Title: The Quantum Internet: Technological Challenges and Commercial Values

Speaker: Alireza Shabani, Cisco Quantum Lab

Abstract: Emerging quantum technologies define a new frontier for communication systems and their security. Global efforts are underway to build quantum network prototypes with the mission of realizing the Quantum Internet. In the first half of my talk, I will give an overview of the technological challenges of building quantum networks, and how at Cisco we see near-term and long-term benefits of investing in this area. In the second half, I will give an overview of our projects at Cisco Quantum Lab.

Biography: Alireza Shabani is the Head of Cisco Quantum Lab. Prior to joining Cisco, he built Qulab, a pharma startup levering AI and quantum computing to automate drug design. He was also a senior scientist at Google Quantum AI Lab. His research has been at the intersection of quantum physics, engineering, and biology. Dr. Shabani holds a Ph.D. in Electrical engineering from the University of Southern California and was a postdoctoral scholar at Princeton University and UC Berkeley.