It’s here, folks, the last edition of Hardware Heroes Changing Quantum Tech. In this week’s offering, we have some great minds working for Zurich Instruments, as well as those working for the big boys of the industry like Google, Microsoft and IBM.
At the end of the post, I have included an honourable mention list of people I left out because of time and space, unfortunately,
Here are entries 99–122.
*All data correct as of late September 2021
99. Heidi Potts: Application Scientist, Zurich Instruments
With a strong background in semiconducting nanostructures, quantum transport, nano-fabrication and materials development, Heidi Potts is an Application Scientist at Zurich Instruments with a keen interest in the development of quantum technologies.
Potts obtained her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from EPFL (École Polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne) with the thesis Gold-free Growth of InAs Nanowires: Growth, Structural and Electrical Characterization.
100. Romain Stomp: Application Scientist, Zurich Instruments
Hitting the century mark of hardware specialists we have Romain Stomp, another Application Scientist at Zurich Instruments.
From a physics background, Stomp has experience in the test and measurements industry with a strong focus on high-frequency and fast imaging applications related to microscopy, nanotechnology and quantum information technology.
He obtained a Ph.D. in Physics from McGill University, where he worked on single-electron detection in self-assembled quantum dots through the noncontact-AFM technique.
101. Chunyan Shi: Application Scientist, Zurich Instruments
An experimental physicist in atomic, molecular, optical, and solid-state physics by education and training, Chunyan Shi is an Application Scientist at Zurich Instruments with practical experience in laser physics (from IR to UV), optical sensors (metrology and spectroscopy), optics (imaging, interferometer, fibre optics…), optoelectronics, optomechanics, RF and MW and ultra-high vacuum system.
She has published many papers (including in Nature), conference presentations, patents and funding, teaching and supervising Ph.D. and Master students.
Chunyan Shi received a Ph.D. from the Shanghai Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Science on research projects mainly related to performance evaluation and improvement of the first rubidium clock in China.
102. Fabian Pfäffli: Senior Hardware Design Engineer, Zurich Instruments
A Senior Hardware Design Engineer at Zurich Instruments, Fabian Pfäffli’s duties at the company include Project Lead in the development of RF circuitry for current and upcoming projects, defining product specifications and carrying out feasibility studies in cooperation with product managers, the development, simulation and characterization of highly complex RF-, analog- and digital circuitry, the design of sophisticated PCBs with > 2000 components using Altium Designer incl. transfer to fab houses, the designing of mechanical parts of medium complexity in Autodesk Inventor Pro, supporting testing and calibration in production, taking care of and teaching the less experienced engineers, and contributing to the steady improvement of the hardware design process.
Pfäffli has a Master’s in Electrical Engineering, Electronics and Communication Technology from the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland (FHNW).
103. Sandra Ferreiro: Electrical Engineer, Zurich Instruments
A versatile electrical engineer with several years of experience in a fast-growing, highly competitive industry, Sandra Ferreiro is an Electrical Engineer at Zurich Instruments.
In her role, she develops and implements production infrastructure for new products, from planning a setup, which allows for an automated calibration and testing process, ensuring it is robust enough for series products, maintaining calibration and testing software for series products, supporting the production team in diagnosing internal failures, providing third-level support for RMAs and NCRs, supporting hardware characterization, testing and qualification in the development of new products.
Ferreiro received a Master’s in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from ETH Zurich.
104. Pavel Laptev: Hardware Engineer, Google Quantum AI
Part of the Google Quantum-AI research team building a machine that can leverage quantum mechanics to outperform the world’s largest computers at certain classes of problems, Pavel Laptev is a Hardware Engineer at the global tech giant.
Laptev has proven successes in equipment manufacturing, IC production, system/equipment engineering, and process development in the electronic, MEMS, and related industries, as well as industry-recognized expertise in semiconductor processing (plasma, cryogenic vacuum, AC, Pulsed-DC, DC, RF magnetron sputtering, etching of metals and dielectrics, electro-optical and piezo-electric device development).
He has a Master’s in Electronics from the National Research University of Electronic Technology (MIET), Russia.
105. Rajeev Acharya: Hardware Engineer, Google Quantum AI
Rajeev Acharya, like Laptev, is a Hardware Engineer at Google Quantum AI who has hands-on experience in various semiconductor device/PCB manufacturing processes.
With a strong background in semiconductor device physics and optoelectronics — with an interdisciplinary background in material science and chemistry to boot
Acharya’s knowledge in the design of experiments, process optimization, vacuum systems, regular monitoring and maintenance of systems and tools is surely an asset to Google in the sphere.
He obtained a Master’s in Electrical Engineering from West Virginia University.
106. Naganivetha Thiyagarajah: Senior Hardware Engineer, Microsoft Quantum
Naganivetha Thiyagarajah is a Senior Quantum Hardware Engineer at Google’s great rival in the QC race, Microsoft.
With research experience in magnetic thin-films and spintronic devices, she has particularly focussed on RIE and IBE etching for MRAM manufacturing, Heusler alloys, magnetoresistive random access memory (MRAM)/Spin transfer switching, bit patterned media, nano-fabrication techniques, magnetic thin-film deposition and characterization.
Thiyagarajah has a Ph.D. in Magnetics, Nanoelectronics from the National University of Singapore with the thesis Spin transfer switching spintronic devices using [Co/Pd] based spin-valves with perpendicular anisotropy.
107. Emma Schmidgall: Senior Hardware Engineer, Microsoft Quantum
Emma Schmidgall started her career at Microsoft Quantum as a Hardware Reliability Engineer. Now a Senior Hardware Engineer, she is working on establishing reliability engineering efforts in cryogenic and QC, covering silicon, hardware, and systems, while performing reliability testing on systems and components.
Schmidgall completed her Ph.D. in Physics from Technion — Israel Institute of Technology studying quantum optics and quantum information in semiconductor self-assembled quantum dots.
108. Kevin Simoes: Hardware Engineer, Microsoft Quantum
Possessing experience in the semiconductor industry, electrodynamic and thermodynamic simulations of solid-state devices using Synopsys TCAD, Kevin Simoes is currently working at Microsoft Quantum as a Hardware Engineer.
Experienced in superconducting device characterization and simulation, Simoes studied Electrical Engineering and Physics at UNSW, completing his thesis on simulating silicon quantum dot-based qubit architectures for quantum computing using COMSOL Multiphysics.
109. James O’Connor: Quantum Hardware Engineer, IBM
James O’Connor is a Quantum Hardware Engineer at another big player in the QC industry, IBM.
Starting off as an Intern before gaining employment as an Interconnect Qualification Engineer at IBM, O’Connor is an electrical engineer working on hardware for IBM Q. His technical interests include RF engineering, wireless communications systems, and signal processing.
He obtained a BS in Electrical Engineering from Penn State University.
110. Jerry M. Chow: Director, Quantum Hardware System Development, IBM
Jerry M. Chow leads IBM Quantum’s hardware system development efforts as Director of Quantum Hardware System Development, sitting at the interface of research and system deployment.
A decade with the company, he started off as a Research Staff Member, became a Manager of the Experimental Quantum Computing group at IBM’s TJ Watson Research Center, then a Senior Manager before his current role.
His responsibilities include setting the strategy for IBM’s quantum system roadmap, working with hardware portfolio leads in setting research areas to target, while also ensuring optimal client value.
Chow also co-leads the IBM Quantum Experience project with Jay Gambetta, putting the first quantum computer on the Cloud in 2016.
An experimental physicist by training in superconducting qubits for computing, his specialties include research to system integration for technology development, superconducting quantum computing and quantum science communication.
Chow has a Ph.D. in Physics from Yale University.
111. Nick Kay: Head of Photonics Research and Development, Cambridge Quantum Computing (now Quantinuum)
Nick Kay is Head of Photonics Research and Development at UK-based Cambridge Quantum Computing, now called Quantinuum after the merger with Honeywell Quantum Solutions. Starting his career off with the company in 2018 as a Senior Optical Engineer, Kay’s main areas of research interest include nanotechnology, photonics, optics, and 2D materials.
Kay obtained his Ph.D. in Physics (Nanoscience) from Lancaster University.
112: Jim Knodel: Principal Engineer, Honeywell Quantum Solutions (now Quantinuum)
Jim Knodel is a Principal Engineer at Honeywell Quantum Solutions (now Quantinuum), another juggernaut of the quantum sector.
A Senior Design Engineer with expertise in ASIC/FPGA Design and Verification, he has comprehensive experience in PCB design (digital and analog), static timing analysis and closure, logic and algorithm development, firmware development, ASIC prototyping, debug and validation. These designs were used in plasma power supplies for the semiconductor and thin-film industry, in tape drives for the data storage industry, timing equipment for the government and for aerospace applications, and controls for quantum computing.
Knodel received a BS in Electrical Engineering Technology from Montana State University-Bozeman.
Honourable Mentions:
Colen Kling: Electronics Design Engineer, ColdQuanta
Dave Stiefvater: Prototype Machinist, ColdQuanta
Farhad Majdeteimouri: Senior Engineer, ColdQuanta
Ian Bloomfield: Opto-Mechanical Engineer, ColdQuanta
Jacob Mueller: Design and Manufacturing Engineering Intern, ColdQuanta
Matthew Ebert: Quantum Mechanic, ColdQuanta
Michelle Warter: Opto-Mechanical Engineer, ColdQuanta
Taek Oh: Principal Optical Engineer, ColdQuanta
Juha Hassel: Head of Engineering and Development, IQM Quantum Computers
Peter Oakley: Hardware Design Engineer, Oxford Quantum Circuits
Richard Bounds: Quantum Engineer, Oxford Quantum Circuits
Oleksandr Hryhoryev: Junior Engineer, Oxford Quantum Circuits
Philip Clarke: Senior FPGA Engineer, Oxford Quantum Circuits
Oscar Kennedy: Quantum Engineer, Oxford Quantum Circuits
Lucas Béguin: Head of Engineering and Production chez PASQAL
Luc Couturier: Quantum Hardware Engineer, PASQAL
Torben Pöpplau: Quantum Hardware Engineer, PASQAL
Clémence Briosne Fréjaville: Quantum Hardware Engineer, PASQAL
Mercedes Gimeno-Segovia: Senior Director, Quantum Architecture, PsiQuantum
Daniel Llewellyn: Research and Development Engineer, PsiQuantum
Andrea Bahgat Shehata: Single-Photon Detector Test Program Lead, PsiQuantum
Leonardo Andreta De Castro: Senior Quantum Control Engineer, Q-CTRL
Yuval Baum: Lead Quantum Automation Scientist, Q-CTRL
Albert Benseny Cases: Senior Quantum Control Engineer, Q-CTRL
Andre Carvalho: Head of Quantum Control Solutions, Q-CTRL
Jiayin Chen: Quantum Control Engineer, Q-CTRL
Yemliha Bilal Kalyoncu: Quantum Application Scientist, Qblox
Diogo Valada: Quantum Computing Engineer, Qblox
Hai Zhong: Application Scientist, Qnami
Kevin Chou: Quantum Engineer, Quantum Circuits
Michael Hatridge: Quantum Measurement Scientist, Quantum Circuits
Michael Maxwell: Quantum Technician, Quantum Circuits
Avishai Ziv: System Engineer, Quantum Machines
Ramon Szmuk: Quantum hardware physicist, Quantum Machines
Thomas Oeckinghaus, Quantum Verification Engineer, Quantum Machines
Asaf Rozen: System Engineer, Quantum Machines
Elisha Svetitsky: Quantum Control Solutions Engineer, Quantum Machines
David J. Ibberson: Senior Quantum Engineer, Quantum Motion
Marten Arthers: Quantum Design Engineer, QuantWare
Stefanos Basili: Quantum Engineer, QuantWare
Caterina Taballione: Quantum System Engineer, QuiX
Pim Venderbosch: Quantum System Engineer, QuiX
Stefano Poletto: Senior Manager, Quantum Engineering, Rigetti Computing
Xian Wu: Senior Quantum Engineer, Rigetti Computing
Angela Q. Chen: Quantum Engineer, Rigetti Computing
Ani Nersisyan: Quantum Engineer Manager, Rigetti Computing
Mehrnoosh Vahidpour: Senior Research Engineer, Rigetti Quantum Computing
Alexander Hill (He/Him): Senior Quantum Systems Engineer, Rigetti Computing
Josh Mutus: Director of Quantum Materials, Rigetti Computing
Clint Moore: Senior Manager of Engineering Operations, Rigetti Computing
Shu-Jen Han: VP of Engineering, Seeqc
Rachel Resnick: Superconducting Test Engineer, Seeqc
Daniel Yohannes: Director of Fabrication, Seeqc
Igor Vernik: Director, Testing and Measurements, Seeqc
Asli Dilara Ugurlu: Project Scientist, Sparrow Quantum
Maja Colautti: Physicist and Business Developer, Sparrow Quantum
Aitor Villar Zafra: Quantum Engineer, SpeQtral
Harrison Ball: Quantum Engineer, Universal Quantum
Harry Godwin: Electronics Engineer, Universal Quantum
Amin Abolghasemi: Mechanical Engineer, Universal Quantum
Georg Harder: Quantum Engineer, VeriQloud
Zachary Vernon: Head of Hardware, Xanadu
Florian Froning: Application Scientist Quantum Technologies, Zurich Instruments
Tobias Thiele: Application Scientist Quantum Technologies, Zurich Instruments
Michitoshi Noguchi: Application Scientist, Zurich Instruments
Kenny Lee: Quantum Hardware Engineer, Google Quantum AI
Andre He: Quantum Hardware Engineer, IBM
Zach Price: Mechanical Engineer, Honeywell Quantum Solutions (now Quantinuum)
Hope you enjoyed the series. More like this in the coming months, time permitting!
The Quantum Insider (TQI)
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TQI is an invaluable resource for journalists, researchers, investors, companies, and government agencies looking to extend their knowledge of the growing quantum tech ecosystem!
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