Juan Ignacio Cirac Sasturain
Encyclopedia
Juan Ignacio Cirac Sasturain (born October 11, 1965, in Manresa
, Catalonia
, Spain
) is a Spanish physicist. He is one of the pioneers of the field of quantum computing and quantum information theory. He is the recipient of the 2006 Prince of Asturias Award
in technical and scientific research.
in 1988 and moved to the United States in 1991 to work as a postdoctoral scientist with Peter Zoller
in the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics
in University of Colorado at Boulder
. Between 1991 and 1996, he was teaching physics in the Ciudad Real Faculty of Chemistry, University of Castilla-La Mancha.
In 1996, he became professor in the Institut für Theoretische Physik in Innsbruck, Austria, and became the Director of the Theoretical Division of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
in Garching, Germany, in 2001. At the same time, he became a Honorary Professor
at the Technical University of Munich
. He is a Distinguished Visiting Professor and Research Advisor at ICFO
- the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona since its foundation in 2002. He has been a member of research teams at the universities of Harvard
, Technical University of Munich
, Hamburg
, UCSB
, Hannover, Bristol
, Paris
, CEA/Saclay, École Normale Supérieure
, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
.
His research is focused on quantum optics, the quantum theory of information and quantum many-body physics. According to his theories, quantum computing will revolutionize the information society and lead to much more efficient and secure communication of information. His joint work with Peter Zoller on ion trap quantum computation opened up the possibility of experimental quantum computation, and his joint work on optical lattices jumpstarted the field of quantum simulation. He has also made seminal contributions in the field of degenerated quantum gases, quantum optics and renormalization group methods. Juan Ignacio Cirac has published more than 300 articles in the most prestigious journals and is one of the most cited authors in his fields of research.
Ignacio Cirac has been granted multiple awards, notable ones being the 2006 Prince of Asturias Award
, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Basic Sciences category ex aequo with Peter Zoller
, and The Franklin Institute's 2010 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics (jointly with David J. Wineland
and Peter Zoller
).
Lectures and panels
Manresa
Manresa is the capital of the Comarca of Bages, located in the geographic centre of Catalonia, Spain, and crossed by the river Cardener. It is an industrial area with textile, metallurgical, and glass industries. The houses of Manresa are arranged around the basilica of Santa María de la Seo....
, Catalonia
Catalonia
Catalonia is an autonomous community in northeastern Spain, with the official status of a "nationality" of Spain. Catalonia comprises four provinces: Barcelona, Girona, Lleida, and Tarragona. Its capital and largest city is Barcelona. Catalonia covers an area of 32,114 km² and has an...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
) is a Spanish physicist. He is one of the pioneers of the field of quantum computing and quantum information theory. He is the recipient of the 2006 Prince of Asturias Award
Prince of Asturias Awards
The Prince of Asturias Awards are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Prince of Asturias Foundation to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs....
in technical and scientific research.
Biography
Juan Ignacio Cirac is one of the most famous Spanish physicists. He graduated from the Complutense University of MadridComplutense University of Madrid
The Complutense University of Madrid is a university in Madrid, and one of the oldest universities in the world. It is located on a sprawling campus that occupies the entirety of the Ciudad Universitaria district of Madrid, with annexes in the district of Somosaguas in the neighboring city of...
in 1988 and moved to the United States in 1991 to work as a postdoctoral scientist with Peter Zoller
Peter Zoller
Peter Zoller is a theoretical physicist from Austria. He is Professor at the University of Innsbruck and works on quantum optics and quantum information and is best known for his pioneering research on quantum computing and quantum communication and for bridging quantum optics and solid state...
in the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics
Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics
JILA, formerly known as the Joint Institute for Laboratory Astrophysics, is one of the leading physical science research institutes in the United States. Its faculty, graduate students, and postdoctoral research associates explore some of today's most challenging and fundamental scientific questions...
in University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Boulder
The University of Colorado Boulder is a public research university located in Boulder, Colorado...
. Between 1991 and 1996, he was teaching physics in the Ciudad Real Faculty of Chemistry, University of Castilla-La Mancha.
In 1996, he became professor in the Institut für Theoretische Physik in Innsbruck, Austria, and became the Director of the Theoretical Division of the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics
The Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics is a part of the Max Planck Society which operates 80 research facilities in Germany.The institute is located in Garching, Germany, which in turn is located 10 km north-east of Munich...
in Garching, Germany, in 2001. At the same time, he became a Honorary Professor
Honorary title (academic)
Honorary titles in academia may be conferred on persons in recognition of contributions by a non-employee or by an employee beyond regular duties...
at the Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
. He is a Distinguished Visiting Professor and Research Advisor at ICFO
ICFO
ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences is a centre of research excellence devoted to the science and technology of light...
- the Institute of Photonic Sciences in Barcelona since its foundation in 2002. He has been a member of research teams at the universities of Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, Technical University of Munich
Technical University of Munich
The Technische Universität München is a research university with campuses in Munich, Garching, and Weihenstephan...
, Hamburg
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
, UCSB
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
, Hannover, Bristol
University of Bristol
The University of Bristol is a public research university located in Bristol, United Kingdom. One of the so-called "red brick" universities, it received its Royal Charter in 1909, although its predecessor institution, University College, Bristol, had been in existence since 1876.The University is...
, Paris
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, CEA/Saclay, École Normale Supérieure
École Normale Supérieure
The École normale supérieure is one of the most prestigious French grandes écoles...
, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
.
His research is focused on quantum optics, the quantum theory of information and quantum many-body physics. According to his theories, quantum computing will revolutionize the information society and lead to much more efficient and secure communication of information. His joint work with Peter Zoller on ion trap quantum computation opened up the possibility of experimental quantum computation, and his joint work on optical lattices jumpstarted the field of quantum simulation. He has also made seminal contributions in the field of degenerated quantum gases, quantum optics and renormalization group methods. Juan Ignacio Cirac has published more than 300 articles in the most prestigious journals and is one of the most cited authors in his fields of research.
Ignacio Cirac has been granted multiple awards, notable ones being the 2006 Prince of Asturias Award
Prince of Asturias Awards
The Prince of Asturias Awards are a series of annual prizes awarded in Spain by the Prince of Asturias Foundation to individuals, entities or organizations from around the world who make notable achievements in the sciences, humanities, and public affairs....
, the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Basic Sciences category ex aequo with Peter Zoller
Peter Zoller
Peter Zoller is a theoretical physicist from Austria. He is Professor at the University of Innsbruck and works on quantum optics and quantum information and is best known for his pioneering research on quantum computing and quantum communication and for bridging quantum optics and solid state...
, and The Franklin Institute's 2010 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Physics (jointly with David J. Wineland
David J. Wineland
David J. Wineland is an American physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology physics laboratory in Boulder...
and Peter Zoller
Peter Zoller
Peter Zoller is a theoretical physicist from Austria. He is Professor at the University of Innsbruck and works on quantum optics and quantum information and is best known for his pioneering research on quantum computing and quantum communication and for bridging quantum optics and solid state...
).
External links
Lectures and panels
- Video of panel discussion, "Harnessing Quantum Physics" with Ignacio Cirac, Michele MoscaMichele MoscaMichele Mosca is co-founder and deputy director of the Institute for Quantum Computing at the University of Waterloo, researcher and founding member of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, and professor of mathematics in the department of at the University of Waterloo...
, Avi WigdersonAvi WigdersonAvi Wigderson is an Israeli mathematician and computer scientist, a professor of mathematics at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. His research interests include complexity theory, parallel algorithms, graph theory, cryptography, distributed computing, and neural...
, Daniel GottesmanDaniel GottesmanDaniel Gottesman is a physicist, known for his work regarding quantum error correction, in particular the invention of the stabilizer formalism for quantum error-correcting codes, and the Gottesman–Knill theorem...
, Peter ShorPeter ShorPeter Williston Shor is an American professor of applied mathematics at MIT, most famous for his work on quantum computation, in particular for devising Shor's algorithm, a quantum algorithm for factoring exponentially faster than the best currently-known algorithm running on a classical...
and Dorit AharonovDorit AharonovDorit Aharonov is an Israeli computer scientist specializing in quantum computing.Aharonov graduated from Hebrew University of Jerusalem with a BSc in Mathematics and Physics in 1994. She then graduated from Weizmann Institute of Science with an MSc in Physics...
, at the Quantum to Cosmos festival