Ernesto Galvão is the leader of the Quantum and Linear-Optical Computation group at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (INL) in Braga, Portugal.

He holds degrees in physics from the University of Oxford (PhD), Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Master’s), and Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro (Bachelor’s). He is currently on leave from the Instituto de Física of Fluminense Federal University (Brazil), where he has been faculty since 2006.

In his research, he studies different quantum computational models to identify and quantify resources capable of achieving a quantum advantage in information processing. He is particularly interested in photonic implementations of quantum computers. His scientific contributions to FoQaCiA will mostly be in WP1, and WP2.

As the European coordinator of FoQaCiA, he will be involved in WP5 (project management) and WP6 (dissemination, communication and exploitation).

Rui is a staff researcher in the Quantum and Linear-Optical Computation group at INL.

His research is at the intersection of quantum foundations, quantum computer science, and the mathematics of quantum theory. It focuses on the structural study of markers of nonclassicality in quantum systems, such as contextuality, and their role as resources in quantum computation and information processing.

In the context of FoQaCia, his scientific contributions will focus on WP1, which he leads, with some contributions also to WP4. Moreover, he will be involved in supporting WP5 and WP6.

Som Kanjilal is a Research Fellow at the Quantum and Linear-Optical Computation group at INL.

Som holds a BSc in Physics (2012) from Chennai Mathematical Institute, an MSc (2014), and a PhD in Theoretical Physics (2021) from the University of Kolkata and Bose Institute. Before moving to INL, he held postdoctoral positions at Harish Chandra Research Institute in Allahabad (2021–2022) and the International Institute of Information Technology in Hyderabad (2022–2023).

His research area lies in the intersection between quantum foundations and quantum information. In particular, he aims to identify the nonclassical features of quantum theory which can be used as resources in information processing tasks (WP1). 

Lorenzo Catani is a Research Fellow at the Quantum and Linear-Optical Computation group at INL.

Lorenzo holds a BSc in Physics (2012) and an MSc in Theoretical Physics (2014) from the University of Bologna, where he was also a student of the Collegio Superiore, one of the Superior Graduate Schools in Italy. He also holds an MRes (2015) and a PhD (2018) from University College London, obtained as part of the doctoral training program in delivering quantum technologies. His doctoral thesis was titled Nonclassicality as a Computational Resource. Before moving to INL, he held postdoctoral positions at Chapman University in California (2018–2021) and Technische Universität Berlin (2021–2023). 

His research is mostly focused on the intersection between quantum foundations and quantum computation. In particular, he aims to identify the features of quantum theory that really constitute a departure from the classical worldview and to show how these can be resources for quantum computational advantage in information processing tasks (WP1). He also works on developing a new mathematical framework that provides a realistic and interpretationally unproblematic account of quantum theory.

Carlos Diogo Monteiro Fernandes

PhD student

Carlos is working on photonic indistinguishability and its role in sequential measurements (WP1).

Filipa Cavaco Peres

PhD student

Filipa is studying hybrid quantum computation schemes. Of particular relevance to FoQaCiA is the characterization of the computational power of sequential measurements in general measurement-based quantum computation models (WP1), as well as the classical simulation cost of such processes (WP2).

Rafael Wagner

PhD student

Rafael is working on the relationship between coherence and other forms of nonclassicality, in particular, contextuality (WP1).

Raman Choudhary

PhD student

Raman is working on quantum contextually, with relevance for quantum advantage in NISQ and fault-tolerant settings (WP1, WP4).

Angelos Bampounis

PhD student

Angelos is studying matchgate circuits, a classically simulable sub-theory of quantum circuits that is promoted to quantum universality with access to an additional resource, an interesting analogue to the more well-known stabiliser theory (with relevance to WPs 1, 2, 4).