Q&A with Ivanna Montserrat Boras Vazquez

What project are you working on?

I have been working on the modelling time-encoded quantum photonic neural networks (QPNNs). I am now going beyond simulation to actually building and implementing one of these networks in the lab. Concurrently, I am switching from these discrete variable platforms to continuous variable, focusing on the nonlinearities of the system. My main focus is generating on demand non-gaussian operations on squeezed light states.

What problem(s) are you aiming to address through your research?

Having developed and simulated a time-encoded QPNN is a first step in the right direction towards the implementation of real QPNNs, however these systems are still missing a crucial part of the circuit- their nonlinearity. Creating an efficient few-photon nonlinearity would enable the QPNNs I have been working on. This nonlinearity is also one of the key missing elements to creating a scalable quantum computer. The platform I am working on will be a practical and deterministic nonlinear element for continuous variable photonic circuits.

What inspired you to pursue this program of study?

In my third year of undergrad, I took quantum mechanics and solid state devices where I was exposed to the different quantum technologies being worked on. I was fascinated by the idea of quantum computers, and the idea of using something so mundane (light) as a platform for them was amazing to me. Learning more about how our devices work in my solid state class made me curious about what other interactions were going on at the nanoscale. Once I learned this was an actual area of study (quantum nanophotonics) I was sold!