HR training for quantum science and technology
The Quantum Portugal Initiative (QPI) unites FCT, INL, and several Portuguese universities to train the next generation of PhD students in quantum science and technology, ensuring Portugal's leadership in this innovative domain.
ABOUT
With the 2nd Quantum Revolution, fundamentally new quantum technologies are being developed that tap into subtle features of quantum mechanics, such as superposition and entanglement. These are harnessed for breakthrough applications:
Quantum computing;
Quantum communications;
Quantum sensing;
Quantum simulation.
There is an urgent need for institutions and countries to join this new wave of scientific and technological innovations. Europe must gather and foster a critical mass in these fields if we are to remain competitive in the next decades.
The Quantum Portugal Initiative (QPI) has seen FCT, INL, and several Portuguese universities join forces to train a new generation of PhD students in Portugal in these areas.
The first steps
There was an open FCT call to students looking to enrol in a doctorate programme in any higher education institution in Portugal in one of the following core areas:
Quantum communication
Quantum computation and simulation
Quantum information
Quantum materials for quantum science and technology
Sensors and imaging for quantum metrology.
From over 100 applications, a total of 24 students were selected by a panel of outside experts and were awarded FCT PhD grants to pursue their studies at various Portuguese institutions. The starting dates varied from mid-2020 to very recently.
INL offered the possibility of co-supervision by INL researchers and access to INL facilities to support their projects.
These 24 students are co-hosted by the universities of Porto, Aveiro, Minho, and Universidade Nova de Lisboa.
The internationalisation aspect of these projects is reflected by co-supervision or planned secondments abroad, at Aalborg University (DK), Universiteit van Amsterdam (NL), University of Cambridge (UK), French quantum technologies start-up Quandela, and the Interuniversity Microelectronics Centre – IMEC (BE).
INL has also set up the QPI Lectures, a series of freely accessible live webinars organized by INL, to track the rapid progress of research and development in quantum science and technology. These free online webinars have been providing a technically-minded audience with overviews of these disruptive areas, given by researchers who are world leaders in their fields. These ongoing lecture series has already featured 12 speakers, with the events’ videos made publicly available.
The future
The 24 PhD projects are developing well. Here are some of the project topics:
Quantum machine learning
Quantum-assisted secure multi-party computation
Topological insulators and 2D materials
Single-spin magnetometry with a scanning tunnelling microscope
Quantum contextuality and coherence in quantum computation
Photonic quantum computation
Despite the recent start, we have already identified 27 publications of QPI students, jointly with their supervisors (see the list below).
INL is doing their part, co-hosting the 24 initial QPI projects.
We hope this initiative is supported in the future with further PhD and post-graduate grants to help give Portugal a head start in this rapidly developing area.
Publications
Recent publications by QPI students jointly with their supervisors. (Surveyed on Sept. 22nd, 2023.)
2023
2022
2021
2020
Meet the Students
Daniel Brito
Project title: Topological insulators grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and related quantum devices
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Sascha Sadewasser
University Supervisor: Eduardo Castro
Carlos Fernandes
Project title: Understanding and overcoming limitations of linear-optical quantum computation
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of the University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Computing
INL Supervisor: Ernesto Galvão
University Supervisor: Nuno Peres
Luísa Pimentel
Project title: Networking Topological Insulator Hamiltonians
PhD Programme – University: MAP-Fis, University of Aveiro
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Joaquin Rossier
University Supervisor: Ricardo Assis
Pedro Miguel Cruz
Project title: Enhancing machine learning with quantum computing and vice versa
PhD Programme – University: Doctoral Programme in Computer Science (Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto)
Quantum Area: Quantum Computing
INL Supervisor: Joaquin Rossier
University Supervisor: Joao Pedro Pedroso/Antonio Acin
Tiago Queirós
Project title: Single Photons On Demand from a 2D Material Heterostructure
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Jana Nieder
University Supervisor: Pedro Alpuim
Zeinab Rahmani
Project title: Quantum-Assisted Secure Multi-Party Computation
PhD Programme – University: University of Aveiro, Doctoral Program in Electrical Engineering
Quantum Area: Quantum Communication
INL Supervisor: Luís Barbosa
University Supervisor: Armando Pinto
Mauricío Quintela
Project title: Valleytronics Excitons Qubits
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Nuno Peres
University Supervisor: Thomas Garm
Francisca Guedes
Project title: Novel quantum materials inspired by natural photonic photosynthetic structures.
PhD Programme – University: Applied Chemistry Doctoral Programme from University of Minho
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Martin Lopez Garcia
University Supervisor: Mario Rui da Cunha Pereira
António Ruiz Molero
Project title: Learning open quantum systems using machine learning
PhD Programme – University: University of Minho
Quantum Area: Quantum information science
INL Supervisor: Ernesto Galvão
University Supervisor: Luis Barbosa
Anita Camillini
Project title: Architectures for scalable quantum photonic computing
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of the University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Computing
INL Supervisor: Ernesto Galvão
University Supervisor: Michael Belsley
Manisha Jain
Project title: Dynamic fuzzy logics for quantum programs: Foundations and applications.
PhD Programme – University: MAP-PDMA – PhD in Mathematics and Applications, a joint doctoral programme of the University of Aveiro, Minho and Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Computing
INL Supervisor: Luís Barbosa
University Supervisor: Alexandre Madeira/Alexandru Baltag
Catarina Martins
Project title: Nucleic acids-functionalized quantum dots for cancer-related lncRNA monitoring
PhD Programme – University: University of Porto, Faculty of Pharmacy (FFUP) PhD Programme in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Alec LaGrow
University Supervisor: João Alexandre Velho Prior
Maria Lopes
Project title: QWire4Energy – Synthetic constructs to harvest light energy: quantum coherent circuits based on molecular dye aggregates
PhD Programme – University: University of Minho, PhD in Applied Chemistry,(3-year research-focussed PhD programme, with continuous enrolment option)
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Jana Nieder
University Supervisor: Susana Paula Graça
Ana Neri
Project title: Towards ‘Just Good Enough’ Quantum Programming
PhD Programme – University: MAP-i – MAP Doctoral Programme in Computer Science, a joint PhD programme of University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto (MAP)
Quantum Area: Quantum Computing
INL Supervisor: José Oliveira
University Supervisor: Raquel Pinto
Rafael Wagner
Project title: Coherence and Contextuality as Quantum Resources
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of the University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum information science
INL Supervisor: Ernesto Galvão/Rui Barbosa
University Supervisor: Mikhail Vasilevskiy
Mariana Gomes
Project title: Controlling hidden quantum phases towards dynamical multiferroicity through nonlinear phononics
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of the University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Leonard Francis
University Supervisor: Joaquim Agostinho Moreira/Helder Crespo
Yelko Del Castillo Hernández
Project title: Single spin resonance magnetometry with scanning tunneling microscopy
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of the University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum metrology sensing and imaging
INL Supervisor: Joaquin Rossier
University Supervisor: Nuno Peres
James Caleb Peters
Project title: Correlation of transport and structural properties of Graphene and Bismuth Telluride as a function of CVD growth parameters
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Leonard Francis
University Supervisor: Luís Manuel Fernandes Rebouta
Mariana
Project title: Characterization of single-photon emitting defects in 2D materials by scanning probe microscopy (SPED-Probe)
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of the University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Sascha Sadewasser/Nicoleta Nicoara
University Supervisor: Pedro Alpuim
Angelos Bampounis
Project title: Matchgate circuits with magic resources for universal quantum computation
PhD Programme – University: MAP-PDMA – PhD in Mathematics and Applications, a joint doctoral programme of the University of Aveiro, Minho and Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Computing
INL Supervisor: Rui Barbosa
University Supervisor: Pedro Patricio/Nadish da Silva
Henrique Teixeira
Project title: Memristors based on quantum dots of 2D materials for photonic neuromorphic computing
PhD Programme – University: MAP-fis – MAP PhD Programme in Physics, a joint doctoral programme of the University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Ricardo Ferreira
University Supervisor: João Oliveira Ventura/Catarina Dias
Guilherme Ribeiro
Project title: High-Efficiency Quantum-Nanostructured Thin-Film Solar Cells
PhD Programme – University: FCT, Universiy Nova of Lisboa: Nanotechnologies and Nanosciences Doctoral Programme
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Pedro Salomé
University Supervisor: Paulo A. Fernandes
Raman Choudhary
Project title: Contextuality and quantum advantage in the NISQ setting
PhD Programme – University: MAP-i – MAP Doctoral Programme in Computer Science, a joint PhD programme of University of Minho, University of Aveiro and University of Porto (MAP)
Quantum Area: Quantum Computing
INL Supervisor: Rui Barbosa
University Supervisor: Luis Paulo Santos/Shane Mansfield
Pedro Conceição
Project title: Eco-friendly synthesis and processing of perovskite quantum dots for solar cells
PhD Programme – University: Univeristy of Aveiro, Doctoral Program in Nanosciences and Nanotechnolog
Quantum Area: Quantum Materials for quantum science and technology
INL Supervisor: Pedro Salomé
University Supervisor: Armando Silvestre/Bart Vermang
