Question: Would you like to briefly describe your research area and current research hotspots in your area?
My research area is in quantum information and quantum computing. The overarching goal of this research area is to build a new type of computer, called a quantum computer. Such a computer exploits the laws of quantum mechanics to solve problems that cannot be solved on the current desktop computers. This is possible because the laws of quantum mechanics, which are the physical laws that describe the microscopic world of atoms, are fundamentally different from those that describe our everyday physical experience.
The world of quantum mechanics is strange and fascinating. For example, in quantum mechanics an atom behaves both as a particle and a wave. Theoretical physicists have discovered algorithms that exploit the particle-wave behaviour of atoms to solve mathematical problems. A famous example is the factorisation of an integer number into its prime numbers, for instance, 6 can be written as the product of the two prime numbers 2 and 3. Factorisation of large numbers into primes is computationally hard and therefore certain public-key cryptosystems rely on it. However, on a quantum computer this problem can be easily solved, and this poses a danger for cryptography. Another advantage of quantum computing is in its potential to simulate large physical systems, such as cold gases. As the Nobel prize winner Richard Feynman put it, 「nature is not classical, and to simulate nature, one needs to make it quantum mechanical」.
Currently, I am working on the development of novel algorithms to simulate large systems on a quantum computer. Although for now there exists no universal quantum computer, large companies such as Google and IBM are investing in quantum computing, and China, Europe and USA are also putting significant resources into it. This provides good opportunities for young researchers to learn about quantum computing and discover new phenomena and technologies down the road. For example, researchers are developing blueprints for a quantum internet, a network of quantum computers that can exchange information with each other. I find this research area very interesting as there is much future potential in it. I believe that the next decade will be the era of quantum mechanics and people will start using quantum-based technology in their daily lives.
碩士畢業後,我發覺自己很想繼續學習,成為一名更優秀的研究人員。由於伊朗的科學不像其他一些國家那麼發達,所以我決定申請去美國或加拿大讀研究生。最後,我獲得了位於德國德雷斯頓的馬克斯.普朗克研究所(the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems)的博士職位,該研究所在凝聚態物理方面擁有國際知名的團隊。
Question: How did your journey from Iran into Germany academia start? From the perspective of an Iranian scholar, what is the most prominent working cultural differences between Germany and Iran?
After finishing my undergraduate studies in physics at the University in Urmia, I was admitted to the Master program in condensed matter physics at the Tehran University. I very enjoyed studying at the Tehran university a lot as professors are internationally renowned researchers in their area and they have experience working outside Iran. Particularly, I was inspired by the rigorous attitude of my thesis supervisor towards science.
After my Master studies I wanted to continue learning about science and become an excellent researcher. As science in Iran is not as well developed as in some other countries, I decided to apply for graduate studies in the USA or Canada. In the end, I was offered a PhD position at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden, Germany, which has an internationally renowned group in condensed matter physics.
Because of political issues it took me more than one year before the visa was issued. Nevertheless, I think that moving to Germany was the right decision as I have learned a lot at the Max Planck Institute. The institute’s view Iran as there is a larger exchange of ideas with international visitors. The work atmosphere toward science is more professional than that in was friendly as several of my colleagues were also expats and this made it easier for me to relate to them and build friendships.
Since Iran is an Islamic society, the social and cultural life is quite different from that in Germany. For example, in Germany my colleagues would meet up for beers after work, while in Iran we would meet for a tea or a coffee. When I look back, I have left Iran for 10 years, and it has been a long-life journey from Iran to Germany.
我對加入漢諾威大學很感興趣,因為它在量子計算方面有很好的聲譽,並且以量子光學而聞名。此外,漢諾威還擁有幾個優秀的研究中心,比如阿爾伯特.愛因斯坦引力波研究所(Albert Einstein Institute for gravitational waves)。由於我在凝聚態物理、機器學習和量子計算方面有豐富經驗,我被他們選中並得到了一個寶貴的職位,我也很高興能在這個研究小組工作。在未來的三年裡,我將專注於開發用於量子電腦上類比量子系統的演算法。
Question: Why did you choose to do research at University of Hannover? How do you feel about life in Hannover?
After working for a few years in the private sector, I wanted to return to the academic sector to learn about quantum computing as I believe that this will become an important research area in the coming decade. Currently in the academic sector one can learn more about quantum computing than in the private sector as researchers are given more freedom in academia.
I was interested in joining the University of Hannover as it has a good reputation group in quantum computing, and it is famous for quantum optics. Also, Hanover hosts several excellent research centres, such as the Albert Einstein Institute for gravitational waves. Because of my diverse experience in condensed matter physics, machine learning, and quantum computing, I was selected for the position they needed, and I am thrilled to have started working in this research group. In the next three years I will be developing algorithms to simulate quantum systems on a quantum computer.
I only moved recently to Hanover and still have much to explore. Hanover is more international than the east of Germany where I was living before. There is a lot of green space in the city, and it has an enormous forest called the Eilenriede. The Eilenriede is the largest urban forest in Europe and a wonderful place to hang out on the weekend with its web of footpaths, lakes, and forest inns.
Question: Have you visited China before? How was it like?
Yes, I visited China in 2015 through a student exchange program. My PhD supervisor, who was at the time a group leader at the Max Planck institute for the physics of Complex systems, was offered a professor position at Zheijang University in Hangzhou. Nowadays, there are many job opportunities at Chinese universities and because of the fast development of science and technology in China, Chinese universities are becoming attractive destinations for European researchers. China is investing in quantum computing and therefore it may become one of the leading players in the world in quantum computing research. Thus, when my PhD supervisor moved indefinitely to Hangzhou I took the opportunity to study and do research at Zheijang University.
My first impression of Zheijang University was that the relaxing atmosphere on the university campus. It has beautiful green areas and a water channel. The university is always open which makes it more accessible for researchers with flexible working hours. Students were welcoming, polite, and helpful. I found that Chinese students were open to discuss, eager to learn, and there was a strong spirit of collaboration. At the time, there were several international visitors and some ongoing conferences, which created a vibrant research atmosphere.
Together with my supervisor we visited the Lingyin and Jingci temples. I was impressed by the sheer size of the temples and their statues. It made me curious about the history of Hangzhou and I learned that it was the capital of China under the Wuyue kingdom. The food in the city was very good, in particular, the soups were delicious. I also liked the habit of restaurants to offer hot water before a meal. One day I would like to travel to China again and take the opportunity to see more cities including Beijing and Shanghai.
Question: In your opinion, how does research in the private sector compares with research in academia?
I can relate well to this question as I have worked both in the academic sector and in the private sector as a machine learning and quantum software engineer. In my experience, academic researchers mostly search for a proof of concept, and it is, in general, not that important to have a final product or practical outcome. On the other hand, in the industry the financial growth of the company is the most important aspect. A company must attract customers that want to buy their products or services, and for this reason research in the private sector is often focused on product development and managing the expectations of customers.
An advantage of working in the industry is that one gets exposed to technical skills that one would not learn in an academic environment. Also, private companies offer higher salaries and more favorable contracts. In this sense the private sector provides more stability for young researchers.
On the other hand, when working in the academic sector you have more freedom, and you can spend more time on your personal development as a researcher. For example, in academia, it is acceptable to have side projects out of personal interest, which is not possible in the private sector. I think research freedom is important for young researchers that still are developing their independent thinking, and this is one of the reasons why I returned to the academic sector after working for several years in private companies. Another advantage of working at universities is that you can travel to conferences, meet influential researchers, and establish new collaborations.
Overall, my impression is that the gap between industry and academia is reducing and the speed at which scientific discoveries are converted into technology is increasing. This creates an exciting era for technology.
龔鵬程:問得好,但都是中國聖人孔子所說的「大哉問」,不容易簡單回答。我只能說:Wu是「無」,Qi是「氣」,都是中國哲學或文化中極為重要的觀念。近年,卡普拉(Fritjof Capra)《物理學之道:近代物理學與東方神秘主義》( The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism)等科學哲學家非常重視這些觀念,認為可以打破西方古典形而上學世界觀,以及由它所演變出的文藝復興、啟蒙運動的理性價值觀。這也是您說它們「是一種用來理解世界的不同方法」的緣故。
Question: I would like to thank Professor Gong who kindly invited me to this dialogue. I found the questions interesting, and I think this was a good opportunity to make the general public aware of the current interests of scientists. It is known that Professor Gong is a worldwide leading expert in Chinese culture and Chinese philosophy. I would like to ask Professor Gong two questions.
- The first question is about the Chinese concepts of Wu and Qi. What is the precise meaning of these two concepts and how are they related to each other? I find this fascinating. It is a different approach to understand the world.
- The second question is about the extent of Chinese power and culture in the world. What will be the influence of Chinese culture on the world in the next 30 years?
Well, good questions. These are so-called 「great questions」 by the Chinese sage Confucius, which are not easy to answer simply. I would say that 「Wu」 means “Emptiness” and 「Qi」 is a circulating life force, both of which are extremely important concepts in Chinese philosophy. In recent years, philosophers such as Fritjof Capra wrote The Tao of Physics: An Exploration of the Parallels between Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism and showed an great interests in these concepts, believing that they can break the western classical metaphysical world view, as well as the rational values of Renaissance and Enlightenment that evolved from it. That’s why you said they are “a different approach to understand the world」. There are concepts such as Qi, Presence, Absence, Thingness, Emptiness, Changeability, Non-permanence, Non-centrality, Out-of-thingness from the interpretation of Lao Tsu, Zhuang Zi and Buddhism. These concepts have been widely discussed in China, and the selection and interpretation of modern philosophers of science are also different, so some further discussions are needed. However, thank you for reminding me that this is indeed a topic of communication between East and West, tradition and present. I will try to organize a seminar to discuss Wu and Qi in the future. Meanwhile, the perspective of China in the world in the future is equally difficult to predict. As the saying goes, “Man can promote the road, not the road promote man.” The length of the road depends on where a man can go.