Quantum researcher honoured with Knighthood
Michele Mosca has earned many awards and distinctions for his pioneering work in quantum computing and cybersecurity, but a knighthood was an unexpected first.
Mosca has been appointed as a Knight in the Order of Merit by the Government of Italy. The knighthood recognizes the contributions Mosca, who is of Italian descent, has made to quantum information science and digital security, as well as teaching and outreach.
“I am honoured and humbled to be recognized with this distinction,” said Mosca, who was among the first researchers recruited to Perimeter Institute when it was founded in the late 1990s.
Mosca is an expert in quantum computing, quantum-safe cryptography and cybersecurity, and quantum software. His contributions to the theory and practice of quantum information processing include the first experimental implementation of a quantum algorithm, techniques for studying the limitations of quantum computers, and other significant advances.
Giuseppe Pastorelli, Consul General of Italy in Toronto, who conferred the knighthood in late June, explained: “President (Sergio) Mattarella was deeply impressed by his thought leadership in cybersecurity and quantum computing and the strong connection to his Italian heritage which was apparent from their discussion. I was delighted to learn of his decision to appoint Professor Mosca to the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic.”
Mosca is an Associate Faculty member at Perimeter Institute, jointly appointed at the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo, where he served as Deputy Director from 2002 to 2016. He is also a professor in Waterloo’s Department of Combinatorics and Optimization.
“I am grateful for the support of many colleagues and friends in together developing this tremendous opportunity to use quantum computers to solve important problems for humanity,” Mosca said.
Tackling such problems, he says, will “protect the world from powerful cyber attacks of the future.”
Watch Michele Mosca’s Perimeter Public Lecture, “As We Enter the New Quantum Era”
About PI
Perimeter Institute is the world’s largest research hub devoted to theoretical physics. The independent Institute was founded in 1999 to foster breakthroughs in the fundamental understanding of our universe, from the smallest particles to the entire cosmos. Research at Perimeter is motivated by the understanding that fundamental science advances human knowledge and catalyzes innovation, and that today’s theoretical physics is tomorrow’s technology. Located in the Region of Waterloo, the not-for-profit Institute is a unique public-private endeavour, including the Governments of Ontario and Canada, that enables cutting-edge research, trains the next generation of scientific pioneers, and shares the power of physics through award-winning educational outreach and public engagement.
