Raymond Laflamme, Canadian pioneer in quantum computing, has died

Raymond Laflamme, a Canadian pioneer in the field of quantum information processing who once worked with Stephen Hawking, has died after a lengthy bout with cancer. The University of Waterloo announced his death in a press release this week. He died June 19 on what would have been his 65th birthday. Born in Québec City, the third of five siblings, Laflamme studied physics as an undergraduate at the Université Laval before moving to England to continue his education there. At Cambridge University, he earned his PhD under the supervision of Stephen Hawking, at one point convincing the eminent scientist (over the course of six months’ spirited discussion) that Hawking was wrong in his belief that time would run backwards during the contraction of the universe. Hawking gave credit to Laflamme for this contribution in his best-selling book A Brief History of Time. When Laflamme left Cambridge a few years later, Hawking personalized his copy of the book with a note reading: “To Raymond, who showed me that the arrow of time is not a boomerang. Thank you for all your help. Stephen.” Years later, Hawking visited Laflamme at his workplace in Waterloo, Ont., during which his former student gave him a tour of labs, introduced him to faculty, students and staff — and presented him with a boomerang, engraved with the words: “Come back soon!” After Cambridge, Laflamme worked for a number of years at the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, where his interests shifted from cosmology to quantum computing. In 2001, he returned to Canada and joined the department of physics and astronomy at the University of Waterloo and the university’s newly created Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics. There, he became founding director of the Institute for Quantum Computing, a position he held for 15 years. “Through his leadership, IQC became a world-class research hub, positioning Canada at the forefront of the quantum revolution,” the university said in its release. “In his scientific research, Laflamme pioneered theoretical and experimental approaches to quantum information processing and quantum error correction.” It added: “Laflamme and colleagues developed an innovative approach to quantum information processing using linear optics, the results of which became one of the most referenced works in quantum computing.” On the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the IQC, Hawking was among the luminaries to pay tribute to Laflamme’s achievements. “The incredible growth and success of IQC are a testament to professor Raymond Laflamme’s leadership,” he said. “Under Raymond’s guidance, IQC has established Waterloo and Canada as the world-leading hub for research in quantum technologies and their applications.” Laflamme’s many accolades included being named an Officer of the Order of Canada, the Canadian Association of Physicists CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics, and a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a Fellow of the American Physical Society, and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He held the inaugural Mike and Ophelia Lazaridis “John von Neumann” Chair in Quantum Information. He coauthored two textbooks on quantum computing: Building Quantum Computers: A Practical Introduction and An Introduction to Quantum Computing. In 2020, he and his wife, Janice Gregson, established the Raymond Laflamme and Janice Gregson Graduate Scholarship for Women in Quantum Information Science, awarded annually to recognize top women entering Waterloo’s quantum graduate programs. “Throughout his career, he found ways to bring people together,” the university said in its release. “This was accomplished on an international scale by leading networks and organizing conferences, and within the local community through pick-up hockey games and sharing his insights generously with students and colleagues.” The university noted that, when he was diagnosed with lung cancer, Laflamme started a project with researchers at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener, Ont., to investigate quantum technologies for cancer research and treatment. Laflamme is survived by Gregson and his children, Patrick and Jocelyne. Cremation has taken place, and a celebration of life will be announced at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family says donations may be made to Lung Cancer Canada, Princess Margaret Foundation or the Waterloo Regional Health Network Foundation – Cancer Centre. The family is also working towards setting up a scholarship fund in Laflamme’s memory. An obituary at Erb & Good Family Funeral Home noted Laflamme’s love for the outdoors. “In recent years, he and Janice went on bike tours through France, and Ray embarked on two canoe trips to the Arctic — one with Patrick, one with Jocelyne,” it said, adding: “He had a knack for turning any project into something special, from building a log cabin sauna by hand to restoring his cherished 1979 VW bus.” The obituary also includes a tribute wall. One person posted: “Although I only met Ray Laflamme once, I’ll never forget his patience in explaining, in lay terms, quantum computing to me.” They added: “I first learned about his lung cancer diagnosis in an interview with him in the (Waterloo Region) Record. He was speaking out about the importance of early screening for a cancer that is the leading cause of death. The courage he displayed by going public in that article only increased my respect for him. My condolences to his family.”

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