Overview
Background
Dr Jacqui Romero is an expert in experimental quantum information. Her research is focused on using higher-dimensional systems for exploring curious quantum physics phenomena and developing future quantum technologies. She is the group leader of the research team Qudits@UQ, there's more information on her group's webpage.
Jacqui was born and bred in Manila, Philippines. Hearing her high school physics teacher complain about quantum physics, she became curious and googled "quantum physics"—she has been hooked ever since. She holds BS Applied Physics magna cum laude and MS Physics degrees from the University of the Philippines. She finished her PhD at the University of Glasgow (in sunny Scotland!) where she was a researcher for seven years. In 2015, she moved to Brisbane to join the Quantum Technology group at the University of Queensland. In 2016 she took up an ARC DECRA fellowship with the same group. In 2019, she took up a Westpac Research Fellowship and formed her own team, Qudits@UQ. Jacqui is recognised for moving the shape of photons to mainstream quantum information. She has received several prestigious national and international awards which include: a L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women In Science award in 2017 (one of four in Australia), the Ruby Payne-Scott Medal of the Australian Institute of Physics for excellence in early-career research in 2018, and a L'Oreal-UNESCO For Women In Science International Rising Talent Award in 2019 (one of fifteen awards globally).
She is currently an associate professor and Westpac Research Fellow. She is also a chief investigator at the Centre of Excellence For Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS).
Outside work, she is a busy mum to three lovely boys, and an occasional painter. She also loves sharing her research to the wider community, example here.
Availability
- Associate Professor Jacqui Romero is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Applied Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman
- Masters (Coursework) of Physics, University of the Philippines Diliman
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Glasgow
Research interests
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Generating high-dimensional quantum states
Quantum information and quantum technologies are largely based on qubits—two-dimensional quantum systems that is the quantum counterpart of the classical bit. Given that quantum systems are naturally high-dimensional, the restriction to qubits is not necessary. Nature provides us with qudits—d-level quantum systems—which we could use to represent quantum information. Using qudits comes with immediate benefits like higher information capacity, and robustness to noise. Entanglement—the quintessential quantum phenomenon that allows stronger-than-classical correlations—is far richer offers more advantages in higher dimensions. We are interested in experimentally generating high-dimensional quantum states (entangled or otherwise!) for quantum communication and quantum computation by controlling the various properties of the photon.
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High-dimensional quantum information processing
Manipulating photonic high-dimensional quantum information becomes challenging both in scale and control as the qudit dimension increases. We are interested in designing devices (whether in free space or on-chip) that are both efficient and high-fidelity via inverse design. Here, the desired outputs and inputs are specified and the device is found either by computational search and optimisation, or by using good old optics
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Tools for characterising high-dimensional quantum information
As the space for quantum information increases, so does the difficulty of characterising of quantum states and quantum processes. For example, the parameter space for qudits grows as ~d^(2n), where d is the qudit dimension and n is the number of particles. We are interested in methods that scale more favourably with dimension, either by requiring fewer measurements or by being more computationally efficient.
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Higher-order maps
Higher-order maps act on quantum processes, rather than quantum states. Higher-order maps open more possibilities, one example is indefinite causal order, wherein the order of events are not definite (think of chicken and egg---both could come first!). We are interested in demonstrating new capabilities and advantages afforded by these higher-order maps for improving quantum communication and quantum computation.
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Quantum error correction and noise mitigation
Quantum information often needs to be protected from noise in order to be useful. One approach is to encode quantum information in a higher-dimensional quantum system, as in quantum error correction. Correcting for any arbitrary error is extremely challenging. One way to make quantum error correction more manageable is to understand the noise affecting the quantum system and tailor highly optimised protocols based on these noise characteristics. We are interested in using high-dimensional quantum systems to test quantum error correction and noise mitigation protocols.
Works
Search Professor Jacqui Romero’s works on UQ eSpace
2009
Journal Article
Parallel two-photon photopolymerization of microgear patterns
Bautista, Godofredo, Romero, Mary Jacquiline, Tapang, Giovanni and Daria, Vincent Ricardo (2009). Parallel two-photon photopolymerization of microgear patterns. Optics Communications, 282 (18), 3746-3750. doi: 10.1016/j.optcom.2009.06.047
2009
Journal Article
Holographic ghost imaging and the violation of a bell inequality
Jack, B., Leach, J., Romero, J., Franke-Arnold, S., Ritsch-Marte, M., Barnett, S. M. and Padgett, M. J. (2009). Holographic ghost imaging and the violation of a bell inequality. Physical Review Letters, 103 (8) 083602. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.103.083602
2009
Journal Article
Violation of a bell inequality in two-dimensional orbital angular momentum state-spaces
Leach, J., Jack, B., Romero, J., Ritsch-Marte, M., Boyd, R. W., Jha, A. K., Barnett, S. M., Franke-Arnold, S. and Padgett, M. J. (2009). Violation of a bell inequality in two-dimensional orbital angular momentum state-spaces. Optics Express, 17 (10), 8287-8293. doi: 10.1364/OE.17.008287
2007
Journal Article
Modified filter design to optimize the synthetic reference wave in the generalized phase contrast method
Romero, Mary Jacquiline and Daria, Vincent Ricardo (2007). Modified filter design to optimize the synthetic reference wave in the generalized phase contrast method. Optics Communications, 280 (2), 237-242. doi: 10.1016/j.optcom.2007.08.029
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Associate Professor Jacqui Romero is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
High-dimensional entanglement sources on-chip
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Peace
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Doctor Philosophy
Demonstration of relativistic Bohmian trajectories of photons
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Timothy Ralph, Dr Daniel Peace
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Completed supervision
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2023
Master Philosophy
Sharing Secrets Using Quantum Physics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Andrew White, Dr Markus Rambach
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Applications of higher-order quantum maps
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Andrew White
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
High-Dimensional Quantum Information
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Sally Shrapnel, Professor Andrew White
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2022
Master Philosophy
Encoding and Measuring Information in High-Dimensional Quantum States
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Markus Rambach, Professor Andrew White
Media
Enquiries
Contact Associate Professor Jacqui Romero directly for media enquiries about:
- entanglement
- laser
- light
- photons
- quantum
- quantum communications
- quantum computing
- quantum imaging
- quantum sensing
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