Associate Professor

Experimental Quantum Information Science

Dr. Wang will be joining the department in July 2026.

Could you provide a brief introduction to yourself, including your academic background and area of research?

I’m an experimental physicist working in quantum information science with a focus on quantum computing. I work with solid-state electrical devices, especially microwave circuits made of superconducting materials which I manipulate into exotic quantum states for information processing. In some sense, we are a quantum optics lab that plays with manufactured “atoms” that are millimeters in size using programmable “lasers” in the GHz frequency range. This type of research underpins the technologies behind the experimental superconducting quantum computers (e.g. from Google, IBM, etc) that you may have seen in the news.

I completed my undergraduate studies in physics at Peking University and earned my PhD at Cornell where I worked on spin transport in nanomagnetic devices. I transitioned into quantum information science during my postdoctoral work at Yale. Before coming to UofT, I’ve been a faculty member at UMass Amherst for about 10 years.

Could you share some details about your current interests and any specific projects you are working on?

My main research goal currently is to build more robust logical qubits, moving from simple but fragile physical qubits to systems that can reliably store and process quantum information. I approach this from multiple angles: materials science, Hamiltonian design, driven and dissipative dynamics, and quantum error-correcting codes. I’m especially interested in how these layers fit together—how careful hardware design can make error protection more “native” to the device itself.

Right now, two directions are particularly exciting to us. The first is scaling up bosonic quantum error-correcting codes, which encode information in oscillator modes rather than simple two-level systems. These approaches are hardware-efficient and very promising, but scaling them requires advances in coherence, control and architecture. The second direction is understanding the microscopic origins of spurious two-level systems in Josephson tunnel junctions—one of the main sources of decoherence in superconducting circuits.

What is your approach to teaching, and are there specific teaching methods or philosophies you are particularly passionate about?

While teaching, I highlight connections between parallel ideas: physics becomes more intuitive and beautiful when students see how different areas reinforce each other. I also try to communicate genuine enthusiasm on the subject matter, relating how my younger self was puzzled and curious about it. In lab and advanced courses, I encourage students to think like researchers, learning to ask questions, troubleshoot, and make design decisions.

Are there any interdisciplinary or collaborative initiatives you are interested in pursuing within the department?

I enjoy operating at the interface between quantum optics and condensed matter, and am very excited when engaging with the broader quantum information community at UofT. Strong collaboration between theorists and experimentalists, and across subfields, is essential if we want to tackle the big challenges in scalable quantum technologies.

Is there a specific accomplishment you are particularly proud of?

One accomplishment I’m especially proud of is our work on autonomous quantum error correction, which demonstrates a way to stabilize a logical qubit through engineered continuous dissipation, essentially embedding part of the error correction logic directly into the hardware in a passive manner. More recently, we reached the break-even point for such passive quantum error correction for the first time, where the logical qubit lives longer than the underlying physical qubits. This milestone is a meaningful step toward practical fault-tolerant quantum computing.

In what ways do you hope to make an impact within the department and the broader academic community?

I hope to help build and support a strong cohort of students in the ever-evolving field of experimental quantum information science: it’s no longer primarily theoretical, and that makes it an incredibly rich training ground. I believe meaningful progress in quantum technology requires a broad ecosystem across campus, regionally, and nationally, and contribute to building that ecosystem and mentoring students who will shape the next generation of the field.

What advice would you offer to students who are interested in pursuing a career in teaching?

Teaching is a multiplier of your knowledge allowing you to have an impact that extends far beyond your own research. The influence of a good teacher last for decades. In teaching, the same concept can be delivered from many different angles, searching for new ways to present ideas, deepens your own understanding. Continually refining how you present complex ideas is one of the best ways to grow as a teacher and scholar.

Are there any lessons from your own academic journey that you would like to share?

One lesson I’ve learned is that academic success requires a balance between depth and breadth: early on, you need focus and deep expertise in a specific area to establish yourself; at the same time, major breakthroughs often happen at the intersection of disciplines. Maintaining enough breadth to see connections across fields gives you perspective and allows you to ask bigger questions. Scientists who can speak multiple disciplinary “languages” are rare, but they often have a unique ability to drive innovation.

What drew you to join our department, and what aspects do you find most appealing or unique?

I’m drawn to the collegial and welcoming atmosphere of the department with its strong research footprint in both quantum optics and condensed matter. I am excited to be part of the CQIQC community and being able to contribute to a strategic quantum initiative at a nationally leading university is both intellectually exciting and professionally meaningful.

Beyond your academic pursuits, do you have any hobbies or interests that you'd like to share with the department?

I rock climb and play basketball, and follow news on geopolitics, finance, and technologies. I have always been a fan of competitive real-time strategy games.