that can break today’s cryptography can add unbreakable key exchange and other tools to tomorrow’s cyber-security arsenal.

“We need to transition the current cryptographic toolbox to one that will protect against emerging quantum technologies, one that is quantum-safe.” said Michele Mosca, deputy director, Institute for Quantum Computing. “Quantum cryptography will be a critical part of protecting against the cyber attacks of the future.”

The conference includes invited talks, lectures and tutorials by researchers like Nobel Laureate and IQC alumnus Sir Anthony Leggett; and Scott Aaronson of MIT, author of the blog, Shtetl-Optimized, which is widely followed in the scientific community. The industry showcase will include research groups and companies from around the world displaying their products and prototypes such as:

A commercial plug-and-play quantum key distribution system, ID Quantique (Switzerland)

A single-photo detector from Anhui Asky Quantum Technology (China)

A 3D-print model of the Canadian quantum satellite from associate professor Thomas Jennewein’s group (IQC)

The public is invited to a lecture during the conference: Quantum Computing and the Entanglement Frontier, Tuesday, August 6 at 7:00 pm. It’s by John Preskill, the Richard P. Feynman Professor of Theoretical Physics at Caltech.

Preskill is one of the pioneers of modern quantum information research.