William Cutler

Experimental Atomic Physicist

I still remember the disbelief I felt when I first heard about the famous quantum factoring algorithm by Peter Shor in high school. What do you mean it’s possible to make the world’s fastest supercomputer feel as slow as molasses with the help of quantum mechanics? As I pursued my undergraduate degree in Computer Science/Physics at Northeastern University, I learned more and more about quantum computing and was struck by two things. First, that it’s a perfect intellectual marriage of computer science and physics, combining them at the most fundamental level. Second, that it had the potential to revolutionize research in critical areas like drug discovery, materials science, and large-scale quantum systems. Needless to say, I was hooked!

Here at Oxford, I work on an ion-trap experiment, in which we isolate individual Barium ions and hold them in place using precise electric forces. These Barium ions form a chain, or a register, in which each ion can store one (or more) quantum bits or ‘qubits’ of information. By shining particular laser beams at these ions we can manipulate this quantum information, and in doing so create a small quantum computer. While our device is not big enough to directly run algorithms that will beat even a laptop, it’s a highly configurable test-bed for discovering and demonstrating the techniques and algorithms that will make ground-breaking quantum computation possible. For more information, please see our webpage in the Oxford Ion Trapping Group.

I am a strong believer in public outreach, especially in a field like quantum computing which is prone to mis-informed hype due to its potential impact. While an undergrad, I taught quantum computing to middle and high school students located around the world through The Coding School’s “Qubit by Qubit” program. Additionally, in February of 2024, I gave a TED Talk titled “Debate Like a Scientist”, in which I discuss a science-inspired approach anyone can follow to understand and productively discuss today’s pressing issues.

Beyond research and outreach, I enjoy hiking, playing squash, and playing clarinet in the Oxford University Wind Orchestra.