The year in Canadian physics news

It’s been a BIG year in Canadian physics. Here’s a roundup of some of our favourite science stories and milestone markers from 2025.

1. Perimeter Institute celebrated its first 25 years 

We may be biased, but 2025 was a special year for Perimeter Institute as we celebrated our 25th anniversary throughout the year. In February, Perimeter invited the public to enjoy a unique exhibit, Galileo & His Ingenious Discoveries, in collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in Canada and the Galileo Museum in Florence. In September, thousands of people attended events at Perimeter Institute and throughout Waterloo Region, including science exhibits, documentary film screenings, and a live readthrough of a play by former PSI Master’s students. 
 

The celebrations also took Perimeter on a cross-Canada tour to forge new partnerships and connect with public and private institutions from Calgary to Halifax. 

To learn more about Perimeter’s first 25 years, check out our four-part retrospective. 

2. Quantum turned 100 

2025 was the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology, recognizing 100 years since the initial development of quantum mechanics. Events around the world, including Canada, helped raise awareness of the importance and impact of quantum science on all aspects of life. 

3. Qudits entered the quantum computer discussion

Most quantum computers use qubits to process information. In 2025, a team led by Christine Muschik, research associate faculty member at Perimeter Institute and a professor at the University of Waterloo Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), went beyond qubits and simulated a two-dimensional particle physics theory on a ‘qudit’ quantum computer. Scientists hope using a qudit quantum computer will help them understand fundamental mysteries about the nature of our universe – like what happens inside a neutron star or what states of matter are possible – with fewer errors than a qubit quantum computer, and much faster too. 

4. Scientists acknowledged even black holes have bad hair days 

In September, new images from the Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) collaboration revealed changing patterns in the magnetic fields of the supermassive black hole M87*. While M87*’s magnetic fields appeared to spiral in one direction in 2017, they settled in 2018 and reversed direction in 2021. The cumulative effects suggest that M87* and its surrounding environment are constantly evolving. 

5. TRIUMF researchers broke the Canadian record for ultracold neutron production 

Researchers at TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre, broke the Canadian record for neutron production in June, and they say the world record is within reach. Neutrons are extremely small, subatomic particles, so one way to measure their minute properties is to make them in large quantities. 

The team produced 900,000 ultracold neutrons with each proton pulse, tripling their previous record of 300,000. They hope that their work will lead to discoveries about why the universe is made of matter rather than antimatter.  

6. New experiment shows quantum advantage in learning about physical systems 

Can quantum entanglement enable faster and more detailed analyses of quantum systems than is possible using classical methods? A team of international researchers including Perimeter’s Sisi Zhou carried out an experiment that shows how quantum entanglement can reduce the number of samples needed to learn about quantum systems by a factor of 11. 

Reducing the number of samples needed for quantum learning and sensing has applications for other physical experiments, such as gravitational wave detection and machine learning. The team published a new paper in Science, providing proof-of-principle that entanglement significantly improves the quantum learning process in comparison to classical approaches. 

7. CHORD, next-generation radio telescope will be a huge leap forward for Canadian radio astronomy 

Construction is underway of CHORD, the most ambitious radio telescope project ever built on Canadian soil. Short for the Canadian Hydrogen Observatory and Radio-transient Detector, CHORD will give astronomers an unprecedented opportunity to explore some of the most exciting and mysterious questions in astrophysics and cosmology, from Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) and dark energy to the measurements of fundamental particles and beyond. In 2025 the team installed its first dish, and the system is expected to be fully operational in 2027. 

"This telescope will be an order of magnitude more powerful than its predecessor, the CHIME telescope, and it will all be enabled by Canadian technology and expertise," said Matt Dobbs, a professor of physics at McGill University and one of the project leads. Like its predecessor CHIME, CHORD uses a combination of innovative hardware and software to minimize radio interference and sort through an enormous amount of data collected every day. 

8. Canada signs statement of intent with CERN to strengthen scientific collaboration 

In May, Canada strengthened its relationship with CERN and committed to more collaboration on future research facilities, scientific techniques, and the tools needed for tomorrow’s breakthroughs. 

Canada and CERN have a long history of collaboration, with Canada providing advanced equipment, scientific expertise, and top talent. TRIUMF – Canada's particle accelerator centre – serves as the primary bridge for these efforts. The statement of intent signed in May ensures Canada will continue to be a world leader in physics, contributing to and advancing research on fundamental questions about the mysteries of the universe. 

9. University of Waterloo marked the 40th anniversary of Donna Strickland’s Nobel-winning paper 

The University of Waterloo celebrated the 40th anniversary of Donna Strickland’s Nobel Prize-winning paper in physics. Strickland, a professor at the University of Waterloo and board member for Perimeter, won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 2018 alongside Gérard Mourou and Arthur Ashkin for helping to develop chirped pulse amplification (CPA). This technique paved the way for the world’s most powerful lasers and is still used today to further increase their output.  

10. SNOLAB experiment sets new limits on the search for dark matter 

Scientists at SNOLAB, Canada’s deep underground science laboratory, are using a device found in your phone’s camera to hunt for dark matter. The SENSEI experiment uses a modified version of a CCD, a circuit found in digital camera, and published new results that set world-leading limits on the search for dark matter. SNOLAB plans to increase the size of the experiment going forward by adding more specialized CCDs.  

11. We remember Ray Laflamme, 1960-2025 

This year, scientists around the world mourned the passing of Ray Laflamme, a remarkable scientist, mentor, and dear friend. Laflamme was a founding faculty member at Perimeter Institute and the first director of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo. After his passing in June, tributes poured out in 2025, including from Perimeter, University of Waterloo, the Globe & Mail, and more. 

Laflamme was also remembered at Perimeter’s 25th anniversary gala celebration in September, where Perimeter’s founder Mike Lazaridis announced a new research chair in Laflamme’s name. The Laflamme Chair will enable the recruitment of a leading researcher in the field, establishing a new research program to advance quantum science and technology. 

“This is more than a gift,” Lazaridis said. “It is a way of keeping Ray’s spirit alive in the work he loved most, inspiring future generations with his curiosity, courage, and vision.