Prestigious research grant for quantum mathematician

Matthias Christandl receives around 2 million euros (equivalent to 15 million kroner) in a so-called ERC Consolidator Grant, which from the summer of 2019 and the next five years will be used for research in "Efficient Conversion of Quantum Information Resources".

"I am extremely excited about the recent progress in the implementation of quantum communication and quantum computing. The grant will give me the opportunity to explore what to do with such devices, because only software brings the hardware to life! The focus will be on new protocols for communication over long distances as well as for communication on-chip”, says Matthias Christandl.

“The grant will furthermore allow me to build a team to investigate how we can better simulate weird quantum behaviors on normal computers while we are waiting for better quantum computers to arrive. That aspect of the grant draws on the mathematics of 'tensors', arrays of numbers that are important not only in quantum computing but also in other aspects of computer science e.g. in complexity theory, machine learning and research in artificial intelligence."

The European Research Council has this year awarded a Consolidator Grant to 291 researchers in 21 different countries across all scientific disciplines. Matthias Christandl is the only researcher from the University of Copenhagen to receive the grant.

“We are, of course, proud that our quantum mathematics group is so strong that one of its members can attract such a prestigious grant”, says Head of Department Michael Sørensen:

“A lot of money is invested in the development of quantum computers, and the department gives high priority to contributing to the mathematical basis for quantum calculations and quantum communication. We are therefore very pleased that the ERC has given Matthias Christandl a very significant grant for research in quantum information theory”.

Read more:

• Matthias Christandl's homepage'

• Matthias Christandl appointed professor
  12 May 2014

• The future's quantum internet to be designed
  22 Jul 2014

---

The Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council is awarded to outstanding researchers 7-12 years after obtaining a PhD degree. To receive the grant, you must have a promising scientific publication list and a project proposal for new potential groundbreaking research. The grant must enable the individual researcher to consolidate him/her self and a research team.

Read the press release from the European Research Council here.

Topics