Question: What inspired/intrigued you to try to build a really fast computer out of laser beams and a few extremely cold atoms?

Chris Mansell answered on 18 Jun 2013:

In the summer holiday after my second year at Oxford University, I read a book called “The Fabric of Reality” by David Deutsch. That got me interested in these really fast quantum computers. I didn’t care so much about them becoming commercialised because the book wasn’t about that. The book was more geared towards learning what these quantum devices could tell us about the world. Ever since I had first read about quantum mechanics (which was when I had just finished my GCSEs) I had thought it was fascinating. So when I read about the link between quantum mechanics and computation, I was enthralled.

I couldn’t wait until my fourth year to take the quantum computer course. In that course, I learnt about all the different things out of which you could try to build a quantum computer: atoms, ions, photons, superconductors, quantum dots, nuclear magnetic resonance systems, etc. In my fourth year, I went to a non-compulsory talk where the speaker said some things that made me think extremely cold atoms had the most potential out of all the other possibilities. Later on that year, I saw a poster in one of the physics buildings advertising a PhD position where I would get to work with these extremely cold atoms. I decided to apply and here I am now.

That was my journey. I hope it answers your question.