Haocun Yu is joining the University of Tennessee, Knoxville as an assistant professor. She is enthusiastic about interdisciplinary research that advances quantum technologies and explores fundamental questions about our universe. Previously, she was a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Vienna, where she worked on quantum sensing and metrology using entangled photons, contributing to efforts to bridge quantum mechanics and gravity. She earned her Ph.D. in physics at MIT as a member of the LIGO group, where she implemented quantum squeezing techniques in kilometer-scale detectors, enabling quantum-enhanced interferometry for gravitational-wave astronomy. Her work has been recognized with several honors, including the APS Carl E. Anderson DLS Dissertation Award and the Boeing Quantum Creators Prize.
Presentation Title:
Harnessing Quantum Light: From Fundamental Physics to Computing
Presentation Abstract:
Advanced quantum optical techniques are transforming our ability to probe fundamental physics and drive progress in information processing. Two well-established categories of quantum optical states—squeezed states and single-photon states—are critical in this advancement. I will highlight how these states have enhanced the sensitivity of precision interferometric measurements in the context of gravitational-wave detection and the quantum-gravity interplay, marking breakthroughs in quantum sensing and metrology. These advances also pave the way for creating unprecedented quantum optical states that expand the Hilbert space for quantum computing and enable potential advantages in quantum machine learning.