In this episode of ML4Q&A, Chris and Mira are joined by ML4Q Professor Mario Berta, who shares his unique journey from ETH Zürich via Imperial College London and Amazon Web Services to RWTH Aachen University. They discuss his work on quantum algorithms, benchmarking, and bridging the gap between theory and industry, as well as insights into starting a research group and teaching theoretical physics. Tune in to explore Mario’s fascinating career path and hear about the quantum version of Stein’s Lemma!
We are slowly but steadily approaching the 10,000 downloads mark so keep recommeding our podcast and share the updates within your network.
Listen to the full podcast episode with Mario here or using your podcatcher. You can also download the transcript of the episode here.
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:19 Welcome Mario
00:02:39 Getting into quantum mechanics during the diploma thesis
00:05:25 Short hesitation before returning to academia for the PhD
00:08:26 Quantum Information between Physics and Mathematics
00:15:45 On the potentials and limits of quantum information processing
00:17:32 Going to Caltech (IQIM) for a postdoc
00:21:00 Transitioning to work in industry while being at Imperial College
00:23:08 Joining Amazon AWS
00:26:33 Will cloud computing be a viable business?
00:28:28 Possible applications of mathematically driven research
00:35:12 Coming back to academia and joining RWTH
00:37:14 Diving immediately into teaching
00:42:40 Comparing working in industry to academic life as a professor
00:46:10 Getting introduced to quantum cryptography
00:50:08 Thoughts on entanglement
00:53:43 On algorithms and algorithms benchmarking
00:57:33 The Quantum Algorithm Zoo
01:01:17 Thoughts on scalability
01:03:26 Promising quantum linear algebra type of algorithms
01:07:45 On the mathematics of quantum information
01:12:50 The story of revisiting Stein’s lemma
01:18:36 Interested in joining Mario’s group?
While recording, Alex Jahn – who is not only a talented web designer and a great podcast editor but obviously a gifted illustrator – made this drawing of the recording session:
Previous ML4Q&A episodes:
ML4Q&A Talks with Jens Eisert about Joining ML4Q, No-Go Theorems and Benchmarking
In this episode of ML4Q&A, Chris and Mira talk with Professor Jens Eisert, Professor of Quantum Physics at Freie Universität Berlin with affiliations at Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin and the Heinrich Hertz Institute, and one of ML4Q’s new members for the next funding...
ML4Q&A Talks with Christine Silberhorn About Photonic Quantum Computing and Beyond
In this episode of ML4Q&A, host Mira Sharma, an associated member of the Matter and Light for Quantum Computing (ML4Q) Cluster, chats with one of the leading voices in experimental quantum optics - Professor Christine Silberhorn from the University of Paderborn....
Concepts, Chaos, and Cluster Coordination: Alex Altland on ML4Q&A
In this episode of ML4Q&A, Chris and Mira talk with Alex Altland, theoretical physicist and ML4Q member, about the tension between deep scientific thinking and the administrative reality of coordinating the renewal proposal of ML4Q. As one of the designated...
From Academia to Industry: Frank Wilhelm-Mauch and Jan Goetz on MLQ&A’s 20th Episode
In this special 20th episode of ML4Q&A, Chris and Mira celebrate the journey of the podcast, from its beginnings in 2021 to becoming a platform for exploring quantum careers, research, and innovation. This milestone episode dives into the interplay between...
Rydberg atoms and career journeys – ML4Q&A with Sebastian Hofferberth
In the podcast's so far longest episode, Mira and Chris speak to Sebastian Hofferberth about his journey through academia as he literally went from Heidelberg to Harvard, to Stuttgart, then Denmark and finally to Bonn where he became member of ML4Q. We talk...
A deep dive into Quantum Error Correction with Markus Müller on ML4Q&A
In this episode, Mira and Chris talk with Markus Müller, a member of ML4Q and Professor at RWTH Aachen University and Forschungszentrum Jülich. Markus, an expert in quantum error correction, explains its importance in building large-scale quantum computers. He...