Kirsten Morris

My research is in coding theory, particularly quantum error correction. In my research, I use tools from areas such as graph theory, combinatorics, and algebra to analyze quantum error-correcting codes and decoding algorithms.

 

While quantum computing has incredible potential, it is very error-prone, both intrinsically, due to the fragile nature of quantum states, and due to our current hardware implementation capabilities.

 

Quantum error correction focuses on designing robust codes that can help mitigate these errors. I’ve particularly focused on analyzing decoding algorithms for quantum Low Density Parity Check (QLDPC) codes.

 

I enjoy studying QLDPC codes because they have a graph-based representation, which means we can analyze their performance under various decoders using graph theory and combinatorics!

 

Some questions I ask in my research include “What graph structures intrinsic to a code’s graph representation cause decoder failure?” and “How can we design or represent QLDPC codes to minimize the number of these problematic graph structures?”