Expertise
I am a quantum computing researcher with 20+ years of experience and a strong background in theoretical physics. My work is theoretical, not experimental – but it maps directly onto the questions that quantum technology companies face today.
Quantum Programming and Compilation
Quantum hardware is only as useful as the software that drives it. Compilers that translate high-level algorithms into efficient gate sequences are a key bottleneck. I am a pioneer in quantum programming languages, having designed formal calculi for quantum computation since 2003. More recently, I co-supervised a CIFRE thesis with Quandela (2022–2025) on a programming language for photonic, measurement-based quantum computing – where compilation and optimization are tightly coupled to the hardware.
Quantum Simulation and Use Cases
Finding practical applications – especially on near-term, noisy (NISQ) devices – is a central challenge for the industry. My research specialty is quantum simulation: using quantum computers to simulate physical systems, including the behaviour of particles governed by partial differential equations. I have 20 years of work on quantum cellular automata and quantum walks, with rigorous proofs that these discrete models faithfully reproduce real physics. This gives me a precise understanding of which simulation claims are realistic and which are premature.
Quantum Protocols and Security
Quantum communication and cryptography protocols underpin several emerging product categories (QKD, secure delegation, verification). I introduced the concept of blind quantum computing – delegating a computation to an untrusted quantum server while keeping the input hidden. This protocol has since been experimentally demonstrated and spawned an active subfield. It is a concrete example of how foundational research translates into deployable technology.
The Big Picture
Assessing a quantum venture often requires stepping back from specific claims to ask broader questions: is this the right algorithmic approach? Does the proposed architecture have a path to scale? How does this compare to competing approaches?
I bring a wide-angle view grounded in active research:
- A typology of quantum algorithms – a systematic classification of all known quantum algorithms and their sources of speedup
- Popular science writing on quantum computation in La Recherche (2 articles), Physics World, and others – demonstrating the ability to explain these topics to non-specialists
- 70+ peer-reviewed publications across quantum computing and quantum simulation