Quantum computing and cryptography

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Vision: Seize the immense power of quantum information processing: harness it sooner, with fewer resources, and with more positive impacts. Pro-actively neutralize quantum-enabled attacks and build a stronger cyber immune system. The Challenges: Seizing the quantum opportunities and mitigating the risks require tackling interesting and challenging research challenges, including: a) Developing and improving quantum algorithms for solving important problems with quantum computing resources that are emerging b) Efficiently compiling algorithms to run on hardware in a manner that gives the most quantum advantage with the fewest resources c) Quantifying the quantum vulnerability of new cryptographic algorithms being developed for global standardization d) Developing quantum-safe methods for new emerging cryptographic systems like blockchains and privacy-preserving technologies. My research program will tackle these challenges through the following approaches: a) Focus on two important problem areas:1) simulating quantum systems, and 2) cryptanalysis. b) Focus on implementing the most interesting algorithms on the emerging physical platforms with the fewest resources possible; formulate these challenges as mathematical optimization problems; discover new tools to perform the optimizations. c) Combine the latest algorithmic results, compiling tools, and fault-tolerance overheads to derive quantitative estimates of the resources needed to break the relevant cryptographic algorithms. d) Explore alternative ways to construct the building blocks of cryptographic systems using assumptions that are believed to resist quantum attacks. We will conduct this research alongside a range of students and postdocs, share latest results at schools, workshops and through our open-source platforms. These results will: Drive the discovery of applications and software tools for quantum computing platforms that are emerging preparing the foundation for the new era of applied quantum algorithmics Deliver fundamental knowledge for developing and assessing cryptography in the era with quantum technologies. This research is very timely since: Information, including intellectual property, personal information, and national secrets that are communicated with today's quantum-vulnerable tools are susceptible to being recorded now and exploited later by a range of criminal organizations and state actors. The US National Institute of Standards and Technology will be standardizing a small number of “post-quantum” public-key algorithms in the next 3-4 years. It is imperative that vulnerabilities are discovered before potentially quantum-vulnerable tools become standardized and embedded in a range of technology platforms and tools. Noisy Intermediate Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices are becoming available now. The work I propose will greatly enhance and accelerate their effectiveness in the very short term, and subsequently also for future fault-tolerant quantum computers.