The International Conference on Emerging Quantum Technology(ICEQT), hosted by Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at the Microscale, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), lasting 5 days, was held in Hefei, Anhui from September 16^th to September 20^th.

During the conference, 53 scientists in the quantum field from different countries, including PAN Jianwei, an outstanding scientist from USTC and Anton Zeilinger, his tutor in Austria, were invited to send lectures on their work or recent developments in their specific research directions. Besides, the Micius Prize Ceremony, to award pioneer scientists in their study fields, was held in the afternoon of Wednesday, September 18^th and Micius Salon, a science lecture series facing to the public, was held in USTC in the evening of Thursday, September 20^th.

ICEQT, its predecessor - the International Conference on Quantum Foundation and Quantum Technology has been held four times in other cities in China, picked Hefei as its first meeting venue, the main reason is the prominent achievement PAN Jianwei and his research team has accomplished in recent years. “I think China is ten years ahead of any other countries in the world, even America, in the field of quantum communication”, said Jonathan Dowling, an invited speaker to the conference.

Lecture given by Anton Zeilinger (Image by LI Xiaoxi)

The organization of ICEQT is not only a great honor to PAN’s team, but also brings about a good chance for USTC students and Hefei citizens to take a look at the world of quantum. We sincerely wish more world-changing progresses would be made by PAN and his counterparts, and more chances like the ICEQT will also fall in Hefei in the future.

(Written by LI Xiaoxi / JIANG Pengcen, edited by LI Xiaoxi, USTC News Center)