Professor Li Qian, member of the CQIQC and professor in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, has recently been recognized with the prestigious 2024 Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Quantum Photonic Technologies. This Chair position, awarded by the Government of Canada, is designed to support outstanding researchers considered by their peers as international leaders in their fields. According to a recent announcement by the U of T, within this cohort of Canada Research Chairs, there are twenty faculty members from the University of Toronto, with Professor Qian being one of the eight newly appointed Chairs in this cycle.

Professor Qian's research group is actively engaged in experimental research encompassing quantum key distribution, fiber sensing, and nonlinear fiber devices, such as fiber-based entangled photon sources. Several outcomes of her research have been commercialized, including dispersion measurement instruments made by Inometrix Inc., a startup led by one of her graduate students, and entangled photon sources made by OZ Optics, which have been sold to a number of leading research laboratories, including Nokia Bell Labs and US Army Research Labs.

This Chair position underscores Professor Qian's significant contributions to the field of Quantum Photonic Technologies and highlights the University of Toronto's excellence in quantum science and technologies.