BELLINGHAM, Washington, USA — On 12-16 July, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), will present the 2021 Photonics for Quantum Digital Forum. Previously an RIT initiative, this year marks a new iteration of this event in the form of a partnership between RIT and SPIE.

The five-day event will include more than 20 speakers from across international industry and research as well as an interactive poster session. Discussions and presentations will focus on quantum topics spanning applications, experiments, quantum photonic integrated circuits, materials, integration between dissimilar material systems, devices, and concepts to support a national quantum foundry.

Invited speakers include Qunnect's Noel Goddard; the US Air Force Research Laboratory's Michael Fanto; Imperial College London's Ian A. Walmsley; Eleni Diamanti of Sorbonne University's Laboratoire d'Informatique de Paris 6; Laboratoire Matériaux et Phénomènes Quantiques' Sara Ducci; the University of Birmingham's Kai Bongs; and Anton Zeilinger of the University of Vienna and the Institute for Quantum Optics and Quantum Information of the Austrian Academy of sciences.

The Photonics for Quantum program sessions include:

• 12 July: Networks and Communication
• 13 July: Computing and Simulation
• 14 July: Sensing and Imaging
• 15 July: Components
• 16 July: Special events and panels, including Women in Quantum (in conjunction with the SPIE Women in Optics program), global government initiatives and funding, and workforce and education

"RIT is thrilled to partner with SPIE to present this year's Photonics for Quantum conference," said Don Figer, director of RIT's Future Photon Initiative. "For the past two years, this event has provided an important forum to discuss the latest breakthroughs in quantum science and technology, as well as how to unlock this growing field's potential. We look forward to expanding the conference by accessing SPIE's worldwide network."

"We're very excited to be partnering with RIT on this growing event," said SPIE Director of Industry Development Stephen Anderson. "It's a wonderful opportunity to help showcase the fast-emerging field of quantum technology and the exciting possibilities that exist in it for photonics. With its particular focus on scientific and academic content, covering both fundamental research and in-lab developments, Photonics for Quantum is a terrific complement to the industry-focused SPIE Quantum West and a great addition to the SPIE calendar."

Registration for Photonics for Quantum is now open. Visit our website for more information and to register for the event.

About RIT

Rochester Institute of Technology is home to leading creators, entrepreneurs, innovators, and researchers. Founded in 1829, RIT enrolls 18,600 students in more than 200 career-oriented and professional programs, making it among the largest private universities in the US. The university is internationally recognized and ranked for academic leadership in business, computing, engineering, imaging science, liberal arts, sustainability, and fine and applied arts. RIT also offers unparalleled support services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The cooperative education program is one of the oldest and largest in the nation. Global partnerships include campuses in China, Croatia, Dubai, and Kosovo.

About SPIE

SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, an educational not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based science, engineering, and technology. The Society serves more than 258,000 constituents from 184 countries, offering conferences and their published proceedings, continuing education, books, journals, and the SPIE Digital Library. In 2020, SPIE provided over $5 million in community support including scholarships and awards, outreach and advocacy programs, travel grants, public policy, and educational resources. www.spie.org.