Sofia Qvarfort

Sofia Qvarfort

Personal Website

CV

Below you will find my extended research CV. A shorter (but less frequently updated) two-page CV can be found here:

Personal Information

Name: Sofia Qvarfort
Email: sofiaqvarfort@gmail.com
Google Scholar profile: Link
ORCID: 0000-0003-2281-1042
ResearchID: P-6138-2019
GitHub: Link

Research interests

  • Quantum metrology and tests of fundamental physics with optomechanical systems
  • Modelling and detecting gravitational entanglement with macroscopic quantum systems
  • Tools for modelling and understanding nonlinear quantum dynamics
  • Hydrogenic entanglement

Research positions

2021-2024 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowship recipient

  • Awarded a 2-year fellowship, undertaken part-time in conjunction with WINQ (see below)
  • Project title: Nonlinear optomechanics for verification, utility and sensing (NOVUS)
  • Supervisor: Prof Igor Pikovski
  • Read the press release from Stockholm University

2021-2026 Wallenberg Initiative on Networks and Quantum Information (WINQ) Fellow

  • Awarded a 4+1-year fellowship, undertaken part-time in conjunction with the MSCA IF (see above)
  • Project title: Quantum information processing with nonlinear quantum dynamics
  • Group affiliations: I will be embedded in the groups of Prof Frank Wilczek and Prof John Wettlaufer

2019-2021 EPSRC Doctoral Prize Fellow at Imperial College London and University College London

  • Awarded a 1-year fellowship at Imperial College London and a 2-year fellowship at University College London, jointly undertaken in a unique arrangement as two part-time positions over two years
  • Project title: Realistic quantum metrology with cavity optomechanical systems
  • Project goal: To develop a mathematical description of nonlinear optomechanical systems with open systems for the purposes of quantum metrology
  • Collaborators: Dr Michael R Vanner and the Quantum Measurement Lab at Imperial College London and Prof Peter F Barker and Prof Tania Monteiro and their groups at University College London

Education

2016-2019 PhD in Quantum Physics at University College London

  • Thesis title: Quantum metrology with optomechanical systems in the nonlinear regime
  • Submission date: 6th September 2019
  • Viva date: 13th of December 2019
  • Formal acceptance: 28th January 2020
  • Prize: Awarded the Carey Foster Prize for outstanding research in Atomic, Optical, Molecular and Positron Physics
  • Supervisors: Professor Alessio Serafini (primary) and Professor Sougato Bose (secondary)
  • Examiners: Prof Ivette Fuentes (external) and Prof Andrew Fisher (internal)
  • Expertise: Quantum metrology, theory of optomechanics, quantum information, quantum foundations, gravity sensing
  • Research visits: Vienna (2.5 months), Tübingen and Berlin

2015-2016 MRes in Quantum Technologies at University College London

  • Graduated with Distinction
  • MRes project: Measuring gravitational acceleration with optomechanical systems
  • MRes project supervisor: Professor Sougato Bose
  • Case study projects: Indefinite causal orders in quantum mechanics, Analogue gravity experiments, The local Hamiltonian problem

2011-2015 MSci in Physics with Theoretical Physics at Imperial College London

  • Graduated with First Class Honours
  • MSci project: A resource-theoretical approach to time-energy measurements in quantum mechanics
  • MSci project supervisor: Dr David Jennings
  • Prizes: Awarded the Tyndall Prize for best MSci research project and the Union Colours for contributions to university life
  • 2015 summer intership: Research internship in Prof Mohammed Bourenanne’s group at Stockholm University, summer 2015, on analysing experimental data from quantum contextuality experiments.
  • 2014 summer internship: Undergraduate research project with Dr David Jennings at Imperial College London, summer 2014, on the resource theory of asymmetry.
  • 2013 summer internship: Research internship in the Stellarator Theory Group at the Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics in Greifswald, Germany, summer 2013.

2010-2011 82.5 ECTS of free courses at Uppsala University

  • English (30 ECTS)
  • Sustainable Development (15 ECTS)
  • Chemistry (10 ECTS)
  • Critical Thinking (10 ECTS)
  • HIstory and Society of China (7.5 ECTS)
  • Modern physics (5 ECTS)
  • Mathematics (5 ECTS)

2009-2010 Creative Writing at Tärna Folkhögskola

  • One-year course included poetry, drama, short-stories and a manuscript for a novel

Bibliography

Papers published in peer-reviewed journals

  1. L. Kanari-Naish, J. Clarke, S. Qvarfort, M. R. Vanner. Two-mode Schrödinger-cat states with nonlinear optomechanics: generation and verification of non-Gaussian mechanical entanglement. Quantum Science and Technology 7.3 (2022): 035012.
  2. S. Qvarfort, D. Rätzel, and S. Stopyra. Constraining modified gravity with quantum optomechanics. New Journal of Physics 24 (2022): 033009.
  3. S. Qvarfort, M. R. Vanner, P. F. Barker, D. E. Bruschi. Master-equation treatment of nonlinear optomechanical systems with optical loss. Physical Review A 104.1 (2021): 013501.
  4. S Qvarfort, A D K Plato, D E Bruschi, F Schneiter, E Braun, A Serafini, and D Rätzel, Optimal estimation of time-dependent gravitational fields with quantum optomechanical systems, Physical Review Research 3.1 (2021): 013159.
  5. S Qvarfort, S Bose, and A Serafini. Mesoscopic entanglement from central potential interactions. Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics, 53 235501 (2020)
  6. S Qvarfort, S Bose, and A Serafini: Hydrogenic entanglement, New Journal of Physics. 22 093062 (2020). UCL press release.
  7. F. Schneiter, S Qvarfort, A Serafini, A Xuereb, D Braun, D Rätzel, and D E Bruschi. Optimal estimation with quantum optomechanical systems in the nonlinear regime. Physical Review A 101.3 (2020): 033834.
  8. S Qvarfort, A Serafini, A Xuereb, D Braun, D Rätzel, and D E Bruschi. Time-evolution of nonlinear optomechanical systems: Interplay of mechanical squeezing and non-Gaussianity. Journal of Physics A. (2019)
  9. S Qvarfort, A Serafini, A Xuereb, D Rätzel, and D E Bruschi. Enhanced continuous generation of non-Gaussianity through optomechanical modulation. New Journal of Physics, (2019). Published in the Special Issue: Focus on Nanoscale Quantum Optics.
  10. S Qvarfort, Alessio Serafini, P F Barker, and S Bose. Gravimetry through non-linear optomechanics. Nature Communications, 9(1):3690, (2018). Read the UCL press release here.

Preprints

  1. Y. Ling, S. Qvarfort, F. Minters. Fast Optomechanical Photon Blockade, arXiv preprint arXiv:2212.00628 (2022).
  2. S. Qvarfort and I. Pikovski. Solving quantum dynamics with a Lie algebra decoupling method. arXiv preprint arXiv:2210.11894 (2022).
  3. S.K. Manikandan and S. Qvarfort. Cooling through parametric modulations and phase-preserving quantum measurements. arXiv preprint arXiv:2204.00476 (2022).

Papers reviewed for journals

  • AVS Quantum Science Review Article (1)
  • Journal of Physics A (1)
  • New Journal of Physics: Rapid Communications (1)
  • New Journal of Physics (1)
  • Optics Communications (1)
  • Quantum Information Processing (1)
  • Physical Review A (1)
  • Physical Review Letters (1)
  • Physical Review X Quantum (1)
  • Scientific Reports (1)

Theses

  1. S Qvarfort, Quantum metrology with optomechanical systems in the nonlinear regime, PhD Thesis, arXiv preprint arXiv:2003.11656 (2020)
  2. S Qvarfort, Measuring gravitational acceleration with optomechanical systems, MRes Thesis, University College London, 2016.
  3. S Qvarfort, A resource-theoretical approach to time-energy measurements in quantum mechanics, MSci Thesis, Imperial College London, 2015.

Non-academic publications

  1. I participated in Nature’s #WhereIWork and talked about doing physics while being visually impaired. Read the piece here: Surmounting challenges with a passion for science
  2. How can a visullay impaired student see the board at university? Written by request of the RNIB and published on their website.
  3. Quantum computers and quantum cryptography (translated from Swedish). A popular science article published in the Swedish Mensa Magazine Legatus Mensae

Awards

  1. February 2021: Awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowship
  2. February 2021: Awarded the Carey Foster Prize for outstanding postgraduate research on Atomic, Molecular, Optical and Positron physics at University College London.
  3. January 2021: Awarded a Wallenberg Initiative for Networks and Quantum Information (WINQ) Fellowship
  4. March 2020: Awarded the 1st place poster prize at the Postgraduate Women in Physics conference for a poster titled “Hydrogenic entanglement”
  5. July 2019: Awarded the EPSRC Doctoral Prize at Imperial College London and University College London
  6. July 2018: Awarded the J Phys A Prize for best contributed presentation at the Quantum Roundabout workshop, Nottingham, UK for talk titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomecahnics”
  7. September 2017: Poster Prize, UCLQ Industry Day for poster titled “Measuring gravitational acceleration with optomechanical systems”
  8. June 2017: Poster Prize, Gravitational Decoherence workshop, Bad-Honnef, Germany for poster titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomecahnics”
  9. May 2017: Second place in a Three-Minute Thesis Competition held at University College London.
  10. July 2016: Poster Prize runner-up, Quantum Roundabout, Nottingham, UK for poster titled: “Quantum resource theory of asymmetry”
  11. October 2015: Awarded the Tyndall Prize for best MSci research project at Imperial College London.
  12. June 2013: Recipient of the Anita Borg Google Scholarship for Women in Tech.

Conference talks, panels and posters

Invited

  1. November 2020: Talk on Disability in Academia at Q-Turn 2020.
  2. April 2020: Panel on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) in quantum physics and beyond for BQIT 2020.
  3. July 2017: Panel on Education in Quantum Technologies at the Quantum Optics to Quantum Technologies workshop, Royal Society, UK.

Contributed talks

  1. April 2022: Talk titled: Cooling through parametric modulations and phase-preserving quantum measurements, Quantum Engineering of Levitated Systems, Benasque.
  2. July 2021: Talk titled: Constraining modified gravity with quantum optomechanics, 16th Marcel Grossmann Meeting, virtual.
  3. January 2020: Attended the winter school Quantum Sensors for Fundamental Physics, Durham, UK.
  4. December 2019: Attended the conference The next generation of analogue gravity experiments in London, UK.
  5. March 2019: Talk titled: “Mesoscopic entanglement from central-potential interactions”, APS March Meeting, Boston, USA.
  6. October 2018: Talk titled: “Gravitational entanglement: An overview and some results for Gaussian states”, Progress and Visions in Quantum Theory in View of Gravity: Bridging foundations of physics and mathematics, Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.
  7. September 2018: Talk titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomechanics”, Relativistic Quantum Information North, Vienna, Austria.
  8. August 2018: Talk titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomechanics”, Gravity in the Quantum Lab, Benasque, Spain.
  9. July 2018: Talk titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomechanics”, Quantum Roundabout, Nottingham, Uk. Awarded the Journal of Physics A Prize for best contributed presentation.
  10. January 2018: Attended the conference Quantum Information Processing 2018 in Delft, The Netherlands.
  11. March 2017: Talk titled: “Indefinite causal structures”, Rethinking Foundations of Physics 2017, Dorfgastein, Austria.

Contributed posters

  1. September 2020: Poster titled: Hydrogenic entanglement, Vienna Summer School on gravitational quantum physics, virtual.
  2. March 2020: Poster titled: ‘Hydrogenic entanglement’, Postgraduate Women in Physics Conference, Nottingham, UK.
  3. June 2019: Poster titled: “Detected gravitational entanglement with Gaussian states”, Quantum metrology and physics beyond the Standard Model, Hannover, Germany.
  4. December 2017: Poster titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomechanics”, Foundations of quantum mechanics and their impact on contemporary society, London, UK.
  5. September 2017: Poster titled: “Measuring gravitational acceleration with optomechanical systems”, UCLQ Industry Day, London, UK. Awarded the prize for best contributed Poster.
  6. July 2017: Poster titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomechanics”, Quantum Optics to Quantum Technology workshop, London, UK.
  7. June 2017: Poster titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomechanics”, Gravitational Decoherence, Bad-Honnef, Germany.

Seminars

Invited seminars

  1. April 2022: Invited by Dr Witlef Wieczorek at Chalmers University to give a talk to the MC2 Quantum Technology division on “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomechanics: Fundamental limits and constraints to modified gravity theories”.
  2. November 2021: Invited by Dr Robert Jonsson at the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics to give a seminar to the Quantum Optical Systems group on “Solving nonlinear optomechanical dynamics with a Lie algebra method”.
  3. March 2021: Invited by Dr Victor Montenegro to give a seminar to the Physics of Quantum Information Technology group at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China.
  4. February 2020: Invited by Prof Gavin Morley to give a seminar at the University of Warwick. Talk titled: “Gravity sensing and entanglement detection with optomechanical systems”.
  5. February 2019: Invited by Dr Daniel Goldwater to give a seminar at the University of Nottingham. Talk titled: “Witnessing gravitational entanglement with Gaussian states”.
  6. February 2019: Invited by Dr David Jennings to give a seminar at the University of Leeds. Talk titled: “Measuring gravitational acceleration and entanglement with optomechanical systems”.
  7. January 2019: Invited by Dr Anja Metelmann to give a seminar at the Free University Berlin. Talk titled: “Gravimetry and nonlinearities:
    Theory and applications of cavity optomechanical systems “.
  8. May 2018: Invited by Dr Markus Müller to give a breakfast seminar at the Institute of Quantum Optics and Quantum Information, Vienna. Talk titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomechanics and a roadmap of gravitational entanglement”.
  9. April 2018: Invited by Dr Dennis Rätzel to give a talk to the quantum information and quantum optomechanics groups at the University of Vienna. Talk titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomechanics”.
  10. October 2017: Invited by Thomas Hebdige to give a talk at the weekly group meetings of the Controlled Quantum Dynamics group at Imperial College London. Talk titled: “Gravimetry through nonlinear optomechanics”.

Departmental and group meeting seminars

  1. April 2022: 60 minute talk in the Levitated Hybrid Quantum Devices group at Chalmers University titled “Cooling through parametric modulations and phase-preserving quantum measurements“.
  2. February 2022: 60 minute talk in the Soft@Nordita seminars at Nordita on “Cooling through parametric modulations and phase-preserving quantum measurements“.
  3. February 2022: 60 minute talk in Frank Wilczek’s group meeting at Nordita on “Cooling through parametric modulations and phase-preserving quantum measurements“.
  4. November 2021: 60 minute talk in Frank Wilczek’s group at Nordita on “Hydrogenic entanglement”.
  5. November 2021: 30 minute talk in the Continuous Variables meeting for theory and experiments with researchers at KTH, SU and Chalmers titled: “Nonlinear optomechanics: dynamics and applications”.
  6. November 2021: 60 minute talk as part of the Scientific Fika Meetings at Nordita on “Bell’s Theorem: The fantastic implications of entanglement and where to find them.”
  7. May 2021: 40 minute talk in Prof Frank Wilczek’s group on “Lie algebra solutions for nonlinear quantum dynamics“
  8. July 2020: 30-minute tutorial for the Quantum Measurement Lab at Imperial College London titled “Introduction to quantum metrology”
  9. May 2020: 30-minute talk at the Theory morning meeting at Imperial Colleg London titled “Gravity sensing with optomechanical systems”.
  10. October 2019: 45-minute talk at the Optomechanics Group Meeting at University College London on Hydrogenic entanglement.
  11. March 2019: 5-minute talk at the QClub Lunch Meeting at University College London titled: “Mesoscopic entanglement from central-potential interactions”.
  12. January 2019: Talk at the Quantum Technologies Club at University College London titled: “Mesoscopic entanglement from central-potential interactions”.
  13. January 2019: Seminar in the Optomechanics Group Meeting at University College London titled: “Enhanced nonlinearity through optomechanical modulation”.
  14. October 2018: Talk at the Foundations Reading Group at University College London titled: “Gravitational entanglement”
  15. December 2017: Talk at the University College London Open Day titled: “Overview of the research carried out in Prof Serafini’s and Prof Bose’s groups”.
  16. June 2017: Talk at the QCumber Workshop titled: “Using qubits to measure the cosmological constant”.
  17. March 2017: Talk at the Quantum Technologies Club at University College London titled: “Qubits around a black hole: An introduction to relativistic quantum information”
  18. March 2017: Talk at the Foundations Reading Group at University College London titled: “Causality in physical theories”.

Research visits

  • April 2022: Visit to Chalmers, Göteborg.
  • January 2019: Visit to collaborators at the Free University Berlin.
  • January 2019: Visit to collaborators at the University of Tübingen.
  • March-June 2019: Extended research visit to the University of Vienna, hosted by Markus Aspelmeyer.

Teaching and marking

  • 2017-2019: Teaching assistant on 1st-year Natural Science course titled Interdisciplinary Research Skills. I mentored 7 students the first year and 14 students the second year on projects involving quantum computing, quantum cryptography and quantum foundations.
  • 2018: Marked problem sheets for the MRes Advanced Quantum Optics course. Also held a tutorial on the solutions.
  • 2018: Marked problem sheets for the MSc Quantum Computing course.

Supervision and mentoring

Masters students

  • 2019-2020: Ruby Stoddart – Entanglement in Hydrogenic dynamics – University College London –
    Awarded the Brian Duff Undergraduate Summer Research Studentship
  • 2021-2022: Suocheng Zhao – Cat states in dissipative environments – Free University Berlin.

PhD students

  • 2019-2022: Lydia Kanari-Naish – Entanglement in pulsed optomechanics – Imperial College London

PhD thesis examinations

  • 2022: Pil Maria Saugmann, Stockholm University
    Thesis title: A quantum for a quantum: Quantum simulators in exotic lattices

Outreach

  1. October 2022: Gave a talk in the “News and Views” series aimed at undergraduate physics students at Stockholm University on Bell’s theorem, in light of the recent 2022 Nobel Prize.
  2. February 2022: Gave a talk to Brainpool as part of their Digital Inspiration Club, which provides stimulating talks for students who want to go beyond the standard material taught in school.
  3. October 2021: Participated in “Låna en Foskare“, which is a part of the European Researchers’ Night.
  4. 2017 – present: I run the website VIP@University, where VIP stands for ‘visually impaired person’, which aims to inspire visually impaired people to study at university. The website contains a number of blog posts by different writers who studied a variety of subjects.
  5. 2019 – present: I produce a podcast called University InSight, where I interview people with visual impairment who studied at university. The goal is to share tips and tricks employed by visually impaired people to improve access to higher education.
  6. 8th of November 2019: Assisted the organisation of an outreach day for 45 GCSE students in collaboration with the charity TechGirls
  7. October/February 2018: Organised two open days with funding from Google’s Women TechMakers in collaboration with the charity TechGirls for 25 GCSE students. The days consisted of talks by staff and student and a quantum computing workshop using the IBMQ interface.
  8. May 2017: I wrote an article for the Swedish magazine Legatus Mensae on the future of quantum computing and quantum cryptography.
  9. May 2017 – present: I am the founder and editor of the website VIP@University, where ‘VIP’ stands for “visually impaired person”. On the website I have collected stories and experiences by visually impaired students on how to study at university with a visual disability. The goal of the website is to inspire VIPs to study at university.

Academic community life

  1. 2022: Co-organiser of the WINQ Seminar Series.
  2. 2020-2021: Chair of the UniKORN Seminars organising committee
  3. 2020-2021: Member of the BORN Steering Group
  4. 15th-17th of November 2019: Participated in the UCL physics Cumberland Lodge retreat for undergraduate physics students. Performed a musical piece for their amusement.
  5. 2018-2019: Ran the Quantum Foundations Reading Group, a weekly seminar series with invited speakers who address various topics in the foundations of quantum theory, gravity and mathematics.
  6. 2017-2018: Co-funded and ran the Quantum Technologies Club, a bi-weekly seminar series for the UCL CDT students to get together and share their research.