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Thomas Wong, PhD

Assistant Professor

Physics

T Wong

Contact

ThomasWong@creighton.edu
College of Arts and Sciences
Graduate School
Medical Physics (Master of Science)
Physics (Master of Science)
Physics
HLSB - Hixson Lied Science Building - G66

Thomas Wong, PhD

Assistant Professor

Physics

Tom is an American physicist who researches quantum computing at the intersection of physics and computer science. He is best known for exploring how quantum computers search for information in databases and networks, and for introducing a new type of quantum computer that utilizes effective nonlinearities.

He is currently a tenure-track assistant professor of physics at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He also serves on the editorial board of Quantum Information Processing, a quantum computing journal published by Springer Nature.

Prior to joining Creighton, Tom was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Texas at Austin under Dr. Scott Aaronson. Before that, he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Latvia under Dr. Andris Ambainis. Tom earned his PhD in theoretical physics from UC San Diego in 2014 under the guidance of Dr. David Meyer, and his dissertation was selected as the best thesis in the Division of Physical Sciences. Before that, he graduated from Santa Clara University in 2008, triple majoring in physics, computer science, and mathematics while minoring in urban education.

During graduate school, Tom was a highly-rated adjunct professor at the University of San Diego. Before graduate school, he held a teaching credential and taught mathematics at Downtown College Prep, an inner-city high school.

While in graduate school, Tom designed, built, and programmed a photo booth, which he turned into a successful business. While in undergrad, Tom interned for IBM for two years, where he created a system to manage test software for enterprise disk storage systems.

Finally, as an Eagle Scout, Tom enjoys backpacking and the outdoors. He also plays guitar, renovates homes, and enjoys open source software.

Research Focus

Quantum computing

Department

Physics

Position

Assistant Professor

Articles

  • Physical Review A
    Search by Lackadaisical Quantum Walk with Nonhomogeneous Weights 2019
  • Isolated Vertices in Continuous-Time Quantum Walks on Dynamic Graphs 2019
  • Physical Review A
    Quantum walk search on the complete bipartite graph
    99, p. 032301 2019
  • Physical Review A
    Optimal Quantum Walk Search on Kronecker Graphs with Dominant or Fixed Regular Initiators
    98, p. 062334 2018
  • Physical Review A
    Quantum walk search on Kronecker graphs
    98, p. 012338 2018
  • Quantum Information Processing
    Faster search by lackadaisical quantum walk
    17, p. 68 2018
  • Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
    Coined quantum walks on weighted graphs
    50(47), p. 475301 2017
  • Quantum Information Processing
    Equivalence of Szegedy’s and coined quantum walks
    16, p. 215 2017
  • Quantum Information Processing
    Exceptional quantum walk search on the cycle
    16, p. 154 2017
  • Physical Review A
    Oscillatory localization of quantum walks analyzed by classical electric circuits
    94, p. 062324 2016
  • Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
    Quantum walk search through potential barriers
    49(48), p. 484002 2016
  • Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
    Doubling the success of quantum walk search using internal-state measurements
    49(45), p. 455301 2016
  • Physical Review A
    Stationary states in quantum walk search
    94, p. 032334 2016
  • Physical Review A
    Engineering the success of quantum walk search using weighted graphs
    94, p. 022304 2016
  • Quantum Information Processing
    Laplacian versus adjacency matrix in quantum walk search
    15(10), p. 4029-4048 2016
  • Physical Review A
    Irreconcilable difference between quantum walks and adiabatic quantum computing
    93, p. 062313 2016
  • Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
    Quantum walk search on Johnson graphs
    49(19), p. 195303 2016
  • Quantum Information Processing
    Spatial search by continuous-time quantum walk with multiple marked vertices
    15(4), p. 1411-1443 2016
  • Quantum Information Processing
    Quantum walk on the line through potential barriers
    15(2), p. 675-688 2015
  • Quantum Information and Computation
    Correcting for Potential Barriers in Quantum Walk Search
    15, p. 1365 2015
  • Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
    Grover search with lackadaisical quantum walks
    48(43), p. 435304 2015
  • Physical Review A
    Faster quantum walk search on a weighted graph
    92, p. 032320 2015
  • Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
    Quantum walk search with time-reversal symmetry breaking
    48(40), p. 405303 2015
  • Physical Review A
    Quantum search with multiple walk steps per oracle query
    92, p. 022338 2015
  • Physical Review Letters
    Connectivity is a Poor Indicator of Fast Quantum Search
    114, p. 110503 2015
  • Quantum Information Processing
    Diagrammatic Approach to Quantum Search
    14(6), p. 1767-1775 2015
  • Completeness is Unnecessary for Fast Nonlinear Quantum Search 2015
  • Physical Review Letters
    Global Symmetry is Unnecessary for Fast Quantum Search
    112, p. 210502 2014
  • Physical Review A
    Quantum Search with General Nonlinearities
    89, p. 012312 2014
  • New Journal of Physics
    Nonlinear Quantum Search Using the Gross-Pitaevskii Equation
    15, p. 063014 2013
  • Applied Mathematical Finance
    Optimal Asset Allocation for Passive Investing with Capital Loss Harvesting
    18(4), p. 291-329 2011
  • European Journal of Physics
    Treatment of ion-atom collisions using a partial-wave expansion of the projectile wavefunction
    39, p. 447 2009

Publications

  • University of California
    Nonlinear Quantum Search 2014
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