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Staff Profile

Dr Jonte Hance

Lecturer in Applied Quantum Foundations

Background

I'm currently a Lecturer in Applied Quantum Foundations, in the School of Computing at Newcastle University, and an Honorary Research Associate at the University of Bristol. I have a PhD in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and an MSci in Physics and Philosophy, both at the University of Bristol. After my PhD, I spent a year as a Phoenix Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Hiroshima University.

Research

I research at the intersection of quantum foundations and quantum technologies: using quantum foundations to uncover new phenomena that can be used to develop new quantum technologies, and using quantum technologies to experimentally test models proposed in quantum foundations. Most quantum technologies were originally based on quantum foundational work. For instance, quantum key distribution was developed from the uncertainty principle and no-cloning theorem, quantum computation (by Deutsch’s own account) was developed from quantum parallelism and interference, and quantum metrology was developed from consideration of quantum measurement and back action, and the leveraging of entanglement and squeezing.

My work contributes to the underpinning science of quantum technologies, showing how quantum foundational ideas can be adapted into quantum technological applications. It also shows quantum technologies can benefit quantum foundations – how these technologies can be utilised to test foundational hypotheses and demonstrate foundational principles. Therefore, this work demonstrates the interplay between quantum foundations and quantum technologies. Worldwide, there is currently a race to develop useful quantum technologies. The fact that all quantum technologies were initially based on theoretical quantum foundational work illustrates how critically important quantum foundational research is, and why foundational work is necessary if we want to develop truly new quantum technologies (rather than just making short-term minor enhancements to current technologies).

Teaching

Here at Newcastle University, I currently supervise two MSc Computer Science students for their Project and Dissertation (Unit CSC8099). I am also currently recruiting a PhD student, to start September 2024 (see here for more details). I currently supervise one PhD student at the University of Bristol's Centre for Doctoral Training in Quantum Engineering for their three-month first-year Project A. I am also one of the American Physical Society's 2023/24 cohort of Career Mentoring Fellows.

At the University of Bristol, I served as a Graduate Teacher Level 1 and 2 (Teaching Assistant) for over 400 hours on 8 separate units across the School of Physics, Department of Engineering Maths and Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. This included significant solo teaching in mathematics for physicists and engineers, and in quantum mechanics and quantum information. While doing this, I passed the PGCert Academic Practice unit AFACM0019: Engaging Higher Education Students in their Learning (University of Bristol, 30 credits), and so earned Associate Fellowship of the UK's Advance-HE.


Publications