Dirk Oliver Theis

Dr. rer. nat. habil.
Dirk Oliver Theis
Associate Professor
dotheis at ut dot ee

Quantum Community Network (QCN)
I am the Estonian representative to the Quantum Community Network, an initiative of the EU Quantum Flagship.
Olen kvantkogukondade võrgustiku Eesti esindaja. QCN loodi osana ELi kvant-“Flagship”. Selle ülesanne on ühendada riiklikud kvanttegevused ELi/Flagship tegevustega.

Wanted: Students for Pre-PhD Research Projects

I’m looking for students for several quantum computing research internships (unpaid). You should have:
– a BSc in mathematics (better: MSc in mathematics)
– solid background in applied mathematics
– experience writing math-ish computer code
– be ready to work with Pluto notebooks in Julia.
Not all projects are equal, but likely, you’d get a paper draft plus very basic proof-of-concept Julia notebooks, and you’re asked to improve the methods or add to the theoretical understanding.

All projects target challenges in quantum computing.

Research

Theoretical computer science, applied mathematics, quantum computing.

My papers on arXiv:
Projects
  • NordiQuEst 2022-2025
    Endeavor to establish a “nordic” quantum computing cloud platform for users to access quantum computing devices and HPC-powered quantum circuit simulators. The idea is to avoid the disadvantages that commercial cloud-QCs have. Funded by NeIC.

Research Group

Current PhD students
  • Evgenii Dolzhkov: Quantum algorithms
  • Javier Gil Vidal: Mathematics of quantum computation
  • ½ Anti Ingel (MSc Uni Tartu)
Some former students
  • Abdullah Makkeh, PhD 2018 âžœ postdoc in Göttingen
  • Mirjam Friesen, BSc âžœ PhD Uni Magdeburg, Germany
  • Michael Bode, Diploma âžœ PhD Birmingham
  • Thorsten Bonato, Diploma âžœ PhD Heidelberg
Information for prospective students
  • You need tons of math!
  • You need to be able to communicate effortlessly in English. (I’m mainly thinking of the effort of the people you’re talking to 🙂.)
  • I’m very selective with theory-only students: If your ambition is to prove difficult theorems then I require that you are able to do the following tasks independently (i.e., without me showing you how it’s done):
    – Proving difficult theorems 😅
    – Writing down long proofs rigorously and readably
    – Reading research papers; literature search.
  • If in addition to thinking about the math you enjoy writing quantum computing software, then you are particularly welcome to my group. Your task will mostly be to prototype quantum-computing methods in the Julia programming language. E.g., implement some new method that we are developing, compare it to existing methods, and contribute to the design of the method.
  • In order to get a PhD in quantum computer science in my group, it makes sense to go through the MSc program in computer science here at Uni Tartu, and specialize in Theoretical Informatics (which includes quantum computer science). Total duration (MSc+PhD) is 6 years.

Teaching

Together with my team, I teach / am responsible for the following courses.

  • MTAT.05.118 “Qualms” Quantum Algorithms
    • Spring, 2nd graduate semester (spring 2022)
    • 6 ECTS
    • ➢ Basic quantum algorithms
  • LTAT.04.004 Quantum Seminar
  • LTAT .04.005/.00.008 Quantum Project courses
  • LTAT.00.015 “QEC” Quantum error correction & fault tolerant quantum computing
    • Fall, 3rd graduate semester
    • 6 ECTS book course
    • ➢ Stabilizer codes, surface codes, fault tolerant QC
  • LTAT.00.015 “Mor Qualms” Modern quantum algorithms
Miscellaneous

Contact

Make an appointment by email.