I am a theoretical physicist working at the Centre for Engineered Quantum Systems at Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia.

I went to high school at Armidale High School, Australia, and graduated as Dux of the school. Following this I obtained a first class Honours degree in computer systems and electrical engineering at the University of Queensland, Australia, with a thesis titled “Non-idealized models in linear optics quantum computing”. I then obtained a PhD in theoretical physics from the University of Queensland, with my thesis “Towards optical quantum information processing”. Subsequently I moved to the University of Oxford as a post-doctoral researcher in quantum computing and quantum information theory. I worked briefly as a software engineer and bio-informatician, before returning to the world of physics as a post-doctoral researcher at the Max-Planck Institute for the Science of Light in Germany. I then returned to the University of Queensland as a post-doctoral researcher, worked at the University of Paderborn, and finally moved to Macquarie University.

My research interests include quantum computing, quantum information theory and quantum optics. In particular, I have focussed my research efforts on liner optics quantum computing, the spectral structure of photons, photo-detection and photon engineering, the characterization of photons, cluster state quantum computing, quantum fault tolerance issues, and, more recently, quantum random walks and their application to implementing quantum algorithms. I work closely with experimental groups to design and optimize experimental implementations of quantum information processing protocols.

Outside of physics I’m a keen mountaineer and rock climber, drummer, DJ, composer, singer, debater and public speaker, traveller and adrenaline junkie. I’m heavily involved in liberal politics in both Australia and Germany and speak regularly at political functions in youth politics. I have also worked on the election campaigns for several politicians at the federal, state and local levels in Australia, and contribute articles to the Australian Libertarian Society.