In this week’s edition of 112 Hardware Heroes Changing Quantum Tech, we start at number 57. There are some very talented hardware specialists from included today from Qblox, Qnami and Quantum Circuits, as well as a few from other players on the list
Here are entries 57–70.
*All data correct as of late September 2021
57. Damien Crielaard: Quantum Engineer, Qblox
Like his colleague Victor Negirneac in the previous post, Damien Crielaard is a Quantum Engineer at Qblox.
Starting off as an Intern, where he characterized frequency upconversion schemes using IQ mixers to produce high-quality radio-frequency signals for quantum computing applications, now Crielaard supports customers with setting up measurements on various types of qubits, as well as one of the main developers of the software package Quantify, where his biggest contribution is in the compilation backend that translates qubit operations to pulse shapes and assembly code that can be interpreted by the control hardware.
Crielaard obtained a Master’s in Engineering Physics/Applied Physics from the Delft University of Technology.
58. Pol Forn-Díaz: Hardware Architect, Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech
An Experimental Physicist by training whose research is focused on manipulating artificial quantum systems where his interests span from quantum computation and simulation to light-matter interactions and their limits, and the possibilities on particle detection, Pol Forn-Díaz is a Hardware Architect and a Co-Founder of Qilimanjaro Quantum Tech, a Barcelona-based spinoff from the Barcelona Supercomputer Center (BSC), the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Institute of High-Energy Physics (IFAE) developing the full-stack Variational Quantum Machine, a coherent quantum annealer platform of semiconductor qubits with easy-to-use cloud access to effectively address complex optimization and ML problems.
Forn-Díaz is also a Scientific Advisor at Entanglement Partners, the first consulting company in Spain and Latin America whose business is focused on quantum technologies.
In summer 2017 he set up a research group at the Barcelona Supercomputing Center on quantum computation with superconducting quantum circuits, together with Prof. J. I. Latorre and A. Garcia Saez. In this project, Forn-Díaz strongly collaborated with the Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2).
Since May 2019, he has been the leader of the newly created Quantum Computing Technology group at the Institute for High Energy Physics (IFAE), near Barcelona. The group’s focus is to develop superconducting quantum circuits to implement quantum computing protocols, as well as study light-matter interactions in the ultrastrong coupling regime, and high-energy physics effects.
Forn-Díaz received his Ph.D. in Condensed Matter and Materials Physics from the Delft University of Technology.
59. David Eslava Sabaté: Quantum Electronics Engineer, Qilimanjaro
David Eslava Sabaté is a Quantum Electronics Engineer at Qilimanjaro who has technical expertise in radio architectures, RF parameters (e.g. Rx sensitivity, gain, noise figure, IMD3, P1dB, IP3, phase noise, stability), and link budget analysis while possessing a strong background in transmission lines, electromagnetics, microwave theory, RF propagation amongst other things.
He is a former Associate Professor at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, where he taught about radiation and guided waves and Linear Networks subject.
Eslava Sabaté obtained a Master’s in Telecommunication Engineering from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
60. David Quinn: Quantum Hardware Engineer, Qilimanjaro
A test engineer and data analyst with expertise in semiconductor physics, David Quinn is a Quantum Hardware Engineer at Qilimanjaro.
In his position, before Qilimanjaro Quinn worked as part of the Oculus VR/AR test team in state-of-the-art research in μLED technology, responsible for testing of the devices, optimizing test protocol, automated data analysis of characterization data, and reporting findings to the other research teams.
Quinn received his MSc Eng in Photonics from University College Cork. During his Master’s he designed a photovoltaic power converter which was transfer printable onto the desired substrate, working as part of the EU funded Horizon 2020 project TOP-HIT consisting of industry leaders such as Seagate and Huawei and world-class research institutes such as IMEC.
61. Gediminas Seniutinas: Process Engineer, Qnami
An expert in nano and micro-fabrication techniques, Gediminas Seniutinas is a Process Engineer at quantum sensing startup, Qnami.
Seniutinas has run several industrial pilot projects at the Melbourne Center for Nanofabrication, Australia, and at the Paul Sherrer Institute in Villingen, Switzerland. His deep knowledge and experience of diamond material makes him a key asset of the Quantum Foundry.
He has a Ph.D. in Nanotechnology from the Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne.
62. Peter Rickhaus: Application Scientist, Qnami
Another Application Scientist at Qnami is Peter Rickhaus, a Quantum Nanoscience expert who holds a Ph.D. in Physics from Basel University.
Rickhaus obtained the prestigious ETH fellowship in 2017. With extensive research experience in 2D materials and rich hands-on knowledge on analytical techniques, as an Application Scientist, he is pioneering new Scanning NV Magnetometry applications at Qnami, creating a market leader in the quantum sensor industry.
63. Marcelo Gonzàlez: Quantum Engineer, Qnami
As a Quantum Engineer at Qnami, Marcelo Gonzàlez’s responsibilities include the control and management of existing processes to ensure continuous production of high-end diamond probes for Qnami ProteusQ, performing supply chain evaluation and quality control of diamond for quantum applications, assembling and testing quantum microscopes, together with its accessories and consumables, for customers, the creation and application of software modules (Python-based) for Qnami ProteusQ using the open software Qudi, evaluating results, and suggesting measures to protect the generated intellectual property.
Gonzàlez completed a Master’s in Materials Science and Engineering at the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he obtained the highest grade for his thesis on the quality control of colour centres in diamond with high throughput.
64. Tobias Sjölander: Quantum Engineer, Qnami
Qnami’s last hardware specialist is Tobias Sjölander, a Quantum Engineer who received his Ph.D. from UC Berkeley for developing NMR methods using optical magnetometers.
His extensive experience in technology and methods advancement was further enriched during his time at Intel’s technology development fab in Oregon. As a Quantum Engineer at Qnami, Sjölander is driving the development of novel applications for the startup’s quantum sensors.
65. Amlan Mukherjee: Director Quantum Hardware and Research, QPiAI
Amlan Mukherjee is the Director Quantum Hardware and Research, at Indian startup QPiAI.
An experienced researcher in the field of optical semiconductors, optoelectronics, and RF integrated circuit design, he is also an expert in micro/spectroscopy of 2D, III-V, II-VI semiconductor nanostructures including Silicon Carbide, Diamond, Arsenides & Nitrides devices who is also skilled in quantum physics, optical spectroscopy, nano-materials, C++, Python, and mathematical modelling.
Mukherjee obtained a Ph.D. in Physics from the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, with research on optical spectroscopy of semiconductor nanostructures.
66. Pinakin Padalia: Director Quantum Circuits, QPiAI
Director Quantum Circuits at QPiAI, Pinakin Padalia started off at the company as a Quantum Circuit Designer where his duties were designing and developing the control and readout hardware for qubits along with other designers and integrating it with qubits.
Prior to this, Padalia was a Researcher at QuTech, a Delft, the Netherlands-based advanced research center for quantum computing and the quantum internet. As a researcher in the Cryo-electronics group, he was working towards characterizing the novel voltage and current references at 4 K while also being responsible for designing a device characterization chip in 22nm finfet technology from Intel for characterizing devices at millikelvin temperatures.
Padalia received an MSc in Electrical Engineering from the Delft University of Technology.
67. Peter Rosenbusch: Head of Industrialisation of Quantum Products, Quandela
Peter Rosenbusch is Head of Industrialization of Quantum Products at French concern Quandela, a startup involved in the fabrication of performing devices for the research in quantum photonics and quantum information.
At Qaundela, Rosenbusch leads the R&D team that transforms fundamental research into turn-key products for quantum communication and photonic quantum computing.
Rosenbusch has benefited from more than 15 years of experience as a researcher in physics. Following studies in Germany and England, he joined the team of Claud Cohen-Tannoudji, laureate of the 1997 Nobel Prize, at the Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris and became a permanent researcher at the Laboratoire National de Métrologie et d’Essais commissioned to the Observatoire de Paris. There Rosenbusch developed one of the world’s best (atomic) clocks and created a team for innovative quantum projects. In parallel, he taught at the Université Pierre et Marie Curie.
Rosenbusch obtained an MPhil in Physics from the University of Cambridge.
68. Anirudh Narla: Quantum Control Engineer, Quantum Circuits
Anirudh Narla is a Quantum Control Engineer at Quantum Circuits, a company on the way to building the first practical and useful quantum computers based on superconducting devices.
An experimental physicist by training, Narla enjoys working at the intersection of engineering and physics, exploring new technology and solving problems that require combining different fields of expertise. His primary focus is experimental quantum information with superconducting circuits, having worked in this field for almost 10 years since he was at UC Berkeley as an undergraduate.
Narla has a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Yale University
69. Katrina Sliwa: Quantum Measurement Scientist, Quantum Circuits
Katrina Sliwa is a Quantum Measurement Scientist for Quantum Circuits. An expert in ultra-low noise quantum amplification, as a physicist she has been leading the company’s efforts in quantum-limited amplification and directional parametric devices. Additionally, she has completed work in superconducting qubit design and modelling, superconducting qubit coherence investigations, project planning and management, experimental design and data analysis, and quantum device fabrication.
Sliwa also leads Quantum Circuit’s efforts in designing, fabricating, characterizing, and exporting parametric amplifiers for sale to other industry, academic, and governmental labs.
Sliwa completed her Ph.D. at Yale University, under the supervision of Michel Devoret, focusing on the design, use, and fabrication of parametric amplifiers.
70. Shantanu Mundhada: Quantum Engineer, Quantum Circuits
Shantanu Mundhada is a Quantum Engineer at Quantum Circuits who as a graduate student worked on superconducting quantum computation and quantum error correction under the guidance of Professor Michel Devoret at Qulab, Yale University.
Throughout his career, Mundhada has undertaken various experimental and theoretical projects which have helped him develop skills such as design and fabrication of superconducting circuits, low noise microwave measurement, handling of a dilution refrigerator, theoretical and numerical analysis, 3D design, machining, and programming. His work has also presented him with opportunities to successfully collaborate with other researchers, mentor new graduate students and develop strong communication skills.
Mundhada obtained his Ph.D. in Physics, researching hardware efficient and autonomous quantum error correction, from Yale University.
Part Six coming soon!
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