I Dream of Quantum (Jeannie)

 Today, the following news article was brought to my attention.

The article calls for our country to consider exploring quantum computing. The writer is Yap Yung Szen, a researcher from UTM who has some experience in conducting experiments in Japan and Singapore. I don't think I have met the person before but it is certainly encouraging to know a local Malaysian to be working in quantum information experiments. So far, I think the experiments he was involved in are all abroad and I'm not sure what experimental set-ups does he have locally in UTM (if any). Nevertheless, I hope his call in the article will get to be noticed by decision-makers.

For us here, we have made attempts to delve into quantum technologies in the past. The most recent is the initiative we had in collaboration with CyberSecurity Malaysia (CSM). The technology we hoped to explore was that in quantum communications, for which I think the technology gap is quite close given that there are many local researchers in photonics. All that is needed is to go to the next level of manipulating single photons. In fact, at one point, Malaysia already had a quantum key distribution (QKD) in open space experiment conducted by MIMOS around 2009. However this project was discontinued as their management opted for more commercially viable technologies in other areas. The main experimentalist involved in the mentioned experiment has now gone back to Indonesia, leaving some sort of vacuum for Malaysia to venture into experimental QKD. With CyberSecurity Malaysia showing keen interest in developing QKD together with post-quantum cryptography in the next Malaysia plan, we saw this as a golden opportunity for us to grab to bring quantum technologies to Malaysia. Some considerable efforts were made in this initiative including the contact with a Singapore quantum start-up. However, the news that we were given recently is that no funding is made available for this initiative under the recent Malaysian budget. So currently, we are back to just doing theoretical work. With only less than two years left before I retire, I will probably continue whatever mathematical physics research that we already have in the group.

Do we discontinue to dream to have quantum technologies here? That very well depends on my younger colleagues and the experimentalists who had shown interest in the initiative with CSM. I certainly hope that the interest will still be maintained so that we are ready to grab the opportunity when it is made available. Our best bet is still to work closely with a major player (e.g. Singapore) as planned in the CSM initiative. Thus, we need to maintain the international network we have communicated with. Surely we do not want Malaysia to be left behind in quantum technologies. Beyond what was planned, I can only suggest that one should get familiar with technologies surrounding Josephson junctions, quantum Hall effect and the likes. Perhaps, closer to materials science is perhaps areas like topological materials are worth considering.

Below, I give the links to developments made in Thailand and Indonesia. Please read them and thereafter, question oneself if we still want to ignore quantum technologies.

The development in Thailand can be read here: https://medium.com/qtft/the-future-of-thailand-and-the-second-quantum-revolution-7f8be39e6ad8 

The development in Indonesia can be read here: https://medium.com/qtft/the-future-of-thailand-and-the-second-quantum-revolution-7f8be39e6ad8

The development in Malaysia: we can still dream. All the best.