Expertise
I am a quantum computing researcher with 20+ years of experience and a strong background in both computer science and 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
Today’s quantum computers are small – limited in qubits and circuit depth. Optimizing algorithms for these constraints is therefore crucial: good compilation can yield an order-of-magnitude gain, making the difference between a toy demo and a useful quantum advantage. 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 can move toward real-world applications.
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 the main known quantum algorithms, how they relate to one another, the kind of mathematical problems they solve and the applications domains concerned
- Popular science publications 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