RIT (Research Interaction Team) in Quantum Information Science, Spring 2026
Organizers:
Kyle Kawagoe, Ariel Rosenfield, Daniel Serrano, Konstantina Trivisa
When and Where:
Mondays, 11am, PSC 3150
Overview:
This iteration of the Quantum Information RIT will involve research teams exploring quantum gates with a mathematics lens (specifically the Clifford hierarchy). During the first few weeks, participants will read this paper and then we will create teams based on topics of interest. For the rest of the semester, teams will work on their projects and informally report on progress based on specific prompts from the organizers.
If interested in joining, reach out to Daniel Serrano (dsvolpe@umd.edu).
Optionally participate to earn 1 credit (AMSC689, Section 5201 for grad students; MATH489 for undergrads). Reach out to Daniel Serrano for help with registration and for information about the for-credit expectations.
Generally, in the RIT we are interested in all aspects of research at the intersection between quantum information science and mathematics. Goals for the seminar include:
- Studying recent research results in quantum information from a mathematical angle;
- Finding examples (old and new) in which existing tools from mathematics have been adapted for application in quantum information;
- Studying quantum algorithms for mathematical problems
- Enabling interaction between researchers interested in collaborating at the intersection between quantum information and mathematics.
Session 3 (02/16, 11am, PSC 3150):
“Clifford hierarchy research project ideas”
In this meeting,
- We will present potential project ideas
- Participants will share project ideas if wanted
- We will start working on team formation
To-do before session:
- Continue reading the Clifford hierarchy paper
- If you have project ideas you’d like to share, come ready with a short pitch (no more than 2-4mins), or send your idea to Daniel, Ari and Kyle ahead of Monday
Session 2 (02/09, 11am, PSC 3150):
“Clifford hierarchy”
In this meeting, we will
- Provide an introductory lecture on the Clifford hierarchy
- Give participants an opportunity to learn about each other
To-do before session:
- Continue reading the Clifford hierarchy paper
- Read on the definition of a group (specialize to matrices)
- Try to grasp the definition of Clifford hierarchy
- Think about how to determine Clifford operations
Session 1 (02/02, 11am, Kirwan Hall 3206):
“Intro and Logistics”
In this meeting, we will
- Give details about the format and logistics of the RIT
- Go over expectations of participants
- Overview the main research focus of the RIT (Clifford hierarchy)
- Provide an introductory lecture on the quantum mechanics needed to pursue the research topic of the RIT