Quantum City internship program helps define Calgary as a hub for quantum technology

Finding new talent and experts to help the development of quantum technology is something the University of Calgary’s economic and scientific hub, Quantum City, is focused on doing through its internship program.  

Julien-Pierre Houle, a physics undergraduate student from the Universite de Sherbrooke in Quebec, recently finished his four-month internship at Quantum City where he worked on quantum computing, getting hands-on training and mentorship. 

“The internship allowed me to get a better, broader understanding of the field,” says Houle. 

Alberta's growing quantum ecosystem 

Having completed several other internships across Canada and around the world, Houle knew his next venture had to be somewhere that would provide him a unique perspective on quantum technology and its growing economy, and UCalgary was just the place. 

“There's really a growing quantum ecosystem in Calgary, so, it's really good to be part of this,” says Houle. “I wanted to learn about all the potential applications where we could use quantum, and specifically quantum computers one day.” 

The Canadian Rockies also helped Houle make his decision to come to Alberta.

“A good thing about Calgary is that it's really close to the Rockies,” says Houle. “I really love skiing, so it's a really good place if you're into that or the outdoors in general.” 

Since 2015, academics and industry experts from the universities of Calgary, Alberta and Lethbridge have been collaborating as a network, Quantum Alberta, to make Alberta a leading province in quantum science and technology. 

Quantum City scientific director Dr. Barry Sanders, BSc’84, DSc, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in UCalgary’s Faculty of Science. 

Once Houle reached out to Sanders, Houle knew he’d be a perfect fit.

“I think there’s really interesting science and physics to be done in quantum,” says Houle. 

“I first reached out to Barry Sanders and he's the one that's referred me to Quantum City and proposed to me the option to do an internship working on quantum computing.” 

Quantum City was created through a partnership with the Government of Alberta and Mphasis, UCalgary’s first industry partner in the field. Its vision is to be the place where quantum technology becomes quantum solutions. 

Developing talent to ensure a skilled workforce is what Quantum City’s managing director, Dr. Megan Lee, believes is necessary to promote quantum technology innovation in Alberta.

“Internships like this provide students with real-world experience, exposure to diverse industry players, and technical skills to accelerate adoption,” says Lee. “This investment in talent not only strengthens the local sector but also contributes to a national quantum future for Calgary, Alberta, and beyond.”

Using quantum computers for power grid optimization 

Houle had the opportunity to work on several projects during his internship, including a primary focus on solving power grid-optimization problems.   

“I was working on the algorithms that quantum computers would need to use if we wanted to do an optimization problem with them and trying to see what kind of performance we could get using these quantum algorithms,” he says. 

Reflecting on the highlights of his internship, Houle remembers the unique perspective on the field he got from attending Quantum City’s 2024 qConnect conference. 

“I got the chance to attend this conference and get a better understanding of the different quantum companies that exist and trying to see what the current state of the technology in quantum computing was, and in quantum in general,” he says. 

“I think it made a big impact on my understanding of what kind of challenges we’re facing if we want to make quantum useful for real-world application.” 

Develop research skills at Quantum City 

While his career plans include finishing his physics degree, pursuing more research opportunities and working towards a PhD, Houle says Quantum City gave him an experience that allowed him to become a better scientist. 

“I think everyone, if they have the opportunity, should definitely do an internship here at Quantum City,” says Houle. “Meet some really interesting people and develop your research skills. 

“I fell in love more and more with the field as I was working in it.”