Overview
Background
Professor Andrew White's research interests are in the field of quantum information, quantum optics, and all aspects of quantum weirdness. More details are included on the Quantum Laboratory website.
Andrew was raised in a Queensland dairy town, before heading south to the big smoke of Brisbane to study chemistry, maths, physics and, during the World Expo, the effects of alcohol on uni students from around the world. Deciding he wanted to know what the cold felt like, he first moved to Canberra, then Germany—completing his PhD in quantum physics—before moving on to Los Alamos National Labs in New Mexico where he quickly discovered that there is more than enough snow to hide a cactus, but not nearly enough to prevent amusing your friends when you sit down. Over the years he has conducted research on various topics including shrimp eyes, nuclear physics, optical vortices, and quantum computers. He likes quantum weirdness for its own sake, but his current research aims to explore and exploit the full range of quantum behaviours—notably entanglement—with an eye to engineering new technologies and scientific applications. He is currently Director of the Centre of Engineered Quantum Systems, an Australia-wide, 14-year long, research effort by 180 scientists to build quantum machines that harness the quantum world for practical applications.
Availability
- Professor Andrew White is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science, The University of Queensland
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy of Physical Sciences, Australian National University
- Life Fellow, American Physical Society, American Physical Society
- Fellow, Australian Academy of Science, Australian Academy of Science
- Member, Australian Institute of Physics, Australian Institute of Physics
- Member, Institute of Physics, Institute of Physics
- Life Fellow, Optica, Optica
- Member, The Australian Optical Society, The Australian Optical Society
Research interests
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2022–2026 Energy-efficient artificial intelligence using quantum technologies
Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming society but standard technologies come with significant hidden costs: training even a single, common, learning model can emit 5 times more carbon dioxide than the lifetime emissions of the average car. This Fellowship aims to develop artificial intelligence platforms using Australia’s significant investment in quantum technologies to bypass traditional approaches to AI. The expected outcomes are neuromorphic computers that operate efficiently—with low-energy cost—and rapidly—achieving speeds impossible with conventional electronic approaches. The anticipated benefits are transformative technologies for AI, new applications across society, and new tools for exploring brain function and cognition.
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2018–2025 Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQUS)
The ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems, EQuS2, will build sophisticated quantum machines to harness the quantum world for practical applications. Our Centre will pioneer the designer quantum materials, quantum engines, and quantum imaging systems at the heart of these machines. We will solve the most challenging research problems at the interface of basic quantum physics and engineering, and work with partners in industry to translate these research discoveries into practical applications and devices. Our capacity- building programs will train a new generation of scientists in cutting-edge fundamental research, innovation, and entrepreneurialism, and ultimately have a major impact on Australia’s high-tech economy.
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2014–2017 The causal power of information in a quantum world
The scientific method is grounded on the concept of causation and intelligent agency. In this project, we will give a philosophically coherent, theoretically justified and experimentally validated defence of the thesis that to be a cause, information must be embodied. The project will address big questions including: Does information have causal power? How does one understand causal relations in a quantum world? Are there new quantum architectures for control, based on automated intelligent agents (IA) with access to the full power of quantum information processing? The concept of information as causal has received little attention in the philosophical literature on causation. Given the advances in quantum information, it is well time this topic was explored in detail. One of the unique features of this proposal is the real time interaction between philosophers and theoretical and experimental physicists.
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2011–2017 Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQuS)
The future of technology lies in controlling the quantum world. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Engineered Quantum Systems (EQuS) will deliver the building blocks of future quantum technologies and, critically, ensure Australian primacy in this endeavour. Three strategic research programs will target Quantum Measurement and Control; Synthetic Quantum Systems and Simulation; and Quantum-Enabled Sensors and Metrology. Within these programs, our Centre will exploit the deepest principles and resources of quantum physics to solve specific problems in engineering, chemistry biology and medicine, stimulating the Australian scientific and engineering communities to exploit (and benefit from) transformative quantum devices.
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2011–2017 Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology (CQC2T)
The Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology will coordinate a large team of Australian researchers in an intensive mission. Our aim is to integrate a radical and uniquely powerful Australian computing technology with an ultra-secure Australian communications technology. Our success will drive global productivity gains in information processing and ensure that Australians own the pivotal underpinning intellectual property. Our technologies will provide Australia and its allies with the world’s most secure information networks. Our discoveries will place Australia unequivocally at the very forefront of global research in quantum physics.
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2008–2010 Biomolecular optoelectronic materials and devices
The melanins are the molecules in our skin, eyes and hair that provide colour and protection from the sun. In addition to being important bio-molecules, they have properties which make them useful for high tech applications especially in electronics and optoelectronics. Unfortunately, our current understanding of these fascinating materials is poor. In our project we aim to solve this limiting problem. We will develop new science to explain their behaviour, and use this knowledge to create bio-compatible hi-tech materials and devices. We anticipate significant benefits from the perspectives of basic science and utilisation of biomaterials for new green technologies.
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2006–2011 Integrated quantum photonics
The key physical technological advances of this century will be due to quantum technologies which exploit the unique properties of entanglement, a phenomenon with no everyday analogue. Understanding and applying entanglement is one of the great challenges in Physics, as is finding an experimental path to large-scale devices. This Fellowship will launch a major new initiative to address these challenges by developing optical quantum technology that integrates many photons to form powerful quantum devices. This exploits the key recent demonstration of few-particle entangling devices. By providing a route for industrialisation, this project will extend Australia’s early lead in quantum technology so as to maximise the benefits to Australia.
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2005–2009 Quantum Computing Concept Maturation for Optical Quantum Computing
One of the earliest proposals for implementing quantum computation was based on encoding qubits in optical modes, each containing exactly one photon. However it is extremely difficult to couple optical modes containing very few photons. Knill , Laflamme and Milburn (KLM) have proposed a way to circumvent this restriction and implement efficient quantum computation using only passive linear optics, photodetectors, and single photon sources. This efficient optical quantum computing is distinct from all other linear optical schemes which are not efficiently scalable. The objective of this project is to produce a prototype two qubit gate for photons using linear optics, and to develop a blue-print for a multiple qubit device that might be implemented over a longer time scale.proposed an efficient linear optical quantum computing distinct from all other linear optical schemes which are not efficiently scalable. The objective of this project is to produce a prototype two qubit gate for photons using linear optics, and to develop a blueprint for a multiple qubit device that might be implemented over a longer time scale.
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2005–2007 Controlling Quantum Technologies
We are on the verge of a Quantum Technology revolution, where quantum physics is driving otherwise impossible technological advances. To date, quantum technologies have made little use of the monitoring and feedback that is ubiquitous in everyday industry, keeping planes in the air and robots welding accurately. This project is concerned with learning to actively control finite-size quantum systems and processes, by studying the control of photons - single particles of light. Our experimental and theoretical research will advance the new science of quantum control and have immediate application to quantum technologies such as absolutely secure communication and ultrahigh precision measurement.
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2003–2008 Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative for Photonic quantum information systems
It is now generally realized that the exploitation of fundamentally quantum-mechanical phenomena can enable significant, and in some cases, tremendous, improvement for a variety of tasks important to emergent technologies. Building on decades of successes in the experimental demonstration of such fundamental phenomena, it is not surprising that photonics is playing a preeminent role in this nascent endeavor. Many of the objectives of quantum technologies are inherently suited to optics (e.g., communications, metrology), while others may have a strong optical component (e.g., distributed quantum computing, quantum repeaters). In order for quantum information technology to attain its full potential, instrumentation by which quantum systems may be created, stored, manipulated and characterized must be developed. We propose a multi-institutional project aimed at the development of the technological tools to further the realization of quantum information processing in the optical domain. Specifically, we will investigate the following instrumentation technologies: on-demand and periodic single-photon and entangled-photon sources; high-efficiency detectors that can discriminate incident photon number; tunable sources of arbitrary entangled states and the means to characterize them via state tomography; optical quantum memories and repeaters; and the possibility of full Bell-state analysis. We propose material systems, designs, and techniques that will enable us to perform these essential functions at wavelengths ranging from ultraviolet to infrared. In addition, our approach allows coupling of generated photons into optical fibers at high data rates (presently at 76 MHz and potentially higher than 10 GHz), and combining of individual components into integrated quantum information systems.
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2005 Quantum Holography: encoding quantum information in optical patterns
Quantum information applies concepts from quantum mechanics to information tasks such as communication and computation. The fundamental units of quantum information are multi-level quantum systems known as qudits � to date, most experiments have realised only their simplest two-level incarnation, the qubit. In principle, tasks such as quantum cryptography, secret sharing, and dense coding, all benefit from using qudits larger than the qubit. We propose a scheme to realise qudits in practice by encoding them into optical patterns (the transverse spatial modes of the field); to manipulate these qudits via holographic techniques; and to make entangling gates using linear optics and measurement. We will explore a range of quantum phenomena and information protocols that are only accessible with qudits.
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2003–2010 Centre For Quantum Computer Technology
Development of a quantum computer (QC) for massively parallel computing is one of the major challenges in science and engineering this century. Since 200 the Centre has achieved two major breakthroughs in this field: constructing the key functional element of a silicon solid-state QC; and co-inventing a scheme for efficient linear optics QC. The proposed CoE aims to align these two nationally co-ordinated research programs with the world's existing computer and IT industries to realise a fault-tolerant multiple qubit quantum processor with integrated control, and qubit chips, and develop a scaleable optical quantum processor providing significant economic benefits to Australia.
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2001–2003 Optical Quantum State Engineering
Production of non-classically correlated quantum states - entangled states - is now an issue of urgent practical importance. Communication using such states can achieve outcomes impossible with classical systems, such as absolutely secure messaging. We are interested in optically engineering arbitrary quantum states via novel twin-photon sources, and analysing these states via quantum tomography.
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2001–2003 Experimental implementation of efficient linear optics quantum computation
Over the last decade physicists and computer scientists have discovered that processing information using physical devices, governed by quantum mechanics, will enable an exponential increase in computational efficiency for a given set of physical resources. Many physical systems are under investigation. Our proposal seeks to implement quantum computation in electro-optic linear networks, an approach which is efficiently scalable and compatible with existing and future optical communication technologies. The objective of this research is to produce, in three years, a prototype two qubit gate for photons using the linear optics quantum computation scheme of Knill Laflamme and Milburn (KLM), and to develop a blue-print for a multi qubit device that might be implemented over a longer time scale. One of the earliest proposals for implementing quantum computation was based on encoding each qubit in two optical modes, each containing exactly one photon. However it is extremely difficult to unitarily couple two optical modes containing few photons. Knill, Laflamme and Milburn (KLM) found a way to implement efficient quantum computation using only passive linear optics, photodetectors, and single photon sources. This efficient linear optical quantum computing (ELOQC) is distinct from all other previous linear optical schemes which are not efficiently scalable.The prototype will be approached over three years.
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2001–2002 Centre For Quantum Computer Technology
The Centre for Quantum Computer Technology will carry out a broad range of experimental and theoretical research programs that will lead to construction, at the atomic level, of a revolutionary prototype solid state quantum computer (SSQC) in silicon. The SSQC proposal and detailed fabrication strategy developed at UNSW has received significant international attention and review by experts in the field and is widely regarded as the one most likely to lead to a QC that can be scaled to the number of quantum bits (qubits) necessary for practical applications. The ability of a quantum computer to carry out calculations at the atomic level by manipulation of superpositions of quantum states is expected to provide massive parallel processing leading to unprecedented computing power in applications of commercial and national significance. The Centre will enable Australia to play a central role in the development of 21st century computer technology.
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1997–1999 High-efficiency Quantum Interrogation
(Also known as "interaction-free" measurement). Using the complementary wave- and particle-like natures of photons, the basic particles of light, it is possible to make measurements where the presence of an object can be unambiguously determined without the photons ever interacting with the object. Previous detectors have achieved this with efficiencies of < 80%. In this project we aim to develop a high-efficiency IFM detector, one with efficiencies of 90% or better. Such a detector has great potential for imaging delicate objects, such as biological cells, or quantum systems. An old, but still illuminating, discussion of such measurements can be found here.
Works
Search Professor Andrew White’s works on UQ eSpace
Featured
2003
Journal Article
Quantum theory of the far-off-resonance continuous-wave Raman laser: Heisenberg-Langevin approach
Roos, P. A., Murphy, S. K., Meng, L. S., Carlsten, J. L., Ralph, T. C., White, A. G. and Brasseur, J. K. (2003). Quantum theory of the far-off-resonance continuous-wave Raman laser: Heisenberg-Langevin approach. Physical Review A, 68 (1) 013802, 013802-1-013802-12. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.68.013802
Featured
2003
Journal Article
Input States for Quantum Gates
Gilchrist, A., Munro, W. J. and White, A. G. (2003). Input States for Quantum Gates. Physical Review A (Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics), 67 (4) 040304, 040304-1-040304-4. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.67.040304
Featured
2002
Journal Article
Entanglement creation using quantum interrogation
Gilchrist, A., White, A. G. and Munro, W. J. (2002). Entanglement creation using quantum interrogation. Physical Review A, 66 (1) 012106, 012106-1-012106-7. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.66.012106
Featured
2002
Journal Article
Simple scheme for efficient linear optics quantum gates
Ralph, T. C., White, A. G., Munro, W. J. and Milburn, G. J. (2002). Simple scheme for efficient linear optics quantum gates. Physical Review A, 65 (1) 012314, 012314-1-012314-6. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.65.012314
Featured
2002
Journal Article
Linear Optical CNOT Gate in the Coincidence Basis
Ralph, T. C., Langford, N. K., Bell, T. B. and White, A. G. (2002). Linear Optical CNOT Gate in the Coincidence Basis. Physical Review A, 65 (6) 062324, 062324-1-062324-5. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.65.062324
Featured
2002
Journal Article
Qudit quantum-state tomography
Thew, R., Nemoto, K., White, A. G. and Munro, W.J. (2002). Qudit quantum-state tomography. Physical Review A, 66 (1) 012303, 012303-1-012303-5. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.66.012303
Featured
2001
Journal Article
Maximizing the Entanglement of Two Mixed Qubits
Munro, W. J., James, D. F. V., White, A. G. and Kwiat, P. G. (2001). Maximizing the Entanglement of Two Mixed Qubits. Physical Review A, 64 (3) 030302, 030302-1-030302-4. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.64.030302
Featured
2001
Journal Article
Measurement of qubits
James, D. F. V., Kwiat, P. G., Munro, W. J. and White, A. G. (2001). Measurement of qubits. Physical Review A, 64 (5) 052312, 052312. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.64.052312
Featured
2001
Journal Article
The Bell Inequality and Entanglement: a measure of entanglement?
Munro, W. J., Nemoto, K. and White, A. G. (2001). The Bell Inequality and Entanglement: a measure of entanglement?. Journal of Modern Optics, 48 (7), 1239-1246. doi: 10.1080/095003400110034532
Featured
2001
Journal Article
Exploring Hilbert Space: Accurate Characterisation of Quantum Information
White, A. G., James, D. F. V., Munro, W. J. and Kwiat, P. G. (2001). Exploring Hilbert Space: Accurate Characterisation of Quantum Information. Physical Review a, 65 (1) 012301, 012301-1-012301-4. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.65.012301
Featured
2001
Journal Article
Efficient linear optics quantum coputation
Milburn, G. J., Ralph, T. C., White, A. G., Knill, E and Laflamme, R (2001). Efficient linear optics quantum coputation. Implementation of Quantum Computation, 1 (SUPPL. 1), 13-19.
Featured
2001
Journal Article
Transforming chaos to periodic oscillations
Kociuba, G., Heckenberg, N. R. and White, A. G. (2001). Transforming chaos to periodic oscillations. Physical Review E, 64 (5), art. no.-056220. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.64.056220
Featured
2000
Journal Article
Experimental Verification of Decoherence-Free Subspaces
Kwiat, P. G., Berglund, A. J., Altepeter, J. B. and White, A. G. (2000). Experimental Verification of Decoherence-Free Subspaces. Science, 290 (5491), 498-501. doi: 10.1126/science.290.5491.498
Featured
2000
Journal Article
Observation of Power-Law Scaling for Phase Transitions in Linear Trapped Ion Crystals
Enzer, D. G., Schauer, M. M., Gomez, J. J., Gulley, M. S., Holzscheiter, M. H., Kwiat, P. G., Lamoreaux, S. K., Peterson, C. G., Sandberg, V. D., Tupa, D., White, A. G., Hughes, R. J. and James, D. F. V. (2000). Observation of Power-Law Scaling for Phase Transitions in Linear Trapped Ion Crystals. Physical Review Letters, 85 (12), 2466-2469. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.85.2466
Featured
2000
Journal Article
Grover's Search Algorithm: An Optical Approach
Kwiat, P. G., Mitchell, J. R., Schwindt, P. D. D. and White, A. G. (2000). Grover's Search Algorithm: An Optical Approach. Journal of Modern Optics, 47 (2/3 (Physics of Quantum Information)), 257-266. doi: 10.1080/095003400148187
Featured
2000
Journal Article
Kerr Noise Reduction and Squeezing
White, Andrew G., Lam, Ping Koy, McClelland, David E, Bachor, Hans-A and Munro, William J. (2000). Kerr Noise Reduction and Squeezing. Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics, 2 (4), 553-561. doi: 10.1088/1464-4266/2/4/315
Featured
2000
Journal Article
Entangled state quantum cryptography: Eavesdropping on the Ekert protocol
Naik, D. S., Peterson, C. G., White, A. G., Berglund, A. J. and Kwiat, P. G. (2000). Entangled state quantum cryptography: Eavesdropping on the Ekert protocol. Physical Review Letters, 84 (20), 4733-4736. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.84.4733
Featured
1999
Journal Article
Non-maximally entangled states: production, characterisation and utilisation
White, A. G., James, D. F. V., Eberhard, P. H. and Kwiat, P. G. (1999). Non-maximally entangled states: production, characterisation and utilisation. Physical Review Letters, 83 (16), 3103-3106. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.83.3103
Featured
1999
Journal Article
Ultrabright source of polarization-entangled photons
Kwiat, Paul G., Waks, Edo, White, Andrew G., Appelbaum, Ian and Eberhard, Philippe H. (1999). Ultrabright source of polarization-entangled photons. Physical Review a, 60 (2), R773-R776. doi: 10.1103/PhysRevA.60.R773
Featured
1999
Journal Article
Trapped Ion Quantum Computer Research at Los Alamos
James, D. F. V., Gulley, M. S., Holzscheiter, M. H., Hughes, R. J., Kwiat, P. G., Lamoreaux, S. K., Peterson, C. G., Sandberg, V. D., Schauer, M. M., Simmons, C. M., Tupa, D., Wang, P. Z. and White, A. G. (1999). Trapped Ion Quantum Computer Research at Los Alamos. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, 1509, 426-437.
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Andrew White is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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See our web page, or even better contact us!
Contact Andrew at andrew.white@uq.edu.au
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Quantum Nanophotonics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marcelo Pereira de Almeida, Dr Markus Rambach
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Doctor Philosophy
Routers for quantum light
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marcelo Pereira de Almeida, Dr Markus Rambach
Completed supervision
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2024
Doctor Philosophy
Quantum Photonics with Enhanced Quantum Dot Single-Photon Sources
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marcelo Pereira de Almeida
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Probing the Unknown: Measurements in the Quantum Realm
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marcelo Pereira de Almeida
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Utilising the quantum properties of photons and deep learning to improve parameter estimation.
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marcelo Pereira de Almeida
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2022
Master Philosophy
Encoding and Measuring Information in High-Dimensional Quantum States
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Markus Rambach, Associate Professor Jacqui Romero
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring engineered solid-state single-photon emitter as multi-photon sources
Principal Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Frontiers of Quantum Optics: photonics tolls, computational complexity, quantum metrology, and quantum correlations.
Principal Advisor
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
A hardware signal processor for Transition Edge Sensors
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marcelo Pereira de Almeida
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Rethinking causality in quantum mechanics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gerard Milburn
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Enabling Multi-Photon Experiments with Solid-State Emitters: A Farewell to Downconversion
Principal Advisor
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
On Integrated Photonic Quantum Simulations
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marcelo Pereira de Almeida
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
High-efficiency quantum photonics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marcelo Pereira de Almeida
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
Photonic Quantum Information and Quantum Walks
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marcelo Pereira de Almeida
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2009
Doctor Philosophy
Optical quantum information: New states, gates and algorithms
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Marcelo Pereira de Almeida
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Doctor Philosophy
ENCODING, MANIPULATING AND MEASURING QUANTUM INFORMATION IN OPTICS
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Timothy Ralph
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2023
Master Philosophy
Sharing Secrets Using Quantum Physics
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Markus Rambach, Associate Professor Jacqui Romero
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Composite particles as probes of the quantum-and-gravity interface
Associate Advisor
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Protecting superconducting quantum circuits from measurement back-action and ionizing radiation
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Arkady Fedorov
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
Applications of higher-order quantum maps
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Jacqui Romero
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
High-Dimensional Quantum Information
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gerard Milburn, Associate Professor Sally Shrapnel, Associate Professor Jacqui Romero
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2004
Doctor Philosophy
CHAOTIC DYNAMICS IN LASERS
Associate Advisor
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Andrew White directly for media enquiries about:
- Biophotonics
- Biophysics
- Computing - quantum
- Holography
- Light - physics
- Light polarisation
- Mechanics - quantum
- Media and Physics
- Optics
- Optics - quantum
- Photons - physics
- Physical sciences
- Physics - light
- Physics - photons
- Physics - quantum
- Polarisaion - light
- Quantum computing
- Quantum information
- Quantum mechanics
- Quantum metrology
- Quantum optics
- Quantum phenomena
- Quantum physics
- Quantum technology
- Technology - quantum
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