Chair for Quantum Information - Michael Walter

In our research group we explore the implications of quantum mechanics on the theory of computing. Quantum computers do not simply compute faster, but operate using completely different principles than ordinary “classical” computers - this requires completely new ideas. In addition, we investigate interdisciplinary applications of quantum information to problems in other areas of computer science, mathematics, and theoretical physics. We cordially invite you to get to know our international team and to learn more about our research.

How To Get Started?

• Follow our courses and do a project with us
• Nature Insight surveying various aspects of future quantum computers
• Ronald de Wolf’s essay on the potential impact of quantum computing on society
• John Preskill’s essay on near-term quantum computing with noisy hardware
• QIP, TQC, and the quantum information conference calendar

News

• Feb 2023: Welcome to our team, Janine Hein!

• Feb 2023: Welcome Tianwei Zhang, who just joined our group as a CASA PhD student to work on the CASA Fundamental Research Project “Cryptography in Light of Quantum Information”.

• Jan 2023: Congratulations Freek Witteveen for being awarded the Stieltjesprijs for the best PhD thesis in Mathematics in the Netherlands. Freek obtained his PhD in our group with a thesis on “Quantum information theory and many-body physics”.

• Jan 2023: Welcome Samuel Crew, who just joined our group as a postdoctoral researcher!

• Aug 2022: Welcome Anurudh Peduri, who just joined our group as a PhD student as part of the QuBRA team!

• Aug 2022: Together with Andris Ambainis and David Gross, we organized a Bad Honnef School on “Quantum Computing” (August 14-19, 2022) with a fantastic lineup of speakers. See here for more information and material.

• June 2022: Together with Giulio Malavolta, we started organizing the Theory Colloquium. The talks in this series highlight exciting areas of current theoretical computer science research. All interested parties are cordially invited!

• May 2022: Very pleased about the start of our ERC Starting Grant on “Symmetry and Optimization at the Frontiers of Computation”. We’re still hiring!

• Jan 2022: Our BMBF project QuBRA is starting. We’re hiring!

• Dec 2021: Together with Nisheeth Vishnoi and Ashia Wilson, we organized a workshop on “Optimization under Symmetry” at the Simons Institute for the Theory of Computing in Berkeley.

• Nov 2021: We ran another edition of our web class The Quantum Quest for high-school students to learn about quantum computing – this year for the first time in collaboration with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences.

• Sept 2021: Former postdoc Jonas Helsen is starting as a tenure-track researcher at CWI. Congratulations, well deserved!

• May 2021: We organized a workshop on “Efficient Tensor Representations for Learning and Computational Complexity” at IPAM.

• Jan 2021: Together with Jay Armas, we organized a focus session on “Information at all length scales: from black holes to quantum information and living systems” at Physics@Veldhoven.

• Apr 2020: Our project “Taming tensors: An optimization approach to computational invariant theory” was selected for funding by the NWO.

• June 2020: We organized a Lorentz Center workshop on “Complexity from Quantum Information to Black Holes” in Leiden online!

• Jan 2020: Lecture series on Quantum Information at the 14th Kavli Asian Winter School on Strings, Particles and Cosmology at Tohoku University.

• Nov 2019: New preprint posted with colleagues from Google, Stanford, Caltech. We propose holographic teleportation protocols that are feasible for near-term quantum computing platforms. See here for reporting.

• July 2019: Together with Peter Bürgisser, we organized a mini-symposium on “Efficient algorithms for geometric invariant theory” at SIAM-AG 2019.

• Oct 2018: Together with Ankit Garg, Rafael Oliveira, and Avi Wigderson, we organized a FOCS workshop on “Scaling algorithms and applications”.