Confirmed plenary speakers (alphabetically):
Chaoyang Lu, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC)
Tentative title: From Science-for-QC to QC-for-Science
Bio: Chao-Yang Lu is a Chair Professor in Physics at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). He completed his BS and PhD degrees at the USTC and the University of Cambridge in 2011. He has been appointed as the Deputy Director of the Shanghai Center for Quantum Sciences and as the Executive Director of the Quantum Computing Division at the Hefei National Laboratory since 2022. His current research interest includes quantum computation, solid-state quantum photonics, quantum teleportation, superconducting circuits, and atomic arrays. He is the author of over 160 papers in major research journals which have attracted >32000 citations. His work has been selected as by Physics World as “Breakthrough of the Year” in 2015, by APS Physics as one of the top ten “Highlights of the Year” in 2021 and 2022, and by UNESCO as “World’s top 10 digital innovation technologies” in 2021. He is an OSA/Optica/APS Fellow, and a recipient of the EPS Fresnel Prize, AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize, Nishina Asian Award, IUPAP-ICO Young Scientist Prize in Optics, OSA Adolph Lomb Medal, APS Rolf Landauer and Charles H. Bennett Award in Quantum Computing, CLEO James P. Gordon Memorial Speakership, and OCPA Achievement in Asia Award. He serves as the Divisional Associate Editor for Physical Review Letters, and recent appointed as the Chairman of World Association of Young Scientists.
Pierre Rouchon, Centre Automatique et Systemes at Mines-Paris, Université PSL
Title: Quantum feedback engineering, bosonic codes and quantum error correction
Abstract: Quantum error correction relies on a feedback loop. This feedback generally corresponds to a classical controller. Quantum error correction can also exploit the dissipation associated with the phenomenon of decoherence. Called autonomous correction by physicists, it then uses feedback where the controller is a dissipative quantum auxiliary system. This talk focuses on the development of such quantum controllers to stabilize logical qubits encoded in harmonic oscillators (bosonic code). Two types of encoding will be considered: cat-qubit encoded in two coherent states of opposite phases for which bit-flip errors induced by usual noises can be experimentally almost suppressed; GKP-qubit encoded in finite energy grid-states approximating position/impulsion Dirac combs where, in principle, both bit-flips and phase-flips could be almost suppressed.
Bio: Pierre Rouchon is professor with the Centre Automatique et Systemes at Mines-Paris, Université PSL. He graduated from Ecole Polytechnique in 1983, has obtained a PhD in 1990 and an “habilitation à diriger des recherches” in 2000. From 1993 to 2005, he was associated professor at Ecole Polytechnique in Applied Mathematics. From 1998 to 2002, he was the head of the Centre Automatique et Systèmes. From 2007 to 2018, he was the chair of the department “Mathématiques et Systèmes” at Mines-Paris. Since 2015, he is a member of the Quantic Research team between Inria, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris and Mines-Paris. His fields of interest include nonlinear control and system theory with applications to physical systems. His contributions include differential flatness and its extension to infinite dimensional systems, non-linear observers and symmetries, quantum filtering and feedback control. In 2017, he received the “Grand Prix IMT – Académie des sciences de Paris.” He is the principal investigator of the ERC Advanced Grant "Quantum Feedback Engineering" (2021-2026). He has been elected as an Académicien of the Académie des Sciences (French Academy of Sciences).
Howard Wiseman, Griffith University
Title: Quantum State Smoothing: Theory and Experiments
Abstract: For a classical system subject to random forces, and monitored imperfectly (i.e. yielding a noisy measurement record) the optimal way to estimate its true state at a certain time t is by smoothing. This means making use of the measurement record obtained both before t and after t. Generalizing this idea to the quantum domain is not straightforward because of the non-commutation of system operators at time t with future (after t) measurement records. However, we can define a smoothed quantum state [1] by considering a quantum system coupled to two environments, observed respectively by Alice and Bob. The “true” state of the system given Alice’s and Bob’s records is, under some assumptions, pure. But say Alice does not have access to Bob’s noisy record – then she cannot know the true state. But she can better estimate the true state of the system at time t if she uses her record in the future of t as well as the past. I will overview the theory and discuss insights obtained over the last 10 years (including the impact of different types of measurements by Bob, linear Gaussian systems, and cases where one would expect classical smoothing to work) as well as unpublished experiments in quantum optics and optomechanics.
[1] Guevara and Wiseman, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 180407 (2015).
Bio: Professor Howard Wiseman is an Australian theoretical quantum physicist, best known for his work in quantum information, quantum foundations, and quantum measurement and control. After completing his PhD at the University of Queensland in 1994, he did a postdoc at the University of Auckland before returning to Queensland in 1996. He has been at Griffith University since 1999, and was Director of the Centre for Quantum Dynamics there for 18 years. Wiseman has won several Australian medals and prizes for his physics research, and led the team that won the 2023 Ehrenfest Award for Quantum Foundations from the Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften. He has been elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the American Physical Society, and the Optical Society of America.
Confirmed keynote speakers (alphabetically):
Joonhee Choi: Stanford University
Tentative title: Benchmarking and Noise Learning in Large-Scale Quantum Computers
Bio: Joonhee Choi is an Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University. Joonhee received his Ph.D. and master’s from Harvard University, as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology. Prior to joining Stanford, he worked as an IQIM postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM) at Caltech. Joonhee’s research focus has been on engineering the dynamics of quantum many-body systems to explore fundamental science and demonstrate practical quantum applications. Throughout his career, he has worked in a wide variety of fields, including nonlinear nano-optics, ultrafast phenomena, solid-state and atomic physics, as well as quantum many-body physics. His expertise extends to practical applications in quantum metrology, communication, and information processing. Joonhee is the recipient of the Outstanding Young Researcher Award from the Association of Korean Physicists in America, the winner of the 2024 KSEA Young Investigator Grant in Science, and has been appointed as a Terman Faculty Fellow in the School of Engineering at Stanford.
Mile Gu, Nanyang Technological University
Tentative title: Introducing Quantization2: Quantum-Enhanced Quantization in Predictive Modelling and it operational Benefits
Bio: Mile Gu is presently associate professor and deputy director of the Nanyang Quantum Hub at Nanyang Technological University. Prior to his current position, Gu grew up on Waiheke Island New Zealand, obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Queensland in 2009 and spent 3 years as faculty the Institute of Interdisciplinary information sciences at Tsinghua university. He currently leads the quantum and complexity science initiative under a 3 million project on quantum-enhanced agents. He is also fellow of the Centre for Quantum technologies, invited member of the Foundational Questions Institute and principal investigator of the French-Singapore joint institute Majulab. Gu’s previous accolades include the National Research Foundation Fellow, the Young China 1000 talent, and was also winner of the 2020 IBM Quantum Pitch Contest and the National Research Foundation Investigator.
Christiane Koch, Free University of Berlin
Tentative Title: Training Schrödinger's cat: A physicist's perspective on quantum control
Bio: Christiane Koch studied physics at the Humboldt University Berlin and, thanks to a one-year Fulbright scholarship, at the University of Texas at Austin, in the 1990s. Originally inspired to pursue physics by chaos theory, she eventually made her way into quantum physics, via a PhD at the Fritz-Haber-Institute Berlin where she applied open quantum systems' theory to a problem in surface science. This project required "willingness to travel", and Christiane happily commuted between Berlin and Jerusalem where Ronnie Kosloff at the Hebrew University became her second PhD mentor. The focus of her postdoctoral work, carried out with Francoise Masnou at Laboratoire Aimé Cotton in Orsay near Paris and Ronnie Kosloff in Jerusalem, was the coherent control of cold collisions and photoassociation. Realizing that molecular physics methods should also be useful for quantum information science, Christiane combined the two fields after her return to Germany with a DFG-funded Emmy Noether research group. When Christiane became a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Kassel in 2010, she was proud to have achieved this without going through the traditional German habilitation process. Her current research interests can still be roughly separated into molecular physics and quantum information science, with focuses on chiral molecules and cold and controlled reactions on one hand and optimal control for the quantum technologies on the other hand. Christiane has been a professor for theoretical physics at the Free University of Berlin since 2019.
Xiongfeng Ma, Tsinghua University
Title: Hybrid Quantum-Classical Optimization of LOCC-Assisted Circuits for Scalable Entanglement Generation
Abstract: Long-range entanglement is a cornerstone of quantum technologies, enabling applications from fault-tolerant quantum computing to topological order. However, its experimental realization is hindered by the need for deep quantum circuits, which amplify noise and resource demands. This talk introduces a hybrid quantum-classical framework that leverages Local Operations and Classical Communication (LOCC) to drastically reduce circuit depth while preserving entanglement structure. We present a variational algorithm that optimizes LOCC-assisted protocols through parameterized mid-circuit measurements and gradient-based training. Theoretically, we derive conditions under which our approach avoids barren plateaus, guaranteeing trainability even at scale. Numerically, we demonstrate high-fidelity preparation of long-range entangled states, including perturbed Greenberger–Horne–Zeilinger (GHZ) states and surface code ground states, achieving superior accuracy in energy estimation compared to conventional unitary circuits. Our method not only reduces experimental overhead but also establishes a theoretical pathway for scalable entanglement generation. By integrating quantum control with machine learning, this work bridges critical gaps in quantum resource optimization, offering practical tools for quantum error correction and programmable quantum devices. The results underscore the transformative potential of hybrid protocols in advancing quantum computing, control, and learning—core themes of this conference.
Bio: Xiongfeng Ma earned his B.Sc. degree from Peking University in 2003 and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto in 2008. Currently, he is a Changjiang Distinguished Professor and vice dean of the Institute for Interdisciplinary Information Sciences at Tsinghua University. Xiongfeng is an APS Fellow and an Optica Fellow.
Xiongfeng’s primary research interest lies in quantum information science, particularly in quantum cryptography, quantum computing, and quantum foundation. According to the Scientometric Assessment of Global Publications from 1992 to 2019, Xiongfeng was one of the most productive researchers worldwide in quantum cryptography by ResearchGate.
Yuerui (Larry) Lu, The Australian National University
Title: 2D Quantum Materials for Next-generation Quantum Photonic Devices
Abstract: Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals quantum materials have become important building blocks for future electronic, photonic, phononic and quantum devices. The highly enhanced Coulomb interactions in the atomically thin quantum 2D materials, arising from the reduced dimensionality and weak dielectric screening, allows the formation of tightly bound excitons, biexcitons and interlayer biexcitons. These tightly bound quasi-particles have been of keen interest for both fundamental studies and novel device applications, such as entangled photon sources, quantum logic gates, etc. The recently discovered single photon emitters at room temperature from the defects in 2D hexagonal boron nitride could find promising applications for quantum sensing and quantum communications. Because of their ultra-light weight, defect-less surface and low intrinsic losses, atomically thin 2D materials are also perfect candidate materials for ultra-sensitive transducers for sensing and communication applications. In this talk, I would like to talk about how to tailor the van der Waals interactions and engineer the light-matter interactions in ultrathin quantum materials, for next-generation nano-photonic and quantum devices1-3. I will highlight our recent work on the discovery of new quantum phases from freestanding hetero bilayers4,5, as well as the generation of entangled quantum light sources using ultra-thin nonlinear quantum materials6,7. Finally, I will talk about my vision and discuss some possible future directions regarding the photonic and quantum applications of novel 2D materials and their heterostructures.
Bio: Prof. Yuerui (Larry) Lu is a professor in School of Engineering at the Australian National University (ANU). He received his Ph.D. degree from Cornell University in 2012, and B.S. degree from University of Science and Technology of China. Professor Lu is currently the chief investigator and program manager at the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology. His research interests include 2D quantum materials and optoelectronic devices, MEMS sensors and actuators, quantum sensors, biomedical novel devices, etc. He has published 2 books (as editor), 7 book chapters, and more than 130 papers in high-impact journals, including Nature, Science, Nature Physics, etc. He was the recipient of several competitive awards, including the prestigious Prime Minister’s Prizes for Science - the Malcolm McIntosh Prize for Physical Scientist of the Year in 2023, Pawsey Medal from Australian Academy of Science in 2023, etc. He is an Optica Fellow (Former OSA) and an associate editor of Optica. Email: yuerui.lu@anu.edu.au
https://researchers.anu.edu.au/researchers/lu-yx
References:
1 Vogl, T. et al. Radiation tolerance of two-dimensional material-based devices for space applications. Nature communications 10, 1202 (2019).
2 Vogl, T., Lecamwasam, R., Buchler, B. C., Lu, Y. & Lam, P. K. Compact cavity-enhanced single-photon generation with hexagonal boron nitride. Acs Photonics 6, 1955-1962 (2019).
3 Healey, A. et al. Quantum microscopy with van der Waals heterostructures. Nature Physics 19, 87-91 (2023).
4 Sun, X. et al. Enhanced interactions of interlayer excitons in free-standing heterobilayers. Nature 610, 478-484 (2022).
5 Sun, X., Malic, E. & Lu, Y. Dipolar many-body complexes and their interactions in stacked 2D heterobilayers. Nature Reviews Physics, 1-16 (2024).
6 Weissflog, M. A. et al. A tunable transition metal dichalcogenide entangled photon-pair source. Nature Communications 15, 7600 (2024).
7 Tang, Y. et al. Quasi-phase-matching enabled by van der Waals stacking. Nature Communications 15, 9979 (2024).
Hidehiro Yonezawa, RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing
Title: Development of Optical Quantum Computer at RIKEN
Abstract: In this talk, I will present an optical quantum computer developed at RIKEN. Our system is a measurement-based quantum computer that utilises continuous variables of electromagnetic field quadratures, i.e., an analog optical quantum computer. Compared to other quantum computing platforms, our approach has several advantages, including fast processing speed, high scalability, room-temperature operation, and compatibility with telecom technologies. The quantum computer employs four THz-bandwidth optical parametric amplifiers developed by NTT to generate squeezed vacuum states. These states are combined using a beam splitter network with optical delay lines to produce large-scale quantum entanglement in the time domain. Quantum computation is performed through sequential measurements on this entangled state with appropriate measurement angles. Our system enables liner transformations on 101 input modes at a clock frequency of 100 MHz. We also developed a cloud-based system with a software development kit, allowing external users to access the quantum computer with enhanced usability.
This work has been undertaken as a part of the Moonshot projects (Project manager: Prof Akira Furusawa) in collaboration with University of Tokyo, NTT, and Fixstars Amplify.
Bio: Hidehiro Yonezawa received his B.E. degree, M.E. degree and Ph.D. in Engineering at the Department of Applied Physics, the University of Tokyo, Japan, in 2002, 2004 and 2007, respectively. Upon completing his Ph.D., he was appointed as a Research Associate (2007-2009) and was later promoted to Project Assistant Professor (2009-2013) at the University of Tokyo. From September 2013 to June 2023, he served as a Senior Lecturer at the University of New South Wales Canberra. He also joined the Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication technology (CQC2T) as a Program Manager, where he worked from 2015 to 2023. In July 2023, he began his current position as a Team Leader at RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing. Through his career he has focused on experimental quantum optics, quantum information and quantum control.
Hong Kong Local Speakers (alphabetically)
Giulio Chiribella, University of Hong Kong
Title: Learning quantum systems with deep neural networks
Bio: Giulio Chiribella is a full professor and the director of QICI Quantum Information and Computation Initiative at the School of Computing and Data Science of The University of Hong Kong. His research interests cover quantum information theory and quantum foundations. In particular, he has done pioneering research on quantum causality, on the information-theoretic foundations of quantum theory, and on the ultimate precision limits of quantum measurements, for which he was awarded the Hermann Weyl Prize 2010. In 2020 and 2018 he received Senior Research Fellowships from the Hong Kong Research Grant Council (RGC) and from the Croucher Foundation, respectively. He currently serves as an elected member of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, a Young Member of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences, a visiting professor at the University of Oxford, a visiting fellow of Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and as an Editorial Board Member of the journal Communications in Mathematical Physics. Before joining the University of Hong Kong, he held faculty positions at Oxford University and Tsinghua University, Beijing.
Z. Y. Ou, City University of Hong Kong
Title: Noise reduction in Quantum Amplifiers by Feedback
Abstract: Quantum noise in the internal modes of an amplifier is responsible for the excess noise introduced to the amplifier’s output, leading to degradation of the signal-to-noise in the output as compared to the input. Reduction of this noise requires manipulation of the internal modes from outside by preparing them in some special quantum states, among which quantum correlated states were recently used. On the other hand, amplifier’s internal modes are also correlated to the output. So, by tapping part of the output and feeding back to the amplifier, we can achieve the same feat. We present a detailed study of this novel approach on different amplification platforms. The feedback is found to be phase-sensitive, thus forming an SU(1,1)-type of nonlinear interferometer. The feedback can also lead to onset of oscillation, making the interferometer active and self-sustained. Such a device should find applications in quantum sensing.
Bio: Professor Ou obtained his BS in 1984 from Peking University and Ph.D. in 1990 from University of Rochester. He is now a Chair Professor at the City University of Hong Kong. Professor Ou is an expert in quantum optics, especially in quantum interference, for which he is the co-inventor of the well-known Hong-Ou-Mandel two-photon interferometer and more recently the SU(1,1)-type of nonlinear quantum entangled interferometer. He pioneered the field of multi-photon interference, which he summarized in the monograph “Quantum Multi-Photon Interference” published by Springer in 2007. Professor Ou’s current research focuses on quantum metrology, quantum sensing, quantum amplifier, quantum state engineering, quantum information and communication, and more fundamental quantum measurement and quantum coherence problems. Professor Ou is a fellow of American Physical Society and of Optica (formerly Optical Society of America). He is the Associate Editor of Optica Quantum.
Yuan Haidong, The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Title: Precision limits and tradeoffs for multi-parameter quantum metrology
Abstract: Quantum metrology aims to achieve the highest precision in parameter estimation. While the ultimate precision limits for single-parameter estimation are well understood, practical applications in quantum sensing and quantum imaging often demand the simultaneous estimation of multiple parameters, for which the precision limits are much less clear. This is largely due to the inherent incompatibility of optimal estimation strategies for different parameters, which leads to tradeoffs for the precision of estimating different parameters. We will talk about these incompatibilities and their effects on the precision limits in multi-parameter quantum metrology.
Bio: Haidong Yuan received his B.E. in Electronic Engineering from Tsinghua University, Beijing, China, M.A. in Engineering science and Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics, both from Harvard University. He is currently an associate professor at the department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, the Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research interests include quantum control, quantum metrology and quantum information science.