The blog

There is a problem with quantum computing.

Actually, there are many problems with quantum computing. Our qubits are too noisy, our dilution refrigerators too small. Fabrication is unpredictable, crosstalk unavoidable, and useful algorithms are hard to develop. I am optimistic that these problems, and others, can be solved. And if it turns out that they cannot be solved, then I am at least certain that we will continue to learn interesting things about nature along the way.

My problem with quantum computing is the way we talk about it. It feels as though one has to choose between, on the one hand, the self-aggrandizing hype peddled by profit-seeking corporations, and on the other, the unrelenting pessimism of people who – not that long ago – would have dismissed the experimental realities of today as unachievable. Throw in a little quantum mysticism, some overleveraged day-traders, a few ill-conceived popular explanations (It runs the computation in parallel universes!), and you have something resembling the current state of affairs.

In my experience, though, there are a few places that are mostly immune to these problems. Standing at the whiteboard with your professor, hashing out some idea or disagreement. Working in the lab with a colleague, torque wrench in hand, trying to figure out what the hell is wrong with the measurement setup. Having drinks with your research group after a long day at a conference. These are the moments that cut through the noise, where excitement and optimisim feel not at odds with scientific rigor and honesty, but in harmony with them.

It is this feeling which I hope to capture here.

In setting out to create a piece of scientific writing, one must first answer the question: “Who is my audience?” Most of what I write here will be aimed at those with a background in physics. Think, for example, a curious undergrad with a semester of quantum mechanics under her belt, or a physics grad student working in a different subfield. Basically, my imagined audience is myself when I was first trying to make some headway in understanding this field. At some point I also hope to write a short “crash course” on quantum theory, which should be accessible to those with a basic understanding of linear algebra and calculus.

What I do not intend to do is to write a textbook or a series of review papers in blog form. Nor do I intend to replace a proper class taught by an experienced professor with a good set of lecture notes. There will certainly be math, but only when it serves my true purposes: understanding, physical intuition, and fun. There will be references to the scientific literature when I feel they are needed. As an aside, I will cite the published versions of articles when available, as I feel it’s good practice. If, however, you do not have institutional access to the relevant journals, you should be able to find a preprint of most any paper on the arXiv.

Me

My name is Elizabeth Champion. Most people call me Liz. I earned my undergraduate degree in Physics at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2021, and I am currently a PhD student in the Blok Lab at the University of Rochester, where I work in the area of experimental quantum information with superconducting circuits.

My primary research interest is in the development of control methods for multilevel superconducting quantum systems, or qudits. More broadly, my drive to perform this research comes from a deep love of quantum physics. Superconducting circuits might be described as a playground for quantum physicists, where exotic phenomena which are not easily observed in naturally occurring systems become experimentally accessible. The counterintuitive, abstract, and downright weird implications of quantum theory become tangible realities. There is no feeling like going to the lab and coercing nature into behaving in strange, never-before-observed ways.

Aside from physics I enjoy analog photography, woodworking with hand tools, and harrassing my cats.

You can find my publications on my Google Scholar page. At some point I will make a page on here for my CV. You can contact me at my email address: elizabeth.champion[at]rochester.edu.

If you want to contact me regarding the question of which quantum computing company you should invest in, my sincere advice to you (not financial advice, just the regular kind) is:

  1. Delete your Reddit account
  2. Delete your Discord account
  3. Delete your Twitter or X or whatever it’s called now account
  4. Sell your stocks and whatever other speculative financial assets
  5. Go for a walk in the woods with someone you love