This highly competitive fellowship is designed to provide early career scientists and engineers with exceptional promise the opportunity to pursue their own research projects and contribute to the knowledge base required for a healthy and innovative national culture. Previous physicists to hold the fellowship include Nobel Prize winners Peter Higgs and Paul Dirac.
Dr Rubino was selected as one of this year’s eight recipients of the three-year fellowship from across physical and biological sciences, mathematics, applied sciences and engineering. Dr Rubino’s award recognises her pioneering contributions in the field of quantum foundations, where she has led both theoretical and experimental research studies spanning quantum optics, quantum information theory, and quantum thermodynamics and, more recently, integrated photonics.
Dr Rubino will undertake developing a photonic chip-scale technology that can reverse (or ‘undo’) changes made to quantum particles in a controlled way, without the need to know exactly what those changes were. She will explore how her new devices can be used to enhance reliability and efficiency of quantum communication networks.
Expressing her gratitude upon receiving the fellowship, Dr Rubino said: “I am deeply honoured to have been awarded this prestigious fellowship. This opportunity represents a crucial step towards my professional independence, while remaining within an institution that has already contributed so much to my growth and development.”
Praising Dr Rubino’s achievement, Profesor Jens Marklof, Dean of the Faculty of Science, said: “Many congratulations to Dr Rubino for securing this exceptional award, which will allow her to pursue a ground-breaking research programme at Bristol’s Quantum Engineering Technology Labs and the Bristol Quantum SRI. The Royal Commission of 1851 Fellowships are amongst the most prestigious early career awards in the UK, providing dedicated mentoring and research support to kick-start the career of the country’s most talented researchers. Well done, Giulia!”
Dr Rubino is awarded her fellowship as a member of the University of Bristol’s experimental effort in the Quantum Engineering Technology Labs and the Bristol Quantum Information Theory group, and the wider Bristol Quantum Information Institute. The fellowship will facilitate a new collaboration with the research team of Prof Mio Murao at the University of Tokyo, who originated work that inspired Dr Rubino’s vision.