Simon John Devitt FRSN FAIP (born 17 July 1981) is an Australian theoretical quantum physicist who has worked on large-scale Quantum computing architectures, Quantum network systems design, Quantum programming development and Quantum error correction. In 2022 he was appointed as a member to Australia's National Quantum Advisory Committee.[1]

Simon Devitt
FRSN FAIP
Born
Simon John Devitt

(1981-07-17) 17 July 1981 (age 43)
NationalityAustralian
Alma mater
Known for
Scientific career
FieldsPhysicist
Institutions
Thesis Quantum information engineering: concepts to quantum technologies
Doctoral advisorLloyd CL Hollenberg

Education

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Devitt received his BSc (Hons) in Physics from Melbourne University in 2004. He completed his PhD in physics under Lloyd Hollenberg at the Center for Quantum Computation (CQCT) at the University of Melbourne in 2008, with a thesis entitled Quantum information engineering: concepts to quantum technologies.[2] During his Ph.D, Devitt was awarded the Rae and Edith Bennett Travelling Scholarship at the Faculty of Mathematics, University of Cambridge, where he worked within the Centre for Quantum Computation, headed by Artur Ekert.[3]

Career and research

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Following his PhD, Devitt did postdoctoral research at the Japanese National Institute of Informatics in the group of Kae Nemoto, where he was promoted to assistant professor in 2011. Later, in 2014, he took a position of associate professor in physics at Ochanomizu University at the Leading Graduate School Promotion Center. In 2015 he took up a position as senior research scientist at the Japanese National Laboratories, Riken, in the Superconducting Quantum Simulation Research Team, headed by Jaw-Shen Tsai.

In 2017, he returned to Australia where he was appointed research fellow for the Australian Research Council Center of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS) at Macquarie University and in 2018 he was appointed as lecturer in quantum architectures at the Center for Quantum Software and Information (QSI) at the University of Technology Sydney.[4] In 2020 he was awarded the inaugural Warren prize[5] by the Royal Society of New South Wales for his service to quantum computing development and in 2021 he was elected fellow of the Royal Society of New South Wales and the Australian Institute of Physics. In 2022 Devitt was appointed associate professor and research director of the Center for quantum software and information at UTS.

Devitt's research has focused on the design of practical large-scale systems architectures for quantum computing and communications system. He published the first architecture, in an atom-optical system, that utilised techniques in topological quantum error correction that could be conceptually scaled to an arbitrary number of encoded qubits.[6] In 2014, in collaboration with NTT Communications and TU Wien, he developed a design for a scalable system using the Nitrogen-vacancy center[7] and in 2017 he developed a large-scale system design for Ion trap quantum computing in collaboration with the University of Sussex.[8] Devitt has also worked in the development of scalable Quantum networks, developing designs for what is now known as 2nd [9] and 3rd[10] generation quantum repeaters and inventing, with scientists in Japan and Australia, a quantum version of Sneakernets.[11]

Devitt's recent work has focused largely on developing a software framework for large-scale, error-corrected machines, including methods to map high-level quantum circuits to machine level instructions[12] and how these error-corrected circuits need to be optimised to reduce the resource load on quantum computing hardware.[13]

In 2016, he established, with Jared Cole of RMIT University, the first consultancy specialising in quantum technology,[14] which became a founding member of the Spanish based industry group, the Quantum World Association (QWA).[15]

He has worked with and advised several companies and government agencies worldwide on quantum technology development, is regularly featured in the popular press,[16][17][18][19][20] and comments for outlets such as New Scientist and MIT Technology Review[21][22][23][24] on developments in quantum technology research.

In 2016, Devitt created and hosts the Meet the meQuanics podcast,[25] where scientists, industry leaders and students discuss issues related to the new quantum technology sector.

Selected publications

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20 June 2013 Devitt, S. J; Munro, W. J; Nemoto, K (2013). "Quantum error correction for beginners". Reports on Progress in Physics. 76 (7): 076001. arXiv:0905.2794. Bibcode:2013RPPh...76g6001D. doi:10.1088/0034-4885/76/7/076001. PMID 23787909. S2CID 206021660..

20 June 2016 Van Meter, R; Devitt, S.J (2016). "The path to scalable distributed quantum computing". Computer. 49 (9): 31–42. arXiv:1605.06951. doi:10.1109/MC.2016.291. S2CID 118421039..

20 September 2016 Devitt, S. J (2016). "Programming quantum computers using 3-D puzzles, coffee cups, and doughnuts". XRDS: Crossroads, the ACM Magazine for Students. 23 (1): 45–50. arXiv:1609.06628. Bibcode:2016arXiv160906628D. doi:10.1145/2983545. S2CID 12377031..

1 February 2017 Lekitsch, B; Weidt, S; Fowler, A. G; Molmer, K; Devitt, S. J; Wunderlich, C; Hensinger, W (2017). "Blueprint for a microwave trapped ion quantum computer". Science Advances. 3 (2): e1601540. arXiv:1609.06628. Bibcode:2017SciA....3E1540L. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1601540. PMC 5287699. PMID 28164154..

7 December 2012 Horsman, C; Fowler, A. G; Devitt, S. J; Van Meter, R (2012). "Surface code quantum computing by lattice surgery". New J. Phys. 14 (12): 123011. arXiv:1111.4022. Bibcode:2012NJPh...14l3011H. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/14/12/123011. S2CID 119212756..

References

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  1. ^ "National Quantum Advisory Committee to strengthen Australia's quantum industry". Retrieved 13 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Quantum information engineering: concepts to quantum technologies". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  3. ^ "Centre for Quantum Computation". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  4. ^ "UTS". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  5. ^ "UTS quantum researcher receives Royal Society's Warren Prize". Retrieved 12 October 2021.
  6. ^ 11 August 2009 Devitt, S. J; Fowler, A. G; Stephens, A. M; Greentree, A. D; Hollenberg, L. C. L; Munro, W. J; Nemoto, K (2009). "Architectural design for a topological cluster state quantum computer". New J. Phys. 11 (83032): 1221. arXiv:0808.1782. Bibcode:2009NJPh...11h3032D. doi:10.1088/1367-2630/11/8/083032. S2CID 56195929.
  7. ^ 4 August 2014 Nemoto, K.; Trupke, M.; Devitt, S. J; Stephens, A. M; Scharfenberger, B; Buczak, K; Nobauer, T; Everitt, M. S; Schmiedmayer, J; Munro, W. J (2014). "Photonic architecture for scalable quantum information processing in diamond". Physical Review X. 4 (3): 031022. arXiv:1309.4277. Bibcode:2014PhRvX...4c1022N. doi:10.1103/PhysRevX.4.031022. S2CID 118418371.
  8. ^ Lekitsch, B; Weidt, S; Fowler, A. G; Mølmer, K; Devitt, S. J; Wunderlich, C; Hensinger, W. K (1 February 2017). "Blueprint for a microwave trapped ion quantum computer". Science Advances. 3 (2): e1601540. arXiv:1508.00420. Bibcode:2017SciA....3E1540L. doi:10.1126/sciadv.1601540. PMC 5287699. PMID 28164154.
  9. ^ 29 August 2010 Munro, W. J; Harrison, K. A; Stephens, A. M; Devitt, S. J; Nemoto, K (2010). "From quantum multiplexing to high-performance quantum networking". Nature Photonics. 4 (11): 792–796. arXiv:0910.4038. Bibcode:2010NaPho...4..792M. doi:10.1038/nphoton.2010.213. S2CID 119243884.
  10. ^ 14 October 2012 Munro, W. J; Stephens, A. M; Devitt, S. J; Harrison, K. A; Nemoto, K (2012). "Quantum communication without the necessity of quantum memories". Nature Photonics. 6 (11): 777–781. arXiv:1306.4137. Bibcode:2012NaPho...6..777M. doi:10.1038/nphoton.2012.243. S2CID 5056130.
  11. ^ 2 November 2016 Devitt, S. J; Greentree, A. D; Stephens, A. M; Van Meter, R (2016). "High-speed quantum networking by ship". Scientific Reports. 6: 36163. arXiv:1605.05709. Bibcode:2016NatSR...636163D. doi:10.1038/srep36163. PMC 5090252. PMID 27805001.
  12. ^ 14 April 2017 Paler, A; Polian, I; Nemoto, K; Devitt, S. J (2017). "Fault-tolerant, high-level quantum circuits: form, compilation and description". Quantum Science and Technology. 2 (2): 025003. arXiv:1509.02004. Bibcode:2017QS&T....2b5003P. doi:10.1088/2058-9565/aa66eb. S2CID 118481140.
  13. ^ 11 September 2017Herr, D; Nori, F; Devitt, S. J (2017). "Optimization of lattice surgery is NP-hard". npj Quantum Information. 3 (1): 35. arXiv:1702.00591. Bibcode:2017npjQI...3...35H. doi:10.1038/s41534-017-0035-1. S2CID 52200775.
  14. ^ "Quantum technologies and the launch of h-bar quantum consultants". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  15. ^ "h-bar joins the Quantum world association as a founding member for Asia". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  16. ^ "How to get ahead of the curve on quantum computing". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  17. ^ "The quest for Quantum". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  18. ^ "How Cargo Ships Full of Diamond Hard Drives Could Connect a Quantum Sneakernet". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  19. ^ "Quantum computer 'construction plan' drawn up". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  20. ^ "Gamers help solve quantum questions". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  21. ^ "Quantum simulator with 51 qubits is largest ever". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  22. ^ "This qubit redesign may make it easier to make quantum computers". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  23. ^ "Google on track for quantum computer breakthrough by end of 2017". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  24. ^ "Google's Quantum Dream May Be Just Around the Corner". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  25. ^ "Meet the meQuanics". Retrieved 3 December 2018.
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