Quantum Chit-Chat I — Kaelyn Ferris
This is the first in a series of interviews I’m doing with experts in the field of quantum computing/physics. The idea is to bring people from different contexts: academia, industry, scientific communication, etc. Keep an eye out for upcoming interviews!
Ps: You can find a version of this interview translated to Portuguese in My Medium profile.
Tell me a little about yourself and your current work.
So in the 5th year of my PhD studying quantum simulation algorithms. I worked at a UK-based startup called Phasecraft and now currently split my time between grad school and an internship as a Quantum Community Advocate at IBM. I also do some political organizing in my community in Athens which is a great outlet for me outside of academia.
What are the major challenges of working with quantum computing in a startup?
So I think the main challenge of working at startups is both the pace and the transience of the work. I think this is more common in the US, but typically folks will only work at startups for anywhere between 1–5 years and not stick around much further past that. The pace of working at a startup can sometimes be faster than at a larger company which can be challenging with things like work/life balance. Thankfully, I really didn’t feel that while I was at Phasecraft so it can depend on the company/team you work with.
What did you learn with that experience?
The main thing I learned is that even though startups look different from working at a larger company, your voice travels a lot farther both in how the organization is run and in what work everyone does. At Phasecraft I was able to listen to and discuss about all of the different projects folks were working and it was really easy to get a birds eye view on the direction the organization is going.
What do you feel is currently being sought by professionals in the field of quantum computing? How to position yourself for the future of this area?
It’s a mixture from what I can tell. The one universal is to have at least some quantum mechanics background, but the field is looking for everyone from software developers, to theorists, to hardware engineers. One area that’s gathered a lot of interest is skills at the intersection between the hardware and software. Namely, being able to be informed about how the hardware works in order to implement quantum circuits more efficiently and with less noise.
Positioning yourself, at least from what I’ve learned, is mostly a matter of finding communities of other folks who are also interested in quantum computing and being an active member in those spaces. Contributing to open source libraries like qiskit and networking with people in the field are what will help give you the attention you need to be noticed by employers.
For you, what was the most important difference between academia and industry views on QC?
I think the main difference between academia and industry is that businesses do still need to provide some kind of product or service that can generate or increase revenue. Many understand that the real big payoffs to quantum computing is still several years away, but they’re willing to invest the resources to utilize the quantum computers we have now as well as research how to build larger and more accurate quantum processors.
Any advice for anyone starting their studies in the field of quantum computing?
This overlaps with positioning yourself for the future, but work on small projects that are interesting to you. It doesn’t have to be big or complicated, just something that you’re curious about.
Also, use the resources that are out there like the Qiskit community to find others who are in a similar position and work together. Getting your hands dirty with problems/a project is one of the best ways to learn in my opinion.
