Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: November 21, 2013
• Invested on: May 07, 2014

For his contributions to computer science as a pioneer in the application of quantum physics to information processing.

Gilles Brassard is a world leader in computer science. A professor at the Université de Montréal, he discovered that the behaviour of fundamental particles could be harnessed to enable a strictly confidential form of communication. This gave birth to an entire new field of study: quantum cryptography. Through his subsequent invention of quantum teleportation, he revolutionized the processing and communication of information. Recognized as the founder of quantum information science in Canada, he has helped our country to become a hub for this science of the future at the international level.