Prof. Gerard J Milburn

Professor Milburn is one of the pioneers in quantum noise, measurement and control: knowledge of all three is required for the theoretical description of engineered quantum systems.  Prof Milburn has applied his expertise to a diverse range of technologies, with publications in areas including: quantum optics; quantum information; mescoscopic transport; nonlinear dynamics; ion-traps; atomic Bose-Einstein condensation; optomechanics; and superconducting quantum circuits. In addition, he has published three major monographs in quantum technologies: Quantum Optics, (with Walls), Quantum Measurement and Control (with Wiseman) and Quantum Optomechanics (with Bowen).

In 1988, Professor Milburn published a scheme for optical quantum computing: one of the first papers in the now flourishing field of quantum computing. In 1986, with Carlton Caves he published one of the first quantum theories of continuous measurement and feedback control. Through the early 90's with Wiseman (then a PhD student) he developed the theory of conditional quantum dynamics and quantum feedback control. He pioneered the master equation approach to noise and dissipation in mesoscopic electronics and applied this theory to the description of quantum measurement in mesoscopic electronics. He has made extensive contributions to quantum optics with considerable impact on the experimental research agenda in this field. For example, in 2001, with Knill and Laamme, he discovered a new way to do quantum information processing in quantum optics. Up to that time there was no viable way to use optics for quantum computing: this paper changed the international research agenda in quantum optics.

Professor Milburn has long articulated a vision for advancing quantum technologies, through public outreach (including two popular books and many public lectures) and through his own research. He is a member of the UK Government’s Strategic Advisory Committee and was a co-author of the UK Strategic Plan for Quantum Technology. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of London, the Australian Academy of Science and the American Physical Society