Plenary Speakers | CEC-ICMC 2021

	Prof. Irfan Siddiqi \| LBNL & UCB Presenting on Monday, July 19, 2021, 8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. US Eastern Time (ICMC) Irfan Siddiqi is a Professor of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and a faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). He is the director of the Quantum Systems Accelerator, a US Department of Energy funded national quantum information science research center, and the Advanced Quantum Testbed at LBNL that focuses on state-of-the-art superconducting quantum computing technologies. Siddiqi’s research has focused on high-fidelity readout of superconducting quantum bits, quantum simulation & computation, quantum feedback, quantum trajectories, squeezing and measurement limits, and near-quantum-limited microwave frequency amplification. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and a recipient of its George E. Valley prize (2006) and Joseph F. Keithley Award (2021). He received the UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award in 2016–the institution’s most prestigious honor for teaching and continued commitment to pedagogy. Siddiqi received his A.B. in Chemistry & Physics from Harvard University in 1997, and a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Yale University in 2002. Presentation Topic: “The Promise of Superconducting Quantum Information Processing” Abstract: Quantum mechanics describes the physical world around us with exquisite precision, with no known violations of the theory. Ironically, this precision comes with some additional baggage: the theory allows for a host of complex, delicate states of the physical world, many of which are yet to be produced or observed. The debate of whether their subtle, entangled structure really captures the fundamental nature of the world, and is an engineering resource, is reaching a critical moment, with experiments straddling the threshold of quantum supremacy where hitherto inaccessible computations are enabled with quantum computing hardware. Superconducting circuit-based quantum processors are an advanced technology platform for such quantum information processing. Current progress in quantum hardware and algorithms is reviewed, along with a discussion of near-term research needs as viewed through the lens of materials science and cryogenic technology.
	Eric Hinterman \| MIT Presenting on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, 8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. US Eastern Time (CEC) Eric Hinterman is a Ph.D. candidate at MIT in Aeronautics and Astronautics and works on MOXIE, an instrument on the Perseverance rover that produces oxygen on Mars. He attended the University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate studies, where he received a degree in Chemical Engineering. After working in the chemical industry for several years, Eric returned to school to pursue graduate degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics. He currently holds a Master’s degree from MIT and is working towards his Ph.D. at the same institution. Eric is a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow, NASA Space Technology Research Fellow, and Foresight Institute Fellow. He is passionate about human spaceflight and plans to spend his career pushing the boundaries to enable human exploration of Mars and beyond. Presentation topic: “The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE)” Abstract: The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) has recently demonstrated, for the first time ever, the production of oxygen on the surface of Mars. MOXIE takes in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere of Mars, compresses the gas, and electrochemically separates oxygen molecules from the carbon dioxide through a process called solid oxide electrolysis (SOE). As an In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) demonstration, MOXIE is a key step towards enabling human exploration of Mars. A scaled-up version of MOXIE is intended to produce the entirety of oxidizer needed for a Mars Ascent Vehicle to lift a crew of 4-6 astronauts off the surface of Mars and return them to Earth. The ISRU plant would also provide oxygen for breathing and habitation pressure for early crews exploring Mars. Major subsystems include a cryogenic pumping and compression system, SOE cells with five times the active area of those on MOXIE, and a cryogenic oxygen liquefaction and storage system. The MOXIE system, results of MOXIE’s operation on Mars, and the current baseline design of the scaled-up system will be discussed.
	Ludovic Ybanez \| Airbus SAS Presenting on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, 8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. US Eastern Time (ICMC) Ludovic Ybanez is the head of ASCEND, a demonstrator platform which intends to establish, with worldwide partners, the potential and feasibility of cryogenic and superconducting electric technologies for breakthrough performances of electric propulsion. In addition, he is Managing director of Airbus Exo Zero Emissions SAS, an affiliate of Airbus UpNext SAS, focused on technology demonstrators to enable low carbon propulsion for aeronautics. After his engineering degree in electrical engineering from ENSEEIHT (Toulouse) in 2002, he joined Safran, where he held positions in the Design Office on turboshaft systems and on avionic systems for aircraft. Passionate about aeronautics, electrical engineering he was appointed head of EWIS R&T department in 2011 before being seconded to IRT Saint Exupery, a French research institute, as head of power technologies and integration for future electrical Aircraft. In January 2019, he joined Airbus’ central research & technology team in Ottobrunn, Germany before joining, in 2020, Airbus UpNext and his current position. Presentation Topic: “ASCEND – A First Step Towards Cryogenic Electric Propulsion for Aircraft” Abstract: ASCEND (Advanced Superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental powertraiN Demonstrator), AIRBUS intends to demonstrate the potential and feasibility of a cryogenic and superconducting powertrain to breakthrough aircraft electric propulsion performances. Cooling at cryogenic temperature conventional electric technologies and using “high temperature” superconductivity technologies are promising to significantly increase performances of electric propulsion systems. During the last years, through several projects, Airbus has evaluated superconducting and cryogenic technologies on electric systems and will use this project to explore the feasibility and accelerate the maturity of these promising technologies in order to optimise propulsion architecture ready for low-emission and zero-emission flight. Results are expected to show the potential for component weight and electrical losses to be at least halved, as the volume and complexity of systems installation is reduced, as well as a reduction in voltage to below 500V, compared to current systems.
	David Grillot \| ITER Organization Presenting on Friday, July 23, 2021, 8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. US Eastern Time (CEC) Mr. David Grillot is with the ITER International Organization since January 2016 when he was appointed as the Head of the Cryogenic Section. As Project Team Leader, he manages the overall project delivery (from conceptual studies to operation phase) together with ITER India Team and F4E (Fusion for Energy) group. Before joining ITER, Mr. Grillot held different positions in project engineering for more than 20 years for Air Liquide Space and Air Liquide Advanced Technologies, delivering low-temperature systems and large refrigeration/liquefaction Helium and Hydrogen plant for industrial applications and large science projects. Mr. Grillot earned his MSc from the French Engineering School INPG. He authored and presented many articles and papers in cryogenic engineering. He has been recognized as Cryogenic International Senior Expert within the Air liquid Group in 2015 and is regularly involved as an external panel expert in current ongoing worldwide projects. Presentation Topic: “ITER Cryogenic Systems – the Scale, Complexity, and Innovation” Abstract: ITER cryogenics system is now in its final installation phase to be commissioned in 2022, consisting of three 25 kW class helium refrigerators operated in parallel, 1300 kW for 80 K thermal shield provided from LN₂ plant and 80 K forced flow cooling loops. The major challenge for the cryogenic system is to cope with substantial dynamic heat load during the Deuterium-Tritium (DT) operation phase; the expected peak heat load, at 4 K equivalent, is approximately100 kW. The heat is mostly deposited to the superconducting coil systems cooled by a dedicated distribution system, Auxiliary Cold Boxes (ACBs), under forced-flow Supercritical Helium (SHe) cooling generated by the world’s largest class cold circulators. In principle, this is the first time to operate the Cryoplant under substantial dynamic heat load. Cryogenic-system has been developed as utilizing the most advanced technologies which also requires an innovative process control approach to sustain DT operation. After introducing broadly the ITER project and then the specific feature of ITER plant, the status of installation of the Cryogenic plant, as well as the commissioning plan will be presented. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the ITER Organization.

	Prof. Irfan Siddiqi \| LBNL & UCB Presenting on Monday, July 19, 2021, 8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. US Eastern Time (ICMC) Irfan Siddiqi is a Professor of Physics at the University of California, Berkeley, and a faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). He is the director of the Quantum Systems Accelerator, a US Department of Energy funded national quantum information science research center, and the Advanced Quantum Testbed at LBNL that focuses on state-of-the-art superconducting quantum computing technologies. Siddiqi’s research has focused on high-fidelity readout of superconducting quantum bits, quantum simulation & computation, quantum feedback, quantum trajectories, squeezing and measurement limits, and near-quantum-limited microwave frequency amplification. He is a fellow of the American Physical Society and a recipient of its George E. Valley prize (2006) and Joseph F. Keithley Award (2021). He received the UC Berkeley Distinguished Teaching Award in 2016–the institution’s most prestigious honor for teaching and continued commitment to pedagogy. Siddiqi received his A.B. in Chemistry & Physics from Harvard University in 1997, and a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Yale University in 2002. Presentation Topic: “The Promise of Superconducting Quantum Information Processing” Abstract: Quantum mechanics describes the physical world around us with exquisite precision, with no known violations of the theory. Ironically, this precision comes with some additional baggage: the theory allows for a host of complex, delicate states of the physical world, many of which are yet to be produced or observed. The debate of whether their subtle, entangled structure really captures the fundamental nature of the world, and is an engineering resource, is reaching a critical moment, with experiments straddling the threshold of quantum supremacy where hitherto inaccessible computations are enabled with quantum computing hardware. Superconducting circuit-based quantum processors are an advanced technology platform for such quantum information processing. Current progress in quantum hardware and algorithms is reviewed, along with a discussion of near-term research needs as viewed through the lens of materials science and cryogenic technology.
	Eric Hinterman \| MIT Presenting on Tuesday, July 20, 2021, 8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. US Eastern Time (CEC) Eric Hinterman is a Ph.D. candidate at MIT in Aeronautics and Astronautics and works on MOXIE, an instrument on the Perseverance rover that produces oxygen on Mars. He attended the University of Notre Dame for his undergraduate studies, where he received a degree in Chemical Engineering. After working in the chemical industry for several years, Eric returned to school to pursue graduate degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics. He currently holds a Master’s degree from MIT and is working towards his Ph.D. at the same institution. Eric is a Matthew Isakowitz Fellow, NASA Space Technology Research Fellow, and Foresight Institute Fellow. He is passionate about human spaceflight and plans to spend his career pushing the boundaries to enable human exploration of Mars and beyond. Presentation topic: “The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE)” Abstract: The Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) has recently demonstrated, for the first time ever, the production of oxygen on the surface of Mars. MOXIE takes in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere of Mars, compresses the gas, and electrochemically separates oxygen molecules from the carbon dioxide through a process called solid oxide electrolysis (SOE). As an In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) demonstration, MOXIE is a key step towards enabling human exploration of Mars. A scaled-up version of MOXIE is intended to produce the entirety of oxidizer needed for a Mars Ascent Vehicle to lift a crew of 4-6 astronauts off the surface of Mars and return them to Earth. The ISRU plant would also provide oxygen for breathing and habitation pressure for early crews exploring Mars. Major subsystems include a cryogenic pumping and compression system, SOE cells with five times the active area of those on MOXIE, and a cryogenic oxygen liquefaction and storage system. The MOXIE system, results of MOXIE’s operation on Mars, and the current baseline design of the scaled-up system will be discussed.
	Ludovic Ybanez \| Airbus SAS Presenting on Wednesday, July 21, 2021, 8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. US Eastern Time (ICMC) Ludovic Ybanez is the head of ASCEND, a demonstrator platform which intends to establish, with worldwide partners, the potential and feasibility of cryogenic and superconducting electric technologies for breakthrough performances of electric propulsion. In addition, he is Managing director of Airbus Exo Zero Emissions SAS, an affiliate of Airbus UpNext SAS, focused on technology demonstrators to enable low carbon propulsion for aeronautics. After his engineering degree in electrical engineering from ENSEEIHT (Toulouse) in 2002, he joined Safran, where he held positions in the Design Office on turboshaft systems and on avionic systems for aircraft. Passionate about aeronautics, electrical engineering he was appointed head of EWIS R&T department in 2011 before being seconded to IRT Saint Exupery, a French research institute, as head of power technologies and integration for future electrical Aircraft. In January 2019, he joined Airbus’ central research & technology team in Ottobrunn, Germany before joining, in 2020, Airbus UpNext and his current position. Presentation Topic: “ASCEND – A First Step Towards Cryogenic Electric Propulsion for Aircraft” Abstract: ASCEND (Advanced Superconducting and Cryogenic Experimental powertraiN Demonstrator), AIRBUS intends to demonstrate the potential and feasibility of a cryogenic and superconducting powertrain to breakthrough aircraft electric propulsion performances. Cooling at cryogenic temperature conventional electric technologies and using “high temperature” superconductivity technologies are promising to significantly increase performances of electric propulsion systems. During the last years, through several projects, Airbus has evaluated superconducting and cryogenic technologies on electric systems and will use this project to explore the feasibility and accelerate the maturity of these promising technologies in order to optimise propulsion architecture ready for low-emission and zero-emission flight. Results are expected to show the potential for component weight and electrical losses to be at least halved, as the volume and complexity of systems installation is reduced, as well as a reduction in voltage to below 500V, compared to current systems.
	David Grillot \| ITER Organization Presenting on Friday, July 23, 2021, 8:15 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. US Eastern Time (CEC) Mr. David Grillot is with the ITER International Organization since January 2016 when he was appointed as the Head of the Cryogenic Section. As Project Team Leader, he manages the overall project delivery (from conceptual studies to operation phase) together with ITER India Team and F4E (Fusion for Energy) group. Before joining ITER, Mr. Grillot held different positions in project engineering for more than 20 years for Air Liquide Space and Air Liquide Advanced Technologies, delivering low-temperature systems and large refrigeration/liquefaction Helium and Hydrogen plant for industrial applications and large science projects. Mr. Grillot earned his MSc from the French Engineering School INPG. He authored and presented many articles and papers in cryogenic engineering. He has been recognized as Cryogenic International Senior Expert within the Air liquid Group in 2015 and is regularly involved as an external panel expert in current ongoing worldwide projects. Presentation Topic: “ITER Cryogenic Systems – the Scale, Complexity, and Innovation” Abstract: ITER cryogenics system is now in its final installation phase to be commissioned in 2022, consisting of three 25 kW class helium refrigerators operated in parallel, 1300 kW for 80 K thermal shield provided from LN₂ plant and 80 K forced flow cooling loops. The major challenge for the cryogenic system is to cope with substantial dynamic heat load during the Deuterium-Tritium (DT) operation phase; the expected peak heat load, at 4 K equivalent, is approximately100 kW. The heat is mostly deposited to the superconducting coil systems cooled by a dedicated distribution system, Auxiliary Cold Boxes (ACBs), under forced-flow Supercritical Helium (SHe) cooling generated by the world’s largest class cold circulators. In principle, this is the first time to operate the Cryoplant under substantial dynamic heat load. Cryogenic-system has been developed as utilizing the most advanced technologies which also requires an innovative process control approach to sustain DT operation. After introducing broadly the ITER project and then the specific feature of ITER plant, the status of installation of the Cryogenic plant, as well as the commissioning plan will be presented. The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of the ITER Organization.

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