Professor Stefanos Kourtis’ Team Among XPRIZE Quantum Semifinalists

The team led by Professor Stefanos Kourtis, a faculty member at the Institut quantique of Université de Sherbrooke and holder of the Pasqal Chair in Quantum Artificial Intelligence, has been chosen as semifinalists of the XPRIZE Quantum for Real-World Impact competition, organized by Google Quantum AI. This global challenge rewards the most promising projects applying quantum technologies to real-world issues in fields such as health, environment, energy, and security.

Selected from over 130 international proposals, the team includes PhD student Joseph Gibson, research professional Victor Drouin-Touchette, and Professor Kourtis himself. This recognition highlights the impact of Quebec’s quantum research in addressing real-world challenges through cutting-edge science.

The project, one of 20 semifinalists, proposes an innovative approach to solving complex combinatorial problems. Instead of finding just one solution, their quantum algorithm aims to count all possible solutions, a particularly difficult task for classical computers. In collaboration with the company Pasqal, the team developed an algorithm based on neutral atoms, an advanced quantum platform developped by Pasqal. This approach could lead to faster and more reliable solutions, paving the way for significant advances in various fields, especially artificial intelligence.

As Professor Kourtis expressed, the news was warmly received by his team and is a source of great pride:

When you look at the other semifinalists—MIT, Berkeley, Harvard, Caltech, etc.—and realize we get to represent Sherbrooke on that list, it makes us all very proud.

Victor Drouin-Touchette is equally enthusiastic about the project’s practical impact and what lies ahead:

Our algorithm leverages the unique properties of neutral atom quantum computers. I’m excited to move on to the next stage and test it in practice.

This recognition reflects the dynamism, innovation, and scientific excellence of the Institut quantique, which continues to shine on the international stage.

Congratulations to Professor Kourtis’ team on this remarkable achievement!