Principal Investigator
Gregory Quiroz, Ph.D.
Associate Research Professor
About Me: Gregory Quiroz is from Los Angeles, California. He received B.S. degrees in Physics and Applied Mathematics from the University of California, Riverside in 2007. He went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Southern California in 2013. During his undergraduate and graduate career, Dr. Quiroz’s research focused on adiabatic quantum computation and quantum control. After graduate school, he worked at the Aerospace Corporation until 2016, where he investigated quantum key distribution and quantum algorithm development. Currently, Dr. Quiroz holds positions as a principal staff scientist at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab and as an associate research professor within the Department of Physics and Astronomy. His current research interests include scalable techniques for noise characterization and management for quantum computing and sensing systems.
Graduate Students
Rocio Gonzalez
Expected Graduation Date: 2026
About Me: Originally from Santiago, Chile, Rocío González Meza is a PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins University in the William H. Miller III Department of Physics and Astronomy. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Universidad de Chile (FCFM). Rocío’s research focuses on device characterization using Quantum Noise Spectroscopy (QNS) as a platform-agnostic technique. In addition to her theoretical work, she conducts experimental research on superconducting qubits at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, investigating the effects of noise in quantum systems. While her academic background began in condensed matter physics, Rocío has shifted her focus to quantum noise characterization, primarily in superconducting qubits. Her work combines theoretical and experimental approaches to deepen our understanding of noise in quantum devices. In addition to her research, Rocío is dedicated to teaching and mentoring. She has served as a teaching assistant at Johns Hopkins and as a part-time lecturer in Chile. She also enjoys participating in outreach programs, including robotics education for children and teenagers.
Will Watkins
Expected Graduation Date: 2027
About Me: William Watkins is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physics from the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Physics from Johns Hopkins University. During his undergraduate career, William researched privacy-preserving techniques in quantum machine learning at Brookhaven National Laboratory. In graduate school, he works on engineering noise suppression strategies for quantum algorithms. His current research interests include variational quantum algorithms, dynamical Lie algebras, and non-Markovian noise.
George Arapantonis
Expected Graduation Date: 2027
About Me: George Arapantonis is originally from Mytilini, Lesvos, Greece. He received his B.S. degree in Physics from the University of Crete in 2022. During his undergraduate studies, he focused on applying machine learning techniques for parameter optimization to achieve quantum targeted energy transfer. Currently, he is a graduate student in the Ph.D. program in Physics at Johns Hopkins University. Under the guidance of Dr. Quiroz, he investigates the interplay between entanglement and the performance of the Quantum Approximate Optimization Algorithm.
Erick Solis Rivas
Expected Graduation Date: 2028
About Me: Erick was born in El Salvador and grew up in New York before calling Maryland his home in 2024. He attended Queens College for his B.A. in Finance and Economics. After completing his thesis, “The Effect of Google Fiber on Incumbents’ Average Broadband Speed,” Erick received his master’s in economics at Hunter College, as part of the Hunter African School Program to Expand Representation in Economics (HASPERE). In 2025, he earned his master’s in Applied Mathematics and Statistics from Johns Hopkins University and was a teaching fellow at the Explore Engineering Innovation (EEI) Program. Currently, Erick is pursuing a Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics and Statistics with a focus on quantum control of qubit systems.
Undergraduate Students
Teddy Starynski
Expected Graduation Date: 2027
About Me: Teddy Starynski is from Lansdale, Pennsylvania. They are studying Physics and Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University. Their research interests include quantum computing, in particular, error correction.
Yuki Matsumoto
Expected Graduation Date: 2025
About Me: Yuki Matsumoto is from Yokohama, Japan. She is studying Electrical and Computer Engineering / Applied Mathematics and Statistics at the Johns Hopkins University. Her research interests include quantum computing, microelectronics, and nanotechnology.
Former Group Members
Shantanu Misra
Degree: B.S. Electrical and Computer Engineering, B.S. Physics
Current position: Business Analyst, GlobalFoundries
Abhiram Nallamalli
Degree: M.S. Applied Physics
Current position: Staff scientist, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Zackary White
Degree: PhD Physics
Current position: Post-doctoral fellow at University of Connecticut under Prof. Alexander Balatsky
Kevin Fernando
Degree: M.S. Physics
Yasuo Oda
Degree: PhD Physics
Current position: Post-doctoral fellow at UMBC under Prof. Jason Kestner
Malick Gaye
Degree: B.S. Physics
Current position: PhD student at University of Rochester
Fanuel Mammo
Degree: B.S. Material Science and Engineering & Chemistry
Current position: PhD student at Georgia Institute of Technology
Diego Elias
Degree: B.S. Applied Mathematics and Statistics
Ryan Sitler
Degree: M.S. Applied Physics
Current position: Staff scientist at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Zeyuan (Victor) Zhou
Degree: B.S. Physics and Mathematics, M.S. Financial Mathematics
Current position: PhD student at Yale University working under Prof. Yongshan Ding