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Gyu-Boong Jo is a professor of Physics at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). His research primarily focuses on quantum simulation with atoms, specifically exploring unconventional quantum many-body systems. He is also involved in developing a programmable quantum simulation platform for quantum information processing using neutral atoms. Before joining HKUST, Gyu-Boong earned his Ph.D at MIT in 2010, followed by postdoctoroal training at the UC Berkeley.

What is the focus of your research at the moment?
My research primarily focuses on quantum simulation with neutral atoms, specifically exploring unconventional quantum many-body systems. I am also involved in developing a programmable quantum simulation platform for quantum information processing using neutral atoms.

What do you consider to be the biggest advancement in quantum science to date?
One of the most significant advancements in quantum science to date is the development of quantum computing. This technology has the potential to revolutionize many industries, including finance, pharmaceuticals, and logistics, by enabling complex calculations exponentially faster than classical computers. Of course, we need to wait a bit more and see, but there is no reason why we should be pessimistic.
Another major breakthrough has been the demonstration of quantum entanglement, which has the potential to enable quantum communication. These have opened up a whole new realm of possibilities in quantum science and are driving exciting research in the field.

In your opinion, what could be the next big breakthrough for the field of quantum science and technology?
The next big breakthrough for quantum science and technology could be the development of fault-tolerant quantum computers. Currently, quantum computers are highly fragile to environmental noise and accompanying errors, which limits their practical applications. However, if we can effectively correct errors in the quantum process, we could unlock the full potential of this technology.

What role does the journal Quantum Science and Technology play in supporting research in the field?
Indeed, Quantum Science and Technology is an interdisciplinary field. While many traditional journals have a defined scientific scope that may restrict the flexibility of discussions in this emerging field, I find that the journal Quantum Science and Technology effectively allows authors to address these challenges in a timely manner.

Chao-Yang Lu was born in December 1982 in Zhejiang, China. He obtained Bachelor’s degree from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) in 2004, and PhD in Physics from the Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge in 2011. Since 2011, he is a Professor of Physics at USTC. His current research interest includes quantum computation, solid-state quantum photonics, multiparticle entanglement, quantum teleportation, superconducting circuits, and atomic arrays. His work on quantum teleportation was selected as by Physics World as “Breakthrough of the Year”. His work on single-photon sources and optical quantum computing was selected by Optical Society of American (OSA) as one of “Optics in 2016”, “Optics in 2017”, “Optics in 2019”, and “Optics in 2021”. His work on photonic quantum computational advantage was selected by APS Physics as “Highlight of the Year”, “A year of quantum highlights” by Physics World, and “World’s top 10 digital innovation technologies” by UNESCO. His work on refuting real-number formulation of quantum mechanics was selected by APS Physics as “Highlight of the Year”. He has been awarded as Fellow of Churchill College (2011), Hong Kong Qiu Shi Outstanding Young Scholars (2014), National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars (2015), Nature’s top ten “science star of China” (2016), OSA Fellow (2017), Fresnel Prize from the European Physical Society (2017), AAAS Newcomb Cleveland Prize (2018), Huangkun Prize from Chinese Physical Society (2019), Nishina Asian Award (2019), Xplorer Prize (2019), IUPAP-ICO Young Scientist Prize in Optics (2019), OSA Adolph Lomb Medal (2020), APS Rolf Landauer and Charles H. Bennett Award in Quantum Computing (2021), World Economic Forum Young Global Leader (2021), James P. Gordon Memorial Speakership (2021), Achievement in Asia Award from OCPA (2022), He Liang He Li Science and Technology Innovation Award (2023), and New Cornerstone Investigator (2023). He is the Chair of Quantum 2020 and 2022 conferences. He is a Divisional Associate Editor of Physical Review Letters, and has served as an editorial board member in international journals such as Applied Physics Reviews, Quantum Science and Technology, ACS Photonics, PhotoniX, Advanced Photonics, Advanced Quantum Technology, Science Bulletin, and iScience.

What is the focus of your research at the moment?
Currently, our group is pushing for a large-scale photonic quantum computer along two directions: one is building increasingly larger boson samplers, hopefully this year reaching over 3000 photons; the other route is trying to make two individual single photons interact strongly enough to implement a deterministic logic, which can be used, for example, in simulating fractional quantum Hall effect. Meanwhile, my research field has expanded from single photons to single atoms, which are trapped and manipulated in optical tweezer. These ultracold atom arrays are a very interesting platform for both foundational studies and emerging quantum technologies.

What do you consider to be the biggest advancement in quantum science to date?
In the broad field of quantum science, I think the invention of transistor has the biggest impact to our society.

In your opinion, what could be the next big breakthrough for the field of quantum science and technology?
I am hoping to see increasingly more unconditional quantum advantage experiments in communication, computation, metrology, and so on.

 

Dr. Dong was born in 1969 at Dalian, China. He received his Ph.D. at Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, in 1999. After that, Dr. Dong joined the Physical Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory of University of Oxford as a Visiting Professor, Kansas State University as Postdoc Fellow, the National Autonomous University of Mexico as a Visiting Professor, the Mexican Institute of Petroleum as Postdoc Fellow and Distinguished Visiting Professor, and the Superior School of Physics and Mathematics, National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) as full-time Professor through the program of excellent position, and he has a permanent position as Professor at IPN since 2007. He is the Regular Member of Mexican Academy of Sciences since 2012 and Visiting Professor at Louisiana State University in 2013. Dr. Dong was awarded the certificate by Pakistan president Mamnoon Hussain at 41th International Nathiagali Summer College in 2016. He received the maximum top prize “Presea Lazaro Cardenas” and was awarded by Mexico President Lic. Enrique Peña Nieto in President Palace in 2017.
Dr. Dong is SNI III (Mexico National Investigator maximum top level in Mexico) since 2019 and the (Academic, Chief) Editors and Editorial Board Members of over 10 International Journals. He has authored and co-authored more than 290 papers (JCR), one book Chapter, 5 edited books, two books published by Springer. The citations are more than 11000 and H-index 65 by Google Scholar.

What is the focus of your research at the moment?
Quantum Physics, particularly in quantum information and quantum optics.

What do you consider to be the biggest advancement in quantum science to date?
One notable breakthrough is the development and successful demonstration of quantum computing in quantum science to date. Several milestones mark the progress in quantum computing, including the demonstration of basic quantum algorithms, the development of error correction techniques to mitigate decoherence, and the creation of increasingly larger and more stable quantum processors. Additionally, advancements in quantum communication and cryptography have been significant.

In your opinion, what could be the next big breakthrough for the field of quantum science and technology?
Some potential areas where significant advancements could occur include:

1)Fault-tolerant quantum computing; 2) Quantum supremacy; 3) Quantum communication networks; 4)Quantum simulation; 5)Topological quantum computing; 6) Quantum machine learning and 7) Quantum sensors and metrology, etc.

What role does the journal Physica Scripta play in supporting research in the field?
Physica Scripta supports quantum research by publishing new findings, ensuring their quality through peer review, fostering collaboration among researchers, archiving important discoveries, and boosting visibility for quantum scientists. Through these efforts, the journal contributes to advancing knowledge and innovation in the quantum field.

If you would like to mention any other insights we might have missed, please feel free to add that in.
1) Quantum science serves as a catalyst for innovation and commercialization in the quantum technology industry.
2) Furthermore, Quantum science plays a crucial role in addressing the societal and ethical implications of quantum technologies. Moreover, quantum science contributes to the training and development of the next generation of quantum scientists and engineers.
3) Overall, quantum science and technology plays a multifaceted role in advancing research, fostering collaboration, driving innovation, addressing societal implications, and nurturing talent, making it a cornerstone of the quantum science and technology landscape.

Qin Li received her Bachelor degree and PhD degree both in Computer Science from Hunan Normal University, China in 2005 and Sun Yat-sen University, China in 2010, respectively. Since 2010, she been at Xiangtan University, China and become a professor in 2019. Prof. Qin Li has published more than fifty technical papers on quantum computation and quantum cryptography. At present her research interests are secure delated quantum computation, quantum algorithm, and quantum artificial intelligence.

What is the focus of your research at the moment?
I mainly focus on secure delegated quantum computation which is a combination of quantum cryptography and quantum computation. It needs a lot of money to build and maintain quantum computers so even if the first-generation practical quantum computers can be built in the future, they are most likely to be held by governments, big companies or academics institutions. Others may need to access them in a remote way. This is why it is important to protect the privacy of users when they delegate their tasks to quantum servers.

What do you consider to be the biggest advancement in quantum science to date?
For this question, maybe different persons have different opinions. I tend to consider that the quantum algorithms for factorizing big integers and solving discrete logarithm problems as proposed by Peter Shor as the biggest advancement in quantum science to date. There are no good candidates now if typical classical algorithms such as RSA are broken.

In your opinion, what could be the next big breakthrough for the field of quantum science and technology?
It is hard to predict. If I must say, I think the next big breakthrough may be to really solve a practical problem in a certain field on a specialized quantum computer. So it needs combined efforts of researchers and engineers in various fields.

What role does the journal Physica Scripta play in supporting research in the field?
Physica Scripta covers lots of topics in physics including quantum mechanics. Some readers or researchers who published their papers on it may have more of a general physics background therefore giving researchers who are interested in quantum science and technology more details about the recent developments in this area from a physics perspective. In fact, Physcia Scripta also can support the research in this field by designing special issues on quantum science and technology for researchers of different fields and promote cross-field communication and interdisciplinary interactions.

Ming-Xing Luo is a full professor at Southwest Jiaotong University, China. He focuses on quantum information, quantum networks, and quantum batteries. He has published more than 100 academic papers in prestigious international journals, including Rep. Prog. Phys., Phys. Rev. Lett., Cell Rep. Phys. Sci., and npj Quantum Inf. He has been the recipient of National Science Funds for his ground-breaking research.

What is the focus of your research at the moment?
My work is currently focusing on quantum information processing, quantum internet and quantum battery.

What do you consider to be the biggest advancement in quantum science to date?
There are so many amazing breakthroughs in quantum science, but I truly believe that one of the biggest advancements to date is the discovery and understanding of quantum entanglement. Quantum entanglement is a phenomenon where two or more particles become interconnected in such a way that the state of one particle is directly related to the state of another, regardless of the distance between them. This nonlocal correlation, as described by quantum mechanics, challenges our classical understanding of physics and has profound implications for fields such as quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum cryptography. I think understanding and harnessing quantum entanglement has not only revolutionized our understanding of the quantum world but also holds the key to unlocking new possibilities for future technological advancements and scientific discoveries.

In your opinion, what could be the next big breakthrough for the field of quantum science and technology?
I think one potential next big breakthrough in quantum science and technology might well be the development of fault-tolerant quantum computing. In my view, one of the major challenges facing quantum computing is how to generate large-scale faithful qubits. One way is to develop a suitable quantum system and error correction techniques.
Another possible breakthrough could be the realization of large-scale quantum networks for quantum communication. I believe quantum networks would enable secure communication using quantum cryptography and facilitate the distribution of entangled qubits over long distances, enabling new possibilities for quantum information processing and communication.
These advancements could significantly impact various fields, leading to new technologies and applications that leverage the unique properties of quantum mechanics.

What role does our journal Physica Scripta play in supporting research in the field?
Physica Scripta, as an esteemed broad-scope journal dedicated to presenting high-quality research covering all areas of physics and related multidisciplinary topics across the physical sciences, plays a crucial role in advancing research in the field of quantum science. The journal provides a reputable platform for researchers to share their high-quality findings, theories, and experimental results in quantum science. Its affiliation with the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the expertise of its reviewers enhance its credibility and visibility, thus contributing significantly to the advancement of quantum science research and innovation.

If you would like to mention any other insights we might have missed, please feel free to add that in.
There are many other important research topics, but what interests me is quantum batteries. Quantum batteries represent a ground-breaking advancement in energy storage technology, offering the potential for significantly higher energy densities and faster charging times compared to traditional batteries. I think by harnessing quantum principles such as superposition and entanglement, quantum batteries might store and release energy in more efficient and sustainable ways. This has the potential to revolutionize various industries, from electronics to transportation, by enabling longer-lasting and more powerful energy storage solutions. I believe the development of quantum batteries could play a crucial role in addressing the growing demand for energy storage in a wide range of applications, ultimately leading to more sustainable and efficient energy systems for the future.

Lei Wang got his Bachelor’s degree from Nanjing University in 2006 and Ph.D. from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2011. He did postdoctoral research on computational quantum physics at ETH Zurich in the next few years. Lei Wang joined the Institute of Physics in 2016. His research interest is at the cross-section of machine learning and quantum many-body computation.

What is the focus of your research at the moment?

My research focuses on in interface of generative AI and condensed matter physics. Generative AI aims at modelling, learning, and sampling from high-dimensional probability distributions. It has a natural connection to many topics in condensed matter physics which focuses on emergent phenomena of many-particle systems in Nature. In the past, I have worked on minimizing nature’s cost function — the variational free energy — with the help of generative models. At the moment, I am crafting a generative model for crystalline materials with space group symmetries.

What do you consider to be the biggest advancement in quantum science to date?

To me, the biggest advancement in quantum science is the combination of a few very simple quantum mechanical principles with computational tools to predict the complex world, ranging from semiconductors, superconductivities, magnetism, chemistry, etc.

In your opinion, what could be the next big breakthrough for the field of quantum science and technology?

Hard to predict. In my biased view, I would bet on an agent that automates the exploration of the materials space, which may give better superconductors.

What role does the journal Machine Learning: Science and Technology play in supporting research in the field?

It creates a town square for interdisciplinary works to be displayed to scientists with vastly different backgrounds. Fast dissemination of information, especially across language barriers between fields is important to today’s technical advances. MLST has done a great job.

Xi-Wen Guan graduated from Jilin University, China in 1998, and then undertook postdoctoral research in Germany and Brazil for about three years. He was a research fellow at the Australian National University (ANU) during the period from 2002 until October 2008. He was promoted to a fellow at ANU in 2009. Since 2012, he is a full professor of physics at Innovation Academy for Precision Measurement Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Science. He currently also holds an honorary professor of the ANU, the Executive Board Editor of Journal of Physics A. He has published more than 140 SCI papers, including Science, Review Modern Physics, Report on Progress in Physics, Physical Review Letters etc. for research in universal thermodynamics, critical phenomena and correlation functions of exactly solvable models, ultracold atoms, strongly correlated electronic and spin systems and quantum metrology etc.

What is the focus of your research at the moment?

I currently focus on developments of quantum integrable models in ultracold atoms, spin materials and quantum metrology. I am really fascinated by the decades-old quantum integrable models, which have uncovered experimentally testable many-body phenomena in a wide range of fields, such as quantum liquid, quantum criticality, universal thermodynamics, quantum transport and quantum metrology.

What do you consider to be the biggest advancement in quantum science to date?

I believe that superfluity and superconductivity are the most significant phenomenon in quantum physics and have led to important advancement in quantum science for decades. I personally think that the high precision optical atomic clock is the biggest advancement in quantum science in the last decade. In this regard, advances in our ability to realize genuine quantum many-body phenomena with ultracold atoms have led to new frontiers in quantum control, quantum optics, quantum gases, quantum metrology, precision measurements etc. Such developments confront mathematical and physical theories with experimental study on novel quantum many-body phenomena in these fields.

In your opinion, what could be the next big breakthrough for the field of quantum science and technology?

High precision measurement and quantum computations with many-body systems of cold atoms, spins and electrons are possibly next breakthroughs for the field of quantum science and technology.

What role does the journal Journal of Physics A play in supporting research in the field?

Journal of Physics A is a fundamental research journal not only with links to mathematical and physical theories but it also provides a unique aspect in supporting international leading edge research fields.

Outstanding Reviewers

Dr Laurent Marot, Universitat Basel, Switzerland
Dr Mina Choi, US Food and Drug Administration, United States of America
Dr Jimmie Miller, UNC Charlotte, United States of America
Dr Stefano Siboni, Universita degli Studi di Trento, Italy
Dr Ashish Ajit Kulkarni, Veeco Instruments Inc, United States of America
Dr Hao Yu, University of North Texas, United States of America
Dr K. Ram Mohan Rao, GITAM, India
Dr Martin Munz, Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin for Materials and Energy, Germany
Mr Henry Lancashire, University College London, United Kingdom
Dr Changjun Wu, Changzhou University, China
Dr Dr Xérviar Esebamen, Mittuniversitetet, Sweden
Dr Murugan Sellamuthu, SESHASAYEE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, India
Dr Jacob Andrade Arvizu, Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya, Spain
Professor Dr Randa Abdel-Karim, Cairo University, Egypt
Dr Vincenzo Cotroneo, INAF Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera, Italy
Dr Piyush Solanki, Saurashtra University, India
Mr Manas Pattnayak, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India
Dr Wu Ouyang Wuhan University of Technology China
Dr Karim Ouaras, Ecole Polytechnique, France
Dr Hetal Maharaja, Clemson University, United States of America
Professor Michal Wieczorowski, Politechnika Poznanska, Poland
Dr David Necas, Vysoke uceni technicke v Brne, Czech Republic
Dr Weesiong Chiu, Universiti Malaya, Malaysia
Dr Aidin Bordbar-Khiabani, Aalto-yliopisto, Finland
Dr Magdalena Valentina Lungu, Institutul National de Cercetare-Dezvoltare pentru Inginerie Electrica ICPE-CA, Romania
Dr Yuvaraj K P, Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology, India
Mr Wu Pan, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
Dr Saravanan Somasundaram, Annamalai University, India
Dr De-Quan Yang, Solmont Technology Wuxi Co., Ltd, China
Dr Majid Ghandchi, Islamic Azad University Ahar Branch, Iran (Islamic Republic of)
Dr Wenbo Peng, Xi’an Jiaotong University, China
Professor Dr Crhistian Baldo, Universidade Federal do ABC, Brazil
Mr Kaustubh Samvatsar, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India
Dr Thiago de Assis, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Brazil
Dr Yixiang Gan, The University of Sydney, Australia
Mr Sheikh Saleem, National Institute of Technology Srinagar, India
Dr Yuanwei Lin, Peking University, China
Dr Chi-Vinh Ngo, AlchLight LLC, United States of America
Dr Aydin Bordbar Khiabani, Aalto-yliopisto, Finland
Professor Viorel Paleu, Universitatea Tehnica Gheorghe Asachi din Iasi, Romania
Dr Siddhartha KAR, Ramaiah Institute of Technology, India
Dr Baskaran Selvam, Madanapalle Institute of Technology and Science, India
Dr Jagadeesha Kumar, KLA-Tencor Corporation, United States of America

Outstanding Reviewers

Reviewer of the year: Dr Ekta Bhatia, NY CREATES and University at Albany, SUNY, United States of America

Dr Ian Pong, University of California Office of the President, United States of America
Dr Pablo Cayado, Universite de Geneve, Switzerland
Dr Songyuan Zhao, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
Professor Oded Millo, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
Dr Takayuki Kubo, Daigaku Kyodo Riyo Kikan Hojin Ko Energy Kasokuki Kenkyu Kiko, Japan
Dr Andrea Floris, Freie Universitat Berlin, Germany
Dr Wei Chen, Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Dr Anand Pal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India
Professor Benoit Vanderheyden, Universite de Liege, Belgium
Dr Marc A. Galí Labarias, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia
Dr Phillip Michael, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Japan
Professor Dr Guangtong Ma, Southwest Jiaotong University, China
Mr Benjamin Parkinson, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Dr Nestor Haberkorn, Centro Atomico Bariloche, Argentina
Dr Jeseok Bang, University of Florida, United States of America
Dr Pasquale Fabbricatore, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Italy

Outstanding Reviewers

Reviewer of the year: Dr Zeheng Wang, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia

Professor Dr Álvaro del Prado, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
Dr Roberta Nipoti, Istituto per la Microelettronica e Microsistemi Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Italy
Dr Robert Wheatley, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Chile
Dr Shin-Ichiro SATO, Kokuritsu Kenkyu Kaihatsu Hojin Ryoshi Kagaku Gijutsu Kenkyu Kaihatsu Kiko, Japan