Members

Dr. Fernando Quijandria, Staff Scientist

I am a theoretical physicist working in the field of microwave quantum optics (superconducting circuits technologies) with focus on continuous-variable quantum information. I like to study novel phenomena both analytically and numerically but also, to model experiments in which these phenomena can be explored. My work involves the generation of nonclassical states of light [1,2], gate-based quantum computation [3] and more recently quantum error correction and quantum process tomography.

[1] Quijandria et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 121, 263603 (2018)
[2] Lu et al. arXiv:2101.09532 (2021) 
[3] Hillmann et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 125, 160501 (2020)

PhD 2015 University of Zaragoza (Spain, Aragon)

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Email: isaac.quijandria@oist.jp

Dr. Mohamed Hatifi, Postdoctoral Scholar

I am a French theoretical physicist having multiple interests in the foundation of quantum physics. During my Ph.D., my research was mainly about the quantum to classical transition. This includes testing the quantum coherence at the mesoscopic level [1] and studying the interplay between quantum decoherence and cooling processes. I was also interested in the possibility of engineering tools for tracing and marking materials using fluorimetry in the strong-coupling regime of light-matter interaction [2]. I recently joined an experimental group at OIST for my first post-doc and started working on theoretical models for trapped electrons levitating on liquid helium [3]. I like working closely with experimentalists and making new theoretical proposals for future experiments.

[1] Hatifi et al., submitted to Classical and Quantum Gravity (arXiv:2006.07420), 2022
[2] Hatifi et al., Applied Sciences MDPI (10.3390/app12189238),  2022
[3] Kostylev, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 186801, 2021

PhD 2019 Institut Fresnel (France, Marseille)

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Email: mohamed.hatifi@oist.jp

Dr. Krishna Jadeja, Postdoctoral Scholar

I am an experimental physicist experienced with the laser cooling of alkali atoms. During my PhD at University College London, I worked on an experiment for the trapping and cooling of isotopes and isomers of caesium, based in the IGISOL facility of the University of Jyväskylä. My work also included using laser cooled rubidium atoms as a sensor for atomic magnetometry. Having earnt my PhD in 2022, I will be joining the Quantum Machines group in December for my first post-doc.

[1] A cold atom radio-frequency magnetometer. Appl. Phys. Lett. 114, 073505 (2019);
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5084004

PhD 2022 University College London (England, London)

Email: krishna.jadeja@oist.jp

Dr. Ruvi Lecamwasam, Postdoctoral Scholar

My work has been a mixture of optomechanics and quantum information theory, and how these relate to measurement. During my honours year I looked at how measurement itself could be used to create quantum states [1]. For my PhD I worked as a theorist in an experimental group on a project to levitate a mirror using a laser beam, and so build a sensor that is completely isolated from environmental noise. The system could be solved using perturbation theory, allowing for an analytical treatment of the ‘optical spring’ the mirror oscillates on [2]. I also investigated the idea of parameter estimation from an information theoretic point of view, and studied how the entropy of the prior information and your choice of measurement basis influence how you estimate the parameter.

[1] Lecamwasam, Ruvindha L., et al.,  Phys Rev A 95 : 013828 (2017)
 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.95.013828.
[2] Lecamwasam, Ruvi, et al.,  Phys Rev A 101 (5): 053857 (2020).
 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevA.101.053857.

PhD 2021 Australian National University (Australia, Canberra)

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Email: ruvindha.lecamwasam@oist.jp

Dr. Kani Mohamed, Postdoctoral Scholar

I am a theoretical physicist working in the fields of quantum optics, optomechanics, and atomic physics. This includes understanding of the microscopic world as well as their interaction with external stimulus,and exploiting their quantum behaviour for precision metrology. My previous work in levitated optomechanics involves implementing phonon laser for force sensing below the thermal noise limit. I have also worked in Light-Matter interaction wherein I have used the quantum interference to manipulate the atomic coherence and control all nonlinear optical phenomena for realizing sensitive vector atomic magnetometer and atomic clock.

[1] J. Opt. Soc. Am. B, 37, 1598 (2020)
[2] J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Phys. 48, 075502 (2015)
[3] Opt. Express 22, 15305–15314 (2014)

PhD 2018 Physics, Indian Institute of Technology (India, Kanpur)

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Email: kanimohamed@oist.jp

Dr. Shilu Tian, Postdoctoral Scholar

I am an experimental physicist with experience in multiferroics. My previous work was on ferroelectric polarization modulation, flexoelectricity, electroresistance effect, ferroelectric photovoltaic effect, etc. Currently, I have turned my interest to quantum science. In Quantum Machine Unit, I will work on the experimental realization of quantum machines using a magnetic levitation system, especially in cryogenic and high-vacuum conditions.

[1]ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 10.50 (2018): 43792-43801. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.8b15703
[2] Sci. China Phys. Mech. Astron. 63.1 (2020): 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11433-019-9415-9

PhD 2019 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (China, Beijing)

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Email: shilu.tian@oist.jp

Tatiana Iakovleva, PhD Student

I got my Master’s degree at Novosibirsk State University in Russia where I worked on the concept of geometric phase in different quantum systems, such as Bose-Einstein condensate in a dipole trap, and a chain of Mach-Zehnder interferometers where interaction with the environment occurs. Afterwards, I came to study at OIST as a PhD student, and after my first rotation I decided to join Quantum Machines unit. I am interested in quantum sensors, quantum computing and machine learning. Beyond physics, I fancy playing board games, volleyball, and also I am a big lover of delicious food.

Daehee Kim, PhD Student

I studied in Hokkaido University, receiving an undergraduate degree in Physics. During that time, I enjoyed two internships, for a total of 4 months, within the Quantum Machines Unit during 2021. There I worked on magnetic levitation including analyses in python, Matlab and Mathematica. I am interested in programming and simulations and hope to conduct research involving quantum technology after I start my PhD at OIST next spring.

Andreas Raikos, Research Intern (Nov-Mar 2023)

I am recently graduated with an MSc from University College London, UK and did my undergraduate degree at the University of Patras in Greece. I am interested in theoretical physics topics that could lead to practical technological applications, especially topics related to quantum technologies and condensed matter theory. Previously I performed a literature review of quantum dynamical decoupling – an experimental technique which aims to isolate a quantum system from noise and I also did a theoretical investigation of low-dimensional magnetic systems using both numerical and analytical methods. While at OIST, I hope to gain more experience in quantum technologies, especially quantum error correction methods.

Camila Patricia Cusicanqui Padilla, Research Intern (Dec-Jun 2023)

I am an engineering physics undergraduate student with a minor in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence at the TEC de Monterrey in Mexico. This is my first internship and I’m really excited to take on an experimental project in magnetic levitation in vacuum. My current interests are mainly programming with Python or RStudio, simulations in MATLAB or COMSOL, and quantum engineering!

Christopher Alan Arden Wise, Research Intern (Jan-Apr 2023)

I graduated in 2022 from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Canberra, with a Bachelor's degree in Computing and Cyber Security (High Distinction). Currently, I am pursuing my Honours year in the same field at UNSW Canberra. During my degree I have investigated deep learning networks that developed imperceptible adversarial patches, and applied particle swarm optimisation (PSO) to infer circuit errors in quantum computers. I am deeply fascinated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and particularly interested in using AI to accelerate science. While at the Quantum Machines Unit, I am researching the application of Transform-based networks to Quantum Noise Spectroscopy.

Deepthi Parandhaman Gowrappan, Research Intern (Feb-May 2023)

I am a Physicist with a background in Quantum Algorithms and Simulations as a part of my Masters' thesis, which was awarded by the Central University of Tamilnadu, India in 2020.I have also worked experimentally on cool NV- diamonds during previous internships. My research interests include working on practical applications of Quantum Information Physics, and I am looking forward to learning more about Quantum Machines in my current internship in the Quantum Machines Unit.

Anshuman Nayak, Rotation Student (Jan-Apr 2023)

I am an experimental physicist with a master's in physics from IIT Madras. During that time, I have worked on coherent manipulation of interacting two-level systems, NV centres in particular. I am quite interested in exploring quantum sensing and how we can use techniques of control to build novel sensors. In the Quantum Machines Unit, I would be working on levitation and control of diamonds containing NV centres; diamonds that glow red when you shine green!

Sougato Chowdhury, Rotation Student (Jan-Apr 2023)

I obtained my Integrated BS-MS degree in Physics from IISER, Pune in 2022. Before joining the OIST PhD program, I was mainly interested in black holes and quantum gravity during my undergrad years, with my Master’s thesis based on trying to interpret the AdS/CFT correspondence in terms of quantum error correction codes. At OIST, I aim for a slight change in subject and at the Quantum Machines Unit I am currently engaged in my second lab rotation and am working on optomechanical problems – where the motion of an object can be controlled by light.

Prof. Rong Zhang, Research Fellow (Nov-Oct 2023)

My recent work involves the quantum state engineering in an inhomogeneous quantum walk using light in an optical network, which includes a Sagnac loop to realize a step of the quantum walk. We observe that this walk produces lots of quantum entanglement at periodic times and the walk exhibits ballistic expansion. We also use this walk to design specific quantum superposition states which have particular application for random number generation and robust nonlocality. In the Quantum Machines Unit I will be focused on more optomechanical applications – which combines the quantum aspects of light with motion.

[1] Rong Zhang, Ran Yang，Jian Guo, Chang-Wei Sun, Jia-Chen Duan, Heng Zhou, Zhenda Xie†, Ping Xu‡, Yan-Xiao Gong§, and Shi-Ning Zhu，Phys. Rev. A 105, 042216 (2022)
[2] Rong Zhang, Ran Yang，Jian Guo, Chang-Wei Sun, Yi-Chen Liu,, Heng Zhou, Zhenda Xie†, Ping Xu‡, Yan-Xiao Gong§, and Shi-Ning Zhu，Phys. Rev. Research 4, 023042 (2022)

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Email: rong.zhang@oist.jp

Dr. Isha Sanskriti, Postdoctoral Scholar (Jan 2021-Jan 2022)

I am a material chemist with experience in synthesis, characterization and application of metal nanoparticles in the field of sensing [1, 2, 3]. The synthesized metal nanoparticles were exploited as a colorimetric sensor for environmentally/biologically relevant analytes viz., sulphide, cysteine, homocysteine and glutathione. I studied their sensing mechanism as well as various factors affecting shape, size and hence the optical properties of nanomaterials. During my studies, I was fascinated by the phenomenon of self-assembly [2] and its immense applications. In the Quantum Machines Unit I will work on developing novel types of quantum machines using chemical opto-mechanics.

[1] Sanskriti, I., et al., RSC Adv., 2016, 6, 14563.
[2] Sanskriti, I., et al., New J. Chem., 2017, 41, 4316.
[3] Sanskriti, I., et al., ChemistrySelect, 2019, 4, 3803.

PhD 2018 Chemistry, Banaras Hindu University (India, Varanasi)

Dr. Yanan Liu, Postdoctoral Scholar (Mar 2021-May 2022)

My work has been about developing feedback control theory in stochastic quantum systems, including measurement-based feedback control and coherent feedback control. The main objectives of the measurement based stochastic techniques are to engineer the system towards a target quantum subspace or state, including entangled states and decoherence free subspaces. In the coherent feedback control technique we design coherent feedback controllers that achieve stable dynamics within a quantum system  that is experiencing fault processes. Currently, I am studying  how to enhance quantum squeezing within an Optical Parametric Oscillator (OPO) by designing a coherent feedback controller.

[1] Y. Liu et al, IEEE Transactions on Cybernetics, 47(11), pp. 3827-3839, Nov. 2017
[2] Y Liu et al, Online available at: [quant-ph] arXiv:2003.09609

PhD 2020 University of New South Wales (Australia, Sydney)

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Dr. Priscilla Romagnoli, Postdoctoral Scholar (Sep 2020-Jul 2022)

I am an experimental scientist in nanophotonics, with professional experience and interests in areas such as: quantum optics, studying fiber-based optical cavities for cavity quantum electrodynamics (cQED) [1]; nanomaterials, investigating optical properties [2]; and photonic crystal fibers, developing in-line devices [3].

[1] Romagnoli, P. et al. Appl. Phys. B 126, 111 (2020)
[2] Romagnoli, P. et al. 2D Mater. 2, 035017 (2015)
[3] Romagnoli, P. et al. Opt. Express 22, 17769-17775 (2014)

PhD 2017 Mackenzie Presbyterian University (Brazil, Sao Paulo)

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Dr. Sangkha Borah, Postdoctoral Scholar (Aug 2020-Nov 2022)

I am an enthusiastic computational physicist who likes to use computers to make a physicist’s life easier. In this spirit, my research interests have evolved from molecular dynamics [1, 2], and density functional theory to applications based on machine learning techniques. Previous work of mine has focused on relaxation dynamics and hot carrier transport on 2D materials while developing an interest in machine learning as well. In the Quantum Machines Unit my main research interests will include the application of machine learning methods to quantum physical problems and to apply it to better design experiments, among others.

[1] Sangkha Borah, J. Mol. Liq., 2020, 312, 113387.
[2] Sangkha Borah, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2020, 124(26), 5454.

PhD 2018 Physics Indian Institute of Technology (India, Guwahati)

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Dr. Bijita Sarma, Postdoctoral Scholar (Jan 2021-Nov 2022)

I am a theoretical physicist working in the areas of hybrid quantum devices such as cavity optomechanical and magnomechanical systems. My previous work has been on ground state cooling of mechanical resonator in a cavity optomechanical system in the unresolved sideband regime using quantum interference as well as a STIRAP-like pulsed-cooling protocol. I have also looked at generation of nonclassical states of light and mechanics through photon and phonon antibunching in hybrid cavity optomechanical systems.

[1] Bijita Sarma et al., New J. Phys. 22, 103043 (2020)
[2] Bijita Sarma et al., Phys. Rev. A 98, 013826 (2018)
[3] Bijita Sarma et al., Sci. Rep. 8, 14583 (2018)

PhD 2018 Physics Indian Institute of Technology (India, Guwahati)

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Dr. Glemarie Hermosa , Visiting Researcher (Dec 2022-Mar 2023)

I am a Chemical Engineering and Materials Science graduate. My research focuses mainly on the synthesis of nanomaterials specifically nanoparticles, carbon dots and quantum dots. I am very much interested in how Quantum Science can advance for potential applications in biomedical, environmental, optical and electronics. Joining the Quantum Machines Unit, I hope to acquire new and additional knowledge together with my colleagues.

[1] Hermosa et al., IEEE Transactions on Magnetics, Vol. 58(8), (2022) https://doi.org/10.1109/TMAG.2022.3158835 .  
[2] Hermosa et.al., Ceramics International, Vol.47(15), (2021) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2021.04.239
[3] Hermosa et.al., Journal of Materials Research and Technology, Vol. 9(5), (2020) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmrt.2020.06.087

PhD 2022 Yuan Ze University (Taiwan)

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