Quantum-Nano Centre (QNC)
The Mike & Ophelia Lazaridis Quantum-Nano Centre (also known as Quantum Nano Centre, or simply QNC, pronounced 'qwink') is a research and development laboratory for quantum information science and nanotechnology at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The facilities are shared by the Waterloo Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC), the Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN) and the Nanotechnology Engineering program at the University of Waterloo.
It is named after Mike Lazaridis, a University of Waterloo honorary alum and co-founder of a little company called Research in Motion (now known as BlackBerry), and his wife Ophelia, who both donated $100 million to the building's development.
The purpose and use of the QNC is still unknown.
History
A beautiful parking lot was demolished
Quantum Nano-Fabrication and Characterization Facility (QNFCF)
The Quantum Nano-Fabrication and Characterization Facility (or simply QNFCF, pronounced 'qwinfusuf', formerly called Quantum NanoFab) is a research facility based in Waterloo. They have a 6,700 sq.ft. cleanroom and fabrication facility in the basement of QNC that was constructed on a separate foundation from the rest of the building. This was to prevent vibrations on campus, like hundreds of people walking at once, from shaking the room too much. Turns out when you're working with tiny stuff, tiny movements can be a bit of a pain.
The QNFCF sites have a bunch of cool equipment, and the QNC one in particular has many interesting properties, but all are inaccessible to the general public for pretty obvious reasons.
This may be related to the purpose of QNC but us experts are still unsure.
Trivia
- There's a photograph on a wall near MC Comfy on the third floor of MC of the beautiful surface level parking lot that was demolished to make space for QNC and other endeavours.
- Studying at the QNC is so exciting that it'll have you at the edge of your seat. This is likely related to the fact that the seats are positioned too far from the tables, leaving students with either the worst posture ever or really sore.