Hugo Lepage is studying for a doctoral at Cambridge University in theoretical physics. The focus of his PhD is the theory and simulation of quantum information processing. This work can be understood as part of the attempt to establish quantum computing.
In normal computing, a bit is a piece of information that can exist in two states, 1 or 0. Modern computers and supercomputers still use such bits. Quantum computing, though, would use the ability of subatomic particles to exist in more than one state at any time. Instead of bits they use quantum bits, or qubits. This allows for a new form of operations that could vastly outperform current computers. But more than just increasing computing speed, quantum computing would allow the genuine modelling of physical phenomena at a molecular level. This is especially useful for simulating complicated chemical reactions such as protein folding and drug testing, as well as cryptography. But we seem to be some way still from building a stable quantum computer.
Hugo loves to discuss his work, and physics in general. From experts at an international conference to friends and family at a dinner party, no crowd is immune to his enthusiasm. He has also been involved in many recruitment programmes and has talked about the life of a physicist to teenage students.
Cambridge has been a great home away from home for Hugo. He has had the opportunity to discuss with experts in various fields who have always been willing to collaborate rather than compete. This truly international, multi-disciplinary, and multi-cultural environment has allowed Hugo to thrive both academically and personally.
Hugo has been publishing results of his research in various academic journals. Using his simulations, he has come up with a protocol for the general measurement of electrons used as qubits. This is an essential part of a quantum computer. He has also been working closely with experimental physicists to model their devices and guide the future design of quantum logic gates.
As a recent side project, Hugo has been helping a team of biologists, geologists, and geographers with the environmental analysis of the quality of river waters in Peru. This project has been a great way to combine three things that he cherishes: travelling, science, and social engagement. Hugo holds a Master of Applied Science in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto and a BSc in Physics from McGill University. He grew up in Montreal.
