Postgraduate Studentships
Proposed Project Title: Quantum Data Processing
Principal Supervisor:  Dr. John McAllister 

Project Description:

Digital signal, image and data processing pervade our everyday lives, their ubiquity driven by 50 years of Moore’s Law. Moore’s Law is now at an end, yet the demands of ever more complex data processing applications continues relentlessly. This presents a major problem for designers of embedded data processing technologies everywhere, from mobile communications through video and image processing to large-scale data processing applications.

However, recent advances in quantum computing technologies promise a resolution to this issue, enabling low cost, ultra-low power supercomputing. However, adopting quantum computing techniques requires a radical reworking of the fundamental operations upon which these fields are founded: algebra, statistical analysis, machine learning and many many others. Early results in this area are highly encouraging but are a ‘drop in the ocean’.

This project addresses this technological shortcoming, developing parallel algorithms to power quantum computing in next generation data processing architectures.

Objectives:

1. To study quantum computing techniques and algorithms for data processing
2. Analyse the suitability of existing transform and detection algorithms for quantum computing platforms.
3. Devise novel parallel algorithms for 2 and quantify the improvement over conventional techniques
4. Present initial results in international data processing forums.
5. Publish findings in IEEE journals.

Academic Requirements:

A minimum 2.1 honours degree or equivalent in Mathematics, Physics, Electronic Engineering, Computer Science or another relevant discipline.

GENERAL INFORMATION

This 3 year PhD studentship, potentially funded by the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL), commences on 1 October 2015.

Eligibility for both fees and maintenance (£13,863 in 2014/15, 2015/16 TBC) depends on the applicants being either an ordinary UK resident or those EU residents who have lived permanently in the UK for the 3 years immediately preceding the start of the studentship. Non UK residents who hold EU residency may also apply but if successful may receive fees only.

Please note: DEL awards are available for Home and EU candidates only.

Applicants should apply electronically through the Queen’s online application portal at:
https://dap.qub.ac.uk/portal/

Further information available at:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/eeecs/StudyattheSchool/PhDProgrammes

Contact detail

Supervisor Name: Dr. John McAllister
QUB Address: ECIT, Northern Ireland Science Park,
Queen’s Island, Belfast BT3 9DT
Tel: +44 (0)28 9097 1743
Email: jp.mcallister<στο>qub.ac.uk

Deadline for submission of applications is 27^th February 2015.

For further information on Research Area click on link below:
http://www.ecit.qub.ac.uk/Research/SecureDigitalSystems/