Padmanabhan K. Aravind

Biography

Education: B.Sc Physics Delhi University, Delhi, India M.Sc. Physics Delhi University, Delhi, India Ph.D. Physics Northwestern University. In my 25 plus years at WPI, I have been actively engaged in teaching and research at a variety of levels. Our Projects Program is the place where these two activities naturally come together, and the Major Qualifying Projects (or senior theses) I have guided over the years have been among my most rewarding experiences. In the mid 1990s, I became interested in the field of Quantum Information Science, whose goal is to store information in quantum objects, such as single atoms or photons, and explore ways in which it can be harnessed to perform tasks beyond the scope of today’s computers. My own research has focused on foundational questions in the field, such as new proofs of the Bell and Kochen-Specker theorems that shed light on quintessentially quantum phenomena like entanglement, which have no analog in our everyday world. These phenomena lie at the heart of nascent technologies like quantum computing and quantum cryptography that have the potential of revolutionizing the way we handle information in the future. Although it may take a while for these schemes to develop into mature technologies, I feel privileged to be able to participate in this quest with the worldwide community of scientists that has sprung up around it. Back on the teaching front, I have taught for over fifteen years in Frontiers, a summer program conducted by WPI for bright high school students with an interest in pursuing science, mathematics, or engineering in college. I am happy to be doing my part in attracting and nurturing the next generation of students who are going to be responsible for the breakthroughs of the future.

Research Interest

Quantum Information Theory