Abstract: Quantum mechanics may change the rules of computer science, as the physical laws constraining computation and communication are different from those that were classically assumed. Theories of scalable quantum computing and Shannon regime information are, however, meeting the realities of the noisy intermediate-scale quantum regime. I will describe our use of information theory to model state decay and decoherence, and ways in which fundamental entropy inequalities can build in noise and restrictions. We bound rates and times of decay by using complex interpolation and noncommutative geometry. We connect aspects that distinguish quantum from effectively classical information and consider why noise sensitivity differs fundamentally. Finally, I will discuss ongoing collaborations with experimental groups at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Bio: Nicholas LaRacuente is a graduate student at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He has a master’s degree in mathematics and is expected to graduate with a Ph.D. in physics in the coming year. His research focuses on connections between classical and quantum reality, and between experimental and theoretical ways of understanding it.