Congrats to Scott Aaronson, aka the Optimizer for winning a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientist and Engineers. Scott, please remember to ask Obama for more dollars to build a big old quantum computer 🙂 Cheaper than a spy satellite, we promise.
In other news, an article in the New York Times about quantum computing is here. Mentions IBM, Yale, UCSB, ion traps, photon sources, and S-wave P-wave D-wave.

Some more quantum jobs.

Booz Allen Hamilton in DC area (a contact is Mark Bowman, bowman_mark [atathereisanat] ne dot bah dot com):

Booz Allen Hamilton is seeking a skilled computer scientists to provide technical support for clients in the Washington, DC area.  An advanced degree with a research background in the following areas is desired: programming language design, compiler theory, software engineering, error correcting codes, and optimal control theory.  See their announcement at https://bah.taleo.net/careersection/10020/jobdetail.ftl.

SAIC in DC area:

Quantum Information Scientist (SAIC Arlington VA)

SAIC has an opening for a physicist, or computer scientist with research experience in quantum computing or quantum information science. Areas of interest include: device and condensed matter theory: (superconducting devices, ion-traps, quantum dots), quantum simulation, quantum algorithms, and quantum error correction. Experience in the design and operation of qubit devices is desired. Knowledge of techniques for implementing quantum algorithms within realistic settings is also desired.

In the area of quantum simulation, expertise in the theory of using quantum computers to simulate other quantum systems is desired, as well as experience in techniques to simulate quantum computation on classical computers.

The candidate must have a track record of doing exceptional research in quantum computing and/or quantum information. The position entails performing theoretical and applied research in quantum information science within a small academic-style research and development group.

The position requires a Ph.D. in physics, computer science, or related field and direct experience in quantum computing and/or quantum information. Postdoctoral experience is preferred but not required. Experience with programming languages and tools including: Matlab, Mathematica, C++, C, or Fortran is desired.

The candidate must be able to obtain a Top Secret DoD security clearance. The work will be performed at SAIC in Arlington Virginia, and relocation assistance is available. A small amount of domestic travel may be required.

To apply for this position please visit the SAIC career site at http://www.saic.com/career/ and
search for the position “Quantum Information Scientist”

 

Today I’m at the Joint Quantum Institute attending a workshop on quantum computing.  This morning’s session is on “post quantum cryptography.”  Post quantum cryptography is the study of classical (public key) cryptosystems which could replace the plethora of cryptosystems that quantum computers break (RSA, Diffie-Hellman, elliptic curves.)  These new systems include lattice based cryptography, the McEleise crypstosystem, and more (The name is kind of confusing, because post quantum cryptography, to me, sounds like the study of cryptosystems based on possible extensions or modifications of quantum theory, but that’s probably just because I spend too much time listening to foundations of quantum theory folks 🙂 )  Of course as a quantum computing person, my interest mostly is in hearing about problems that I can try to crack using a quantum computer 🙂

RSA and its ilk have a security that is based upon the computational difficulty of problems that now have a long history of study (factoring, discrete logarithm, etc.)  While it is completely possible that there is an efficient classical algorithm for factoring, a lot of our confidence in this not being true is based upon the large amount of effort that has been put into solving this problem.  We could even define a quantity: the integrated number of theorist hours spent on the problem.  This is certainly a very large number.  How large?  Well one probably has to know the size of the National Security Agency’s payroll to calculate it, but even in the public sphere this number is pretty high.  So for the post quantum cryptography world, the new (or old, but now more relevant) cryptosystems that have been proposed, we could also calculate this number.  More interestingly we could try to calculate this number for people working on quantum attacks on these problems.  I think I could actually do this calculation myself, as I know most of these people (or at least the ones in the public sphere), and even something about their working habits 🙂  But this is certainly a very very small number.  So it seems to me that if one really wants to study post quantum cryptography, one needs to invest heavily not just in people classically attacking the problems, but also in quantum theorists attacking the problem in order to insure confidence that this is truly “post quantum.

So…um, it seems that there is a very strong need to establish a very large effort in quantum algorithms, not just because we’d like to know what else quantum computers are good at, but also because we need to make sure “Shor, part II” doesn’t occur and the post quantum cryptography systems that are deployed aren’t themselves vulnerable to quantum attack.  I was at a program review recently where a speaker who funds quantum computing got up and said roughly “I got into quantum computing because it scared me.  What I want to see today is more things that scare me.”  Damn straight, but in practice I worry that the size of the effort directed this way in quantum computing is not nearly large enough.  The U.S. in particular has a severe dearth of quantum computing theorists, or at least such theorists who advance beyond the graduate student / postdoc level.

So post quantum cryptography is great, but it needs to be really “post quantum.”  And that scares me, because I look around and just don’t see the basis for a concerted effort to insure the security of these new cryptosystems against quantum attacks.

Quantum postdoc on (or at least near) the equator where you can watch the moon rise on the horizon and wonder “who tilted the moon?” (unless, of course you have previously lived a low latitude!):

Postdoctoral Position in Quantum Information
Applications are invited for a postdoctoral position in Quantum Information at the Centre for Quantum Technologies (CQT), Singapore.  The position is associated with the research group of Stephanie Wehner and located at CQT on the campus of the National University of Singapore. CQT is one of the leading centres for quantum information in the world, and there is ample opportunity to interact with many senior researchers. The successful applicant will be able to host some of his/her own collaborators and perform independent travel, facilitating the steps to becoming an independent researcher.
Candidates should be creative, highly motivated, and interested to work in an interdisciplinary and very collaborative environment. The candidate will have a Ph.D. in theoretical physics, theoretical computer science or mathematics and a strong background in quantum information theory, quantum cryptography or related fields of research.
Applications with a full CV, list of publications, a brief statement of research interests (one page) and names and electronic contact details of three referees should be sent via email to Stephanie Wehner (wehner [atatatar] nus.edu.sg). Application deadline is the 1st of November 2010.  The position is available starting 1 January 2011 (starting date negotiable). Later applications will be considered if the position is not filled.