[:en]Items of general "quantum" interest.[:]
Jun 09
On Friday, 5 June 2026, Quantum@SUN and NITheCS hosted Mpho Tladi from the University of Cape Town for a seminar titled “Stochastic Krylov Dynamics: Revisiting Operator Growth in Open Quantum Systems.” The seminar explored one of the big questions in modern quantum physics: what happens to quantum information when a system is no longer isolated …
May 13
Solomon Gizaw gave us a fascinating look into gender bias in natural language processing, using Amharic, the official federal language of Ethiopia, as the main case study. The big question behind the talk was simple but powerful: can language data itself carry gender bias before an AI model even starts making decisions? The answer was …
Apr 30
We highlight William Marais, one of the top Computer Science Honours students at Stellenbosch University. After completing his Honours degree with an impressive 84% average, William has continued into advanced research under the supervision of Francesco Petruccione. His research lies at the intersection of quantum computing and machine learning, focusing on the use of evolutionary …
Mar 28
📢 MSc Position in Experimental Optical Quantum Computing (1-2 Years) at Stellenbosch University. This opportunity focuses on photonics-based quantum computing within an international, industry-linked collaboration. If you have a strong background in physics, programming, and an interest in experimental optics, this could be a great fit. A full bursary is available, with applications considered on a …
Mar 22
Dr Lea Gassab gave us a fascinating dive into Quantum Effects in Microtubules this week, exploring how tiny quantum phenomena could play a role in biology. The spotlight was on tryptophan, an amino acid that lights up under UV at 280 nm. Its transition has the dipole moment which makes it a perfect candidate for …
Feb 25
At the 16th CHPC & 8th NITheCS Coding Summer School on day 6, Prof Francesco Petruccione and Dipika Ramjugernath presented a session to participants and explored the core strategies that computer scientists use to solve complex computational problems efficiently. The presenters made a note to participants that not all computational problems are straightforward. Difficulty of …
Feb 09
The second QWorld Annual Meeting convened participants from around the world to discuss the growth and coordination of the QWorld network. Chairperson Paweł Góra opened the meeting by outlining its purpose: presenting QWorld and its regional “QWorld Cousins,” exploring the opportunities for quantum initiatives, and fostering community integration. The two-day event’s programme featured presentations from …
Feb 09
Understanding the Challenge At the Dynamic Systems Workshop at Stellenbosch University, Dr Ali Raza explained how mathematicians solve the most complex wave equations in physics. These equations describe how vibrations, signals, and energy move in different environments. The problem is that once the wave equations become “nonlinear” the classic mathematical tricks no longer work. …
Feb 09
A Warm Welcome to a Growing Community Stellenbosch University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies, Professor Cebisa Moyo, opened the Dynamical Systems Theory and Modelling with AI Workshop with energy and purpose. Speaking to participants from South Africa, Thailand, Greece and beyond, she highlighted the importance of bringing mathematicians, physicists, engineers and computer …
Jul 29
[:en] From 6-11 July 2025, Tristen Gwynn (Quantum@SUN PhD student) and I (Dhiya Dharampal, Quantum@SUN Masters student) attended the 15th International High Performance Computing (HPC) Summer School in Lisbon, Portugal, where we enjoyed an incredible week filled with parallel programming, Pastéis de Nata and wonderful company from all over the world. …