The propitious morning of January 8th, 2022 saw the students of B. I. T. Sindri immersed in the quantum realm. The Training and Placement Cell, B.I.T. Sindri, organised a live webinar on “Quantum Computing: Introduction and Application” by Dr. Pranjal Kumar Phukan, Founder, Timber Advisors Private Limited, and an esteemed alumnus of the institute. The webinar focused on introducing the students to the new and rapidly developing field of Quantum Computing and its applications in different sectors.
The session started with greetings for the new year to all the attendees and a warm welcome was accorded to the honourable guest speaker by Prof. (Dr.) Ghanshyam (TPO). He also shared with the students anecdotes about Dr. Phukan’s efforts for benefit of the institute and the students.
After the exchange of greetings and introduction, the session was taken over by the keynote speaker, Dr. Pranjal Kumar Phukan. He began by throwing light on the applicability of Quantum Computing in tackling modern day challenges. He said that it can be used as an impactful tool in solving sophisticated problems in fields such as biotechnology, medicine, blockchain and Chemical Engineering.
Dr. Phukan continued with a point-to-point comparison between classical computing and quantum computing to clarify the difference between these two models and make it easier to comprehend for the students. He emphasised that quantum computers are capable of carrying out large calculations at a much faster pace which is beyond the scope of classical computers. He explained some salient features like quantum superposition, quantum entanglement and the concept of qubits.
Dr. Phukan explained about the different quantum technologies like superconducting qubits and silicon spin qubits being used by companies like Google, IBM and Intel. To make students aware of the applications of quantum computing, he cited some industrial applications including quantum simulations, optimisation and quantum AI which are used in drug-development, blockchain and climate forecasting.
What students found most interesting was the diversity in the usage of this technology which included optimising manufacturing techniques, building high-capacity energy storage, catalyst analysis, network optimisation and much more.
At the end of this session students gained formidable insight into the world of quantum computing. Student coordinator, Adhya Keshri, expressed gratitude on behalf of the entire B.I.T. fraternity to the honourable keynote speaker and alumnus, Dr. Pranjal Kumar Phukan, and presented a token of thanks to him.
SARJANA 