IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering

IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering
Name	IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering
Abbreviation	IEEE Quantum Week
Discipline	Quantum computing
Publisher	IEEE
Frequency	annual
First	2019

IEEE International Conference on Quantum Computing and Engineering is an annual technical conference focused on quantum information science and quantum engineering, convened by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. The conference brings together researchers from organizations such as IBM, Google, Microsoft Research, Intel Corporation, and Rigetti Computing alongside academic laboratories from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, University of California, Berkeley, and University of Oxford. It aims to accelerate translation between theory and engineered systems with participation from institutions like the National Institute of Standards and Technology, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and private-sector partners including Honeywell, Alibaba Group, and Tencent.

Overview

The conference assembles experts across communities including attendees from California Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Princeton University, University of Cambridge, and ETH Zurich to discuss topics spanning hardware, software, algorithms, and applications. Sessions frequently feature contributions from national programs such as the U.S. Department of Energy initiatives, the European Commission quantum flagship activities, and collaborations with agencies like the National Science Foundation and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Key participants historically include representatives of D-Wave Systems, Alibaba Quantum Laboratory, Baidu Research, Xanadu Quantum Technologies, and research groups at Toyota Research Institute and Samsung Electronics.

History and Development

The series emerged during a period of intensified investment by stakeholders including Google Quantum AI, IBM Quantum, and Microsoft Azure after landmark demonstrations like the Google Sycamore experiment. Early editions featured plenaries from figures affiliated with John Preskill, Seth Lloyd, and leaders from Arvind Krishna-era IBM and teams connected to Hartmut Neven. The conference evolved alongside milestones such as demonstrations by IonQ, advances in superconducting qubits at Yale University, trapped-ion work at NIST groups, and error-correction developments linked to research at University of Waterloo and Perimeter Institute.

Conference Scope and Topics

Program tracks cover quantum hardware architectures including superconducting qubits (work from Yale University and Google), trapped ions (groups at University of Maryland and IonQ), neutral atoms (research at MIT and ColdQuanta), photonic systems (teams at Xanadu and University of Vienna), and topological approaches influenced by Microsoft Research Station Q concepts. Software and algorithmic sessions cite work by scholars from Cornell University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, and University of Tokyo on quantum algorithm design, complexity theory referencing contributions by Scott Aaronson and Peter Shor, and benchmarking practices aligned with National Institute of Standards and Technology protocols. Cross-disciplinary topics bring together applied teams from Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase, BASF, and ExxonMobil exploring quantum applications in chemistry, optimization, and material science with inputs from Max Planck Society researchers.

Organization and Sponsorship

The conference is organized under IEEE auspices with program committees including members from IEEE Computer Society, IEEE Robotics and Automation Society, and collaborations with professional bodies like Association for Computing Machinery committees and the Optical Society of America. Sponsorship and exhibitor relationships include corporate partners such as IBM, Google, Microsoft, Intel, Amazon Web Services, Alibaba Group, and Tencent, as well as support from national laboratories like Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and research councils such as the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Dutch Research Council. Academic partners have included University of Sydney, University of Toronto, McGill University, and Tsinghua University.

Notable Editions and Highlights

Noteworthy editions have showcased announcements of platform scaling from groups at IBM Quantum and demonstrations of quantum advantage claims related to experiments like Google Sycamore and work by University of Science and Technology of China. Panels have featured speakers linked to John Preskill, Seth Lloyd, Michelle Simmons, and industry leaders from Arvind Krishna-led initiatives and startups like Rigetti Computing and D-Wave Systems. Special sessions have highlighted standardization efforts with contributions from National Institute of Standards and Technology, policy discussions involving European Commission delegates, and collaborations with consortia such as Quantum Economic Development Consortium and QED-C.

Proceedings and Publications

Conference proceedings are published through IEEE Xplore and indexed in bibliographic databases accessed by researchers at Google Scholar, Scopus, and Web of Science. Proceedings include peer-reviewed papers, workshop reports, and poster abstracts featuring contributors from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, University of Oxford, and corporate research groups like IBM Research and Microsoft Research. Special issues and invited collections have been coordinated with journals associated with societies such as IEEE Transactions on Quantum Engineering and thematic issues in publications tied to Nature Electronics, Physical Review X, and npj Quantum Information.

Impact and Community Engagement

The conference influences technical roadmaps at organizations including IBM, Google, Intel, Microsoft, and national labs like Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, and supports workforce development through tutorials involving educators from Carnegie Mellon University and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Outreach and community programs have connected with initiatives like Qiskit Advocates, QuTech Academy, and regional hubs such as Silicon Valley innovation networks and Beijing-based research clusters, fostering collaborations that bridge academic groups at Perimeter Institute and industrial teams at Honeywell Quantum Solutions.

Category:Quantum computing conferences