New professor of theoretical quantum computing
Professor Christophe Piveteau has been appointed the new assistant professor of theoretical quantum computing in the Faculty of Science.
23 June 2026
Christophe Piveteau studied at ETH Zurich, where he earned two bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and physics, as well as a master’s degree in physics. In 2025, he obtained his doctorate in quantum information theory. His dissertation focused on the simulation of quantum circuits on limited quantum computers.
After earning his doctorate, he worked as a postdoc at the National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (Inria) in Paris, supported by a Postdoc.Mobility scholarship from the Swiss National Science Foundation. In 2026, he became a research scientist at IBM Research in Rüschlikon. His research focuses on quantum information theory, quantum computing, and error correction and detection.
Intersection of physics, computer science, and applied mathematics
Piveteau develops methods that allow quantum circuits to be simulated, broken down and efficiently evaluated even under realistic hardware conditions. These include circuit cutting, error mitigation approaches and quantum error correction. He is also working on new quantum algorithms to solve problems in coding theory. His research combines theoretical foundations with algorithmic development and is relevant to interdisciplinary questions at the intersection of physics, computer science and applied mathematics.
The 30-year-old will take up his position as assistant professor with tenure track in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science on 1 February 2027. The professorship is part of the National Center of Competence in Research “NCCR SPIN: Spin Qubits in Silicon”, which is led by researchers from the University of Basel.
