Jacob C. Bridgeman

There is a close interplay between (quantum) information processing tasks and (quantum) phases and phase transitions. The paradigmatic example of this connection is the use of magnetic domains to encode classical information. The information is protected by the robustness of the magnetic phase. In quantum systems the central example is the Toric code, which protects quantum information using the physics of topological phases.

I focus on the intersection between quantum computing, specifically error correction, many-body physics, and mathematical physics. Recently, I have been developing tools to calculate data for topological phases enriched with defects. I’m also interested in understanding the mathematics associated with topological phases, specifically (higher) fusion categories, for its own sake.

I completed my PhD at the University of Sydney, with Stephen Bartlett, Andrew Doherty and Steve Flammia. This was followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Perimeter Institute. My full CV is available here.