Alumni profiles

After completing a postdoctoral fellowship at IQC in 2007, Scott Aaronson accepted the position of Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute for Technology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He moved to the University of Texas at Austin as David J. Bruton Jr. Centennial Professor of Computer Science and as the founding director of UT Austin's new quantum computing center. 

His research interests include the capabilities and limits of quantum computers and computational complexity theory. His recently published book Quantum Computing since Democritus provides insight and perspectives into “the deepest ideas of math, computer science and physics.” Aaronson is also known for his blog Shtetl-Optimized about quantum computing and quantum information science. Aaronson credits his time at IQC for “bringing him out of his shell” and also where he learned to drive.

Srinivasan Arunachalam finished his master’s degree in Combinatorics & Optimization (Quantum Information) at IQC in 2014. He then moved to the Centrum Wiskune & Informatica (CWI) in Amsterdam for his PhD and finished a postdoctoral fellowship at the Center for Theoretical Physics at MIT. 

For Arunachalam, IQC was the top choice for studying quantum computing because of the unique graduate program offering. Prior to starting his master's degree, he had the opportunity to work with faculty member Michele Mosca. He credits the research experience along with the in-depth lectures on quantum computing for playing an important role in motivating his current research.

Now working as a Research Staff Member at the IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, Arunachalam focuses on quantum algorithms and learning theory. He continues to collaborate with IQC researchers.

Jean-Francois Biasse is a professor of mathematics and director of the Center for Cryptographic Research at the University of South Florida where his current research focuses on the upcoming transition to new public key cryptographic primitives.

Biasse chose a postdoctoral fellowship at IQC because he wanted to work with cryptography experts that were specializing in PQC (post-quantum cryptography). Working with Michele Mosca, Biasse was able to make significant contributions to the design of quantum algorithms shortly after starting at IQC.

“IQC really had a defining role in my journey as an academic because it helped me acquire new quantum computing skills that are essential to my research agenda,” said Biasse. He's used the skills he gained while at IQC  to develop quantum algorithms for the design and analysis of cryptosystems that resist attacks from quantum adversaries.

Biasse continues to work with IQC researchers with a focus on cryptography.

Technological advances will see the need for a deeper theoretical understanding of quantum information at all levels, predicts Anne Broadbent, Assistant Professor and University Research Chair in Quantum Information Processing at the University of Ottawa. Broadbent was a postdoctoral fellow at IQC until 2013. She held an NSERC postdoctoral fellowship and was also a CIFAR Global Scholar. Her research focused on quantum cryptography and developing methods for delegating private quantum computations and quantum one-time programs.

Broadbent acknowledges the value of exposure to a broad range of research topics and experience in training students during her time at IQC. Now leading her own research group at the University of Ottawa, Broadbent continues to push the limits of our understanding of how quantum information provides advantages in all aspects of cryptography. She has also further developed techniques for outsourcing quantum computations in terms of quantum homomorphic encryption, as well as verifying remote quantum computations.

Donny Cheung was one of the very first graduate students at IQC. “It’s been amazing to watch IQC grow,” recalled Cheung. He remembers the excitement surrounding the official launch of IQC in 2002 and moving into the first IQC graduate student office space in the Math and Computer building at the University of Waterloo.

Under the supervision of researcher Michele Mosca, Cheung’s research focused on approximate phase estimation algorithms, the quantum separability problem and quantum cellular automata. Cheung found the free and open flow of discussion on challenging problems and interesting ideas among researchers rewarding. The interdisciplinary research environment at IQC encouraged him to think broadly while considering connections between different scientific fields at the smallest scale. Cheung takes a similar research-based approach to challenges in his current role as a software engineer at Google where he is working on the Google Cloud Platform.

During her time as a Postdoctoral Fellow at IQC, Audrey Dot was using four-wave mixing in optical fibre to convert a single photon into a pair of photons. Dot, along with her supervisor Thomas Jennewein, PhD student Evan Meyer-Scott and colleagues at McGill University, Montreal, sent a single photon through the optical fibre with a strong pump beam to produce a pair of photons with increased efficiency compared to previous methods. Dot then brought her knowledge and research skills to the smart thermostat company Qivivo, where she worked on machine learning algorithms as a Physicist Engineer.

Now she is at the Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) in France, an industrial research centre. She is working on 3D time-resolved diffused optical tomographic reconstruction for medical applications, a process used to model organs like the heart in order to find problems such as tumours and occlusions quickly and without intrusion.

German Aerospace Center, Research Scientist

When faced with a challenge, Agnes Ferenczi sees an opportunity for discovery. Currently, Ferenczi is working with the German Aerospace Center as a Research Scientist, working in the field of Quantum Communication Systems (satellite quantum key distribution (QKD)). Previously, she investigated a variety of areas including machine learning, software development, user experience and search algorithm implementations at Cliqz, a search engine and browser company focused on privacy. She's used the research tools and skills she developed during her PhD research on quantum cryptography with IQC researcher Norbert Lütkenhaus.

With an emphasis on security proofs for quantum cryptography systems, Ferenczi adapted quantum theories to match current experimental capabilities, bridging the gap between theory and experimental reality. Her PhD research included a revision to the phase encoded BB84 protocol where quantum information is transmitted using photon polarization. In this scenario, one party sends out two laser pulses. One laser pulse stays the same and the other weakens, a result that was not initially accounted for in the theoretical proof. “We adapt the proof to allow for imperfections in the experimental environment,” said Ferenczi. Simplifying the proof for experimental implementation often improves accessibility for experimentalists.

Associate Professor, University of Technology Sydney and Centre for Quantum Software and Information

Author

Dr. Chris Ferrie began his quantum journey at IQC as a graduate student with Professor Joseph Emerson. During this time, he published his first academic paper and learned the research skills he continues to use in his day-to-day work. He remembers growing his network of friends and colleagues within quantum in a collaborative atmosphere full of the world’s experts; something he considers equally as important as the technical skills he developed.

Ferrie is now a professor at the University of Technology, Sydney, where he researches applications in characterizing, controlling, and improving quantum technology through the design of automated and intelligent learning protocols. He also has a passion for communicating science and has written sixty books for children and adults, including Quantum Physics for Babies. “I started writing children’s books for my own children because I could not find any books about science for young kids. I write about complex topics because it’s fun and interesting, but also because I believe anyone can understand them when phrased in an engaging and welcoming way.”

Looking forward, Ferrie hopes his research will lead to enabling scalable methodologies to access critical information needed for building practical quantum technology.

Jay Gambetta completed his postdoctoral fellowship at IQC in 2011 with a research focus on quantum information processing with superconducting qubits. Since leaving IQC, he continues to investigate this area as a Research Staff Member at the Thomas J. Watson Research Center in Yorktown Heights, New York. Gambetta’s work with superconducting qubits is promising for the future of quantum computation and the development of a quantum computer. He spends his free time outdoors hiking and cycling with his family.

ConsenSys, Cryptographer

Gus Gutoski is using the skills he gained at IQC to develop quantum-safe security for conventional computing systems at ISARA, a Waterloo-based company founded in 2015. While earning his Master’s and PhD degrees at IQC, Gutoski studied quantum computational complexity theory and the mathematical foundations of quantum information. Then, during his time as a postdoctoral fellow, he gradually shifted focus to quantum cryptography.

“At IQC, I acquired a level of academic maturity that made it easy to identify and transfer the relevant skills and knowledge I already possessed and to identify and acquire the new skills and knowledge necessary for quantum-resistant cryptography,” he said. This foundation eased his transition to ISARA where he evaluates and improves cryptographic algorithms. He is excited to investigate his ideas about improving lattice-based signature schemes in the near future. In the long-term, he expects that the past two decades of rapid progress in the mathematic and computational aspects of quantum information science will continue.

When he’s not working on cryptography, Gutoski can be found camping in the woods or playing ultimate Frisbee. 

Stacey Jeffery has published research on quantum homomorphic encryption, solved a fifteen-year-old open problem about quantum walk algorithms and founded a network for women in quantum computing in the Netherlands.

Her path to quantum research began at IQC. “I took an undergraduate course on quantum computing while studying computer science at the University of Waterloo, which led me to become an undergraduate research assistant at IQC with Michele Mosca,” Jeffrey said. “I guess I liked it so much I didn't leave until I had finished a PhD.”

Jeffery’s deep interest in quantum computing led her from Waterloo to Pasadena (Caltech) to her current work as a Senior Researcher at Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica (CWI) in Amsterdam where she continues to do theoretical research in quantum algorithms with an eye toward making tools that make it easier to design future quantum algorithms.

Jeffery acknowledges that the community at IQC played an important role in her success. “[IQC] had a fantastic community of other students from whom I learned a great deal,” she said. “There were always people visiting from other institutes, and often workshops or conferences being hosted at IQC. This, as well as a travel allowance to go to conferences and visit other groups, helped me to grow a strong network by the time I finished my PhD, which has been crucial to my career.”

Zhengfeng Ji has made significant contributions to quantum complexity theory over the last decade. Now a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Technology, Tsinghua University, Ji’s interest in this field started during his time as a postdoctoral fellow at IQC. Influenced by mentors Richard Cleve and John Watrous, Ji began working on nonlocal games, now an important topic in quantum complexity theory.

The focus of Ji’s contributions has been on multi-prover interactive proofs (MIP*). Together with his collaborators, Ji has given a complete characterization of the complexity of MIP*, showing that it is as hard as the Halting problem. “The result is a surprise in quantum complexity theory and has deep connections to computer science, mathematics and physics,” said Ji.

Ji credits his postdoctoral fellowship at IQC as a critical period in his career. It helped develop his taste and persistence for research, which has contributed to his ongoing professional success. Now as a professor at Tsinghua, he remains connected to IQC as an IQC affiliate and a research collaborator. Ji recently collaborated with both Debbie Leung and John Watrous, IQC faculty members, on separate papers.

Phil Kaye embodies the interdisciplinary nature of quantum research. Before earning his doctorate in Computer Science at IQC in 2007, Kaye completed his undergraduate degree in Systems Design Engineering, followed by a Master’s in Mathematics. He credits his education at IQC for giving him the scientific background and strong professional network to be able to bring an expert perspective to his career.  

Through Kaye’s career he has helped shape the policies that have allowed IQC and Canadian universities to remain at the forefront of quantum information processing. Kaye published a textbook with Raymond Laflamme and Michele Mosca, contributed to the founding of the Quantum Industry Canada consortium, and played an instrumental role in developing the National Quantum Strategy for Canada.

In his current role with the National Research Council Kaye leads the Applied Quantum Computing Challenge program. It’s the first Challenge program dedicated to applied quantum computing. The program supports applied quantum applications and software with grants and funding contributions.

 “The impact of my work is in supporting the ecosystem through program development, stakeholder engagement, and supporting a range of Government of Canada quantum initiatives,” said Kaye. “My years at IQC also allowed me to build a strong network of professional relationships with leaders in Canada’s quantum community, and these connections are very important to my current work.”

Research Scientist, Google Quantum AI

Robin Kothari is currently a Research Scientist at Google Quantum AI, and previously worked at Microsoft Quantum. He is excited about finding and understanding both the power and limitations of quantum computing, so that we can identify use cases for solving interesting problems. His research interests span the quantum intersection of computer algorithms and complexity theory, which led him to IQC for both masters and doctoral level degrees since IQC had expert professors in both areas who he could learn from.

Kothari remembers IQC as a place filled with quantum experts, and everyone who studied quantum science has passed through IQC at one time or another. “One of the unique things about IQC that I really enjoyed was that as a student, I had access to all of these experts coming through the Institute.” He credits his time at IQC as setting him up for success in the field of quantum computing.

Under the supervision of IQC researcher Matteo Mariantoni, Thomas McConkey worked on the development of a scalable 3D wiring, which they named the quantum socket, to overcome one of the scalability problems of superconducting qubits.

Now a Microwave Design Engineer at IBM Q, McConkey says it is the “small nudges” throughout his academic career that have spurred his journey in quantum information science and technology research. He credits his own nudges—reading The Fabric of Reality by physicist David Deutsch, joining the IQC community, and connecting with IBM researchers at the APS March Meeting—for steering him towards an industry career path.

While completing her PhD studies at IQC, Corey Rae McRae’s research was focused on the 3D packaging and integration of superconducting quantum circuits, and materials in superconducting quantum circuits. Her experimental work in the Digital Quantum Matter lab with researcher Matteo Mariantoni included the simulation, design and development of fabrication processes for superconducting microwave resonators and the design of a superconducting capping and bonding method that is compatible with superconducting quantum circuits.

Currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder, Colorado, McRae is working with state-of-the-art fabrication techniques to build robust qubits as she continues research towards the realization of an extensible universal quantum computer.

McRae credits IQC for her career preparation in the quantum computing field. “When I started at IQC, I knew very little about quantum computing and quantum information,” she said. “IQC provided me with a well-rounded view of these areas and how they fit together, an integral step for a career in quantum information science.”

Prior to her move to Copenhagen in 2017, she held postdoctoral positions at the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT), National University of Singapore and the School of Mathematics, University of Bristol.

Today, Laura is an Associate Professfor in the University of Coppenhagen's Faculty of Mathematical Sciences. There she continues to explore the field of quantum information and computing, which is an emergent area formed at the intersection of physics, mathematics, and computer science. Her main focus is the phenomenon of quantum entanglement and how it can be harnessed in operational and cryptographic applications. 

Dr. Maris Ozols found himself as an IQC graduate student through what he describes as “a sequence of accidents”. After choosing computer science as an undergraduate because that’s what everyone else was studying and it aligned with his interests, he found a quantum computing professor who would take him on as a research intern. This professor also had connections with an IQC researcher, who took Ozols on as an intern the next summer. After coming to IQC during his undergrad, “the rest was history!” 

Ozols is now a professor at the University of Amsterdam, where his research combines optimization and representation theory with applications in quantum information. In his research, his focus is building mathematical and computational tools to share with other people. His goal is to discover something beautiful with his research and help others go further, creating new techniques and models which can enable solving large classes of problems. 

“My work at IQC laid the foundation for quantum algorithms and quantum information, both of which I am now working in,” said Ozols. “It was a great place to build an academic network and connections, and fostered a sense of community within quantum. Once you live in Waterloo long enough, you meet enough people, and that gives you the feeling that you’re at home.” 

California State University, Department of Physics; Assistant Professor

During her PhD studies at IQC, Gina Passante’s research focused on detecting and measuring quantum correlations in a class of quantum computers known as Deterministic Quantum Computation with One Quantum Bit (DQC1), a type of system with “mixed qubits” – Passante’s interest was in qubits that could not be entangled. She found that there are quantum correlations that go beyond what can be seen in the classical world in mixed state quantum computers.

Now working as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Washington, Passante is part of the Physics Education Group where she is contributing to improving the education of future physicists. Passante explores how students learn quantum mechanics. “With the emergence of quantum technologies, it is more important than ever to better educate physics majors in this area,” she says. She plans on continuing her research in this field and broadening her scope to include how a quantum mechanics curriculum might one day be incorporated into high school classrooms. As a creative outlet, Passante enjoys knitting and sewing, and is an active volleyball player.

Satellite management and control software, Systems engineer

Now a Systems Engineer at SED Systems, a satellite communications and management company, Helen Percival applies the skills she gained working on large projects at IQC with supervisor Christopher Wilson. Her Master’s research was focused on using experimental superconducting qubits for microwave control.

“During my time at IQC, I found my passion for engineering design,” Percival says. “It prepared me for working in an interdisciplinary field, tying different concepts together while keeping the big picture in mind.”

Postdoctoral Fellow 2007 – 2009

Amazon Web Services, Director of Quantum Computing

University College London, Professor of Physics of Information

Dr. Simone Severini learned about the field of quantum computing in 1997 and became hooked. A year later, he visited the UK to talk with people working in quantum information, including then PhD student Michele Mosca, who soon became one of the founding members of Waterloo’s Institute for Quantum Computing. A decade later, Severini also joined IQC, as a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Mosca, where he worked at the interplay of combinatorics and quantum physics.

Following his postdoctoral research at IQC, Severini held several academic positions before becoming a manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS). In his current position, Severini’s goal is to accelerate innovation in quantum technologies. He describes his role as one where he can hope to contribute positively to science with a deep impact, “without writing scientific papers.”

At AWS, Severini has worked to design and develop their quantum strategy. He contributed to the launch of Amazon Braket, a managed quantum computing service that gives researchers and developers access to different types of quantum hardware, as well as helped structure the Amazon Quantum Solutions Lab that works with customers to research and identify the most promising future applications of quantum computing for them. Severini also co-founded both the AWS Center for Quantum Computing and the AWS Center for Quantum Networking, both of which work with academia to address different challenges for the future of quantum computing.

“IQC helped me to appreciate the importance of collaboration and teamwork for the first time in life,” said Severini. “When you are in a building and you can talk to computer scientists, quantum physicists, mathematicians, and many people with different backgrounds, something is ought to happen. You find common interests or complementary skills.”  

During her most recent return to IQC, former postdoctoral fellow Sarah Sheldon instructed a session on IBM’s Quantum Experience, a cloud-enabled quantum processor, with a room of Undergraduate School on Experimental Quantum Information Processing (USEQIP) participants. Sheldon is part of the experimental quantum computing team at IBM Research that is currently pursuing a quantum computing architecture based on superconducting qubits and error corrections through surface code. She is developing new calibration and characterization techniques to better understand the errors present in the quantum system.

“The research I did while at IQC was very relevant for my current position with IBM,” said Sheldon. She earned her PhD at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Nuclear Science and Engineering with advisor David Cory. Sheldon studied nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electron spin resonance (ESR), focusing mostly on dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) and quantum control. As a postdoctoral fellow at IQC, Sheldon was exposed to different approaches to quantum computing research that motivated her to select a research group that incorporated both theory and experiment, engineering as well as basic science. “Quantum computing is such an interdisciplinary field. I think it’s beneficial to be in a research community like IQC or IBM where there are many people with wide-ranging interests and backgrounds within the broader field.”

PhD 2013, Postdoctoral Fellow 2013 - 2015

Research Scientist, Chalmers University of Technology

As a PhD student and postdoctoral fellow at IQC, Dr. Daryoush Shiri was given the freedom to learn and explore, reinvigorating his passion for problem solving and research. He also had the opportunity to teach two graduate mini-courses. Combined, these experiences all led him to his chosen career path as a combination of research and teaching, and Shiri is now a research scientist at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. There, his research focuses on the design and simulation of microwave superconducting circuits for quantum computing applications, he supervises graduate students, guest lectures, and has also co-authored the soon-to-be-published book “Quantum Mechanics for Engineers and Material Scientists”.

“I try my best to transfer the lessons I learned from my great mentors at Waterloo, in both Electrical and Computer Engineering and IQC, to my students, but I always see myself as a curious student. Research surprises you, it’s like walking into an unknown territory. Keep your eyes open for moments when an idea or a solution comes to you from a totally unexpected resource.”

Shiri remembers IQC as an open and friendly environment, where he could ask questions and discuss science with anyone. He appreciated the interdisciplinary nature and culture of respect and diversity at IQC, which make IQC a unique role model for other research centres. “IQC staff were always available for help and support, like family members. I miss them all.”

Former IQC postdoctoral fellow Urbasi Sinah’s research focused mainly on quantum optics-based tools used to perform fundamental tests of quantum mechanics. During her time at IQC, Sinha developed a holistic approach towards her research that she finds useful in her current role as Associate Professor at the Raman Research Institute in India. “At IQC I learned how to accept success and failure with equal gusto and carry on enthusiastically with results both big and small,” says Sinha.

Currently, a major aspect of her research involves manufacturing and employing single photons and entangled photons produced by spontaneous parametric down conversion towards experiments in quantum information and computing. One of her experimental projects explores the use of multiple slits as possible qudits and investigating higher dimensional quantum correlations through studies of entanglement-based phenomena.

Sinha expects to see exceptional progress in quantum information science experiments, theories and simulations over the next 5 to 10 years, predicting advances in error correction by solid state qubit researchers as well as an increasing number of novel qubits used in quantum information processing which will cumulatively bring us a step closer to the quantum computer.

In the news: Asia’s Scientific Trailblazers - Urbasi Sinha

Reflector Entertainment Ltd., Game Designer

William Stacey studied quantum cryptography with faculty member Norbert Lütkenhaus. His research focused on analyzing the security of a Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) protocol, using a trusted third party to extend the distance of performing secure quantum communication to a global scale.

Studying at IQC taught Stacey how to approach new problems that, coupled with strong math skills, he acknowledges is a powerful toolset useful for both academic and industry career paths. It’s opened the door for Stacey to pursue his passion as a video game designer working for companies like Behaviour Interactive, Hibernum Creations, Spinpunch Inc. and, most recently, Reflector Entertainment. His career highlight so far was realizing a childhood dream—working with Wizards of the Coast on a Magic: the Gathering game.

After completing his PhD in 2009 with a focus on cryptographic key exchange protocols, IQC alumnus Douglas Stebila ventured down under to Brisbane, Australia for a postdoctoral fellowship at the Queensland University of Technology. Stebila was a Senior Lecturer at QUT investigating provable security of real-world cryptographic protocols – specifically looking at the security properties of protocols used in web browsers and other online communications. As quantum computing evolves and impacts classical cryptography, Stebila hopes to contribute to the development of new standards for cryptographic protocols. When he’s not exploring future possibilities of security protocols, Stebila enjoys scuba diving in the warm waters of the Pacific Ocean.

On July 1, 2018, Stebila joined the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Mathematics as an associate professor in the department of combinatorics and optimization.

Fang Song has constructed novel quantum cryptographic primitives, including work in zero-knowledge proof systems and pseudorandom quantum states, and designed efficient quantum algorithms which offer guidance on the development of next-generation quantum-safe cryptosystems.

"IQC helped me form a broader view of the possible directions my research could entail,” said Song. The breadth of research in quantum information processing (QIP) and first-hand data from experimentalists helped to refine the theoretical foundations of Song’s work and kept him connected to real-world problems.

Song’s PhD at Penn State exposed him to high level research and led him to choose IQC for postdoctoral work where he found top researchers from diverse backgrounds worked together and collaborated in an organic way. Now, as a professor in the department of computer science at Portland State University, Song’s work investigates how quantum computing changes the landscape of cryptography and complexity theory in a rigorous way.

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Senior Scientist

Nathan Wiebe, currently an Associate Researcher in the Quantum Architectures and Computation group at Microsoft Research, finished his postdoctoral fellowship at IQC in 2013. Since then he has continued his research on quantum simulation algorithms and the foundations of quantum thermodynamics, and ventured into quantum machine learning algorithms and quantum circuit synthesis. Wiebe credits his time at IQC for the opportunity to build connections with world-renowned researchers who exposed him to new ideas, an experience that has contributed to his chosen career path in industry research. The IQC Graduate Student Association invited Wiebe back to IQC in October to share his experience in industry research with current graduate students as part of the Quantum Industry Lecture Series. Looking ahead, Wiebe predicts the landscape and scope of quantum information research to continue changing as more industry partners invest in the field.