Meet our new academic staff from the Department of Physics

What first attracted you to the field of quantum computing?

Quantum computation is the perfect intersection between logic and usefulness. You can achieve every result by just applying a few simple rules so you never need to use ad-hoc results which is extremely satisfying.

You also can always aim your results towards being useful for society; quantum computing isn't blue sky research anymore, it has exponential advantages over classical computers for cryptography and quantum simulation i.e. understanding nature.

What do you think is the biggest misconception people have about quantum computation?

1. That it is hard: it is just a set of rules you learn and apply just like any other job.
   
   
2. That it won't be useful for many years: with improvements in error-correction and algorithms and hardware in the past years, I think we are 5-10 years off useful simulations of nature and 10-15 years off breaking current cryptography standards.
   
   That means that governments should move fast towards using quantum communication channels for key encryption.
   
   
3. That Europe doesn't invest as much into quantum as the US and China. This isn't true. If European countries strategically pooled their resources, all three continents would reach similar figures.
   
   We pull together the stats in this paper I wrote with the Harvard Kennedy School, and can also be seen in The Economist article, Who is ahead in the Global Tech Race?

What's the biggest mystery you'd love to solve or see solved? 

Why we still have so much war and inequality in the world.

What advice would you give to someone considering studying Physics?

1. If you are convinced that it is your route, understand your strengths and use them to contribute to the work. Belief is a crucial key to keeping going: don't let others get an inside hold on your belief, but take their point of view as a constructive data point.

2. Balance working for others and working towards a question you find important. i.e., don't go and loose your job, but keep in mind that your time is valuable and that one things leads onto the next so if you want to move fields towards something you think is promising or interesting, start now.

3. Focus on making sure you understand and can clearly explain the key components of your project: no-one cares about the details unless the fundamentals are pinned down. This is for good reason, if the fundamentals change, the details will too.

4. In a talk, always start with the bigger picture: why does your entire field of science exist? I justify the existence of quantum computation in every talk I give, even when I might be under the impression my audience are experts on this topic. From there, you can go one step further: what is missing in this big field? Then, what recent developments allow you to start thinking about filling this gap? Only then start to explain how your specific project fits into the picture. Never show a graph without clearly labelled axis, even to your supervisor in a regular meeting.

5.  

   Go get your dream: if you want to work with someone specific, write them a short and convincing email with your CV, top publication, and possible time for a Zoom call. Finding your own funding sources nearly always works. Stop thinking you're not good enough, try and see.

    

6.  

   Inequality happens all the time in science.

    

7.  

   To get a faculty job it isn't enough to just be really good, you have to demonstrate potential: a bold innovative vision for your field of science and how you will push it forwards in the future.

What’s one thing people might be surprised to learn about you?

I love to organise large participative retreats where we host sports, science, arts and performances. 

What are you currently working on?

Quantum simulation of nature using quantum computers made up not only from qubits, but directly from the fundamental particles of nature: fermions and bosons! 

What do you do in your spare time?

Adventures!