Hello! I’m Sarah, a PhD candidate in the Illinois Physics Department. I joined the group in 2021 and work at the intersection of quantum information theory and cryptography.
There is plenty of motivation to study cryptography in a post-quantum world in which quantum computers exist. Some researchers study post-quantum cryptography, which is entirely classical but can potentially defend against quantum adversaries. In quantum cryptography, all players are quantum in general and we can make use of unique quantum properties to protect information.
My quantum cryptography research focuses on the very fundamental limits of what is possible in the quantum setting. I consider fundamental “building-block” protocols called cryptographic primitives (e.g., oblivious transfer, bit commitment, secret sharing). Some limitations of quantum computers in implementing these primitives are known, but further precisions may be made. The aforementioned explorations often intersect with other topics in quantum information, including error correction.
My published research can be found on my Google Scholar. In my free time I run the Physics Department French Club, open to all. I also try and update my personal website with stories and advice I hope is helpful to students trying to follow in my footsteps.
