Justin Yirka

Research Interests / Education / Papers / Experience

Ph.D. Student in Computer Science
Quantum computing and theoretical computer science
Advised by Scott Aaronson

📢 Graduating in 2025. Looking for post-graduation jobs / opportunities.

My CV: Curriculum Vitae ⸻ My Resume: Resume

Contact: yirka@utexas.edu

Other profiles:

• arXiv
• LinkedIn
• Google Scholar

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Research Interests

I am interested in what quantum computers can do, what they cannot do, and the structure that creates those differences.

My research focuses on quantum computation and theoretical computer science. This includes computational complexity theory, Hamiltonian complexity, and quantum algorithms.
See my publications below for details.

📢 I plan to graduate in 2025 and I am looking for a new position outside of academia. I’m primarily looking for a position continuing in quantum computation, but I’m happy to learn about other opportunities for people with strong quantitative backgrounds.
Please reach out if you’re interested in my research or have a suggestion for post-graduation roles.

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Education

Ph.D. in Computer Science | The University of Texas at Austin (UT) | Expected 2025
Advised by Scott Aaronson.

M.S. in Computer Science | The University of Texas at Austin | 2022

B.S. in Computer Science | Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) | 2018
B.S. in Mathematical Sciences | concurrent degrees

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Research Papers

Click on a paper to expand and see the abstract, publication history, and any relevant links.

S. Grewal and J. Yirka. The Entangled Quantum Polynomial Hierarchy Collapses.

arXiv:2401.01453, January 2024.

• Computational Complexity Conference (CCC), July 2024. doi:10.4230/LIPIcs.CCC.2024.6.
• Poster at Conference on Quantum Information Processing (QIP), January 2024. Available here.
• arXiv:2401.01453 and ECCC:TR24-006, January 2024.

J. Yirka. Even quantum advice is unlikely to solve PP.

arXiv:2403.09994, March 2024.

• Preprint arXiv:2403.09994 and ECCC:TR24-052, March 2024.

J. Kallaugher, O. Parekh, K. Thompson, Y. Wang, J. Yirka. Complexity Classification of Product State Problems for Local Hamiltonians.

arXiv:2401.06725, January 2024.

• Conference on Quantum Information Processing (QIP), January 2024.
  Video available here. Slides here.
• Poster available here.
• arXiv:2401.06725, January 2024.
• Additional slides from a 2024 seminar talk at UT: here.

J. Yirka and Y. Subasi. Qubit-efficient entanglement spectroscopy using qubit resets.

arXiv:2010.03080, 2020.

• Quantum, 5:535, 2021. doi:10.22331/q-2021-09-02-535.
• Conference for Young Quantum Information Scientists (YQIS), 2021. Slides here.
• APS March Meeting, 2021.
• Asian Quantum Information Science Conference (AQIS), 2020. Video here.
• arXiv:2010.03080, 2020.

S. Gharibian, S. Piddock, J. Yirka. Oracle complexity classes and local measurements on physical Hamiltonians.

arXiv:1909.05981, 2019.

• Symposium on Theoretical Aspects of Computer Science (STACS), 2020. doi:10.4230/LIPIcs.STACS.2020.20.
• Conference on Quantum Information Processing (QIP), 2020.
  Video here. Slides here.
• Poster at Conference on the Theory of Quantum Computation, Communication, and Cryptography (TQC), 2019.
• Poster at Workshop on Quantum Computing Theory in Practice (QCTIP), 2019.
• Poster at Conference on Quantum Information Processing (QIP), 2019. Available here.
• Contributed talk at Asian Quantum Information Science Conference (AQIS), 2018. Slides here.
• arXiv:1909.05981, 2019.
• Additional videos:
  Seminar by Sev in "Quantum computing in isolation" series available here.

S. Gharibian, M. Santha, J. Sikora, A. Sundaram, J. Yirka. Quantum generalizations of the polynomial hierarchy with applications to QMA(2).

arXiv:1805.11139, 2018.

• Computational Complexity, 31:12, 2022. doi:10.1007/s00037-022-00231-8.
• Poster at Conference on Quantum Information Processing (QIP), USA, 2019.
• Asian Quantum Information Science Conference (AQIS), 2018. — “Long”/plenary talk: top 7% of submissions.
• Symposium on Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science (MFCS), 2018. doi:10.4230/LIPIcs.MFCS.2018.58.
• arXiv:1805.11139, 2018.

S. Gharibian and J. Yirka. The complexity of simulating local measurements on quantum systems.

arXiv:1606.05626, 2016.

• Quantum, 3:189, 2019. doi:10.22331/q-2019-09-30-189.
• Conference on the Theory of Quantum Computation, Communication, and Cryptography (TQC), 2017. doi:10.4230/LIPIcs.TQC.2017.2.
• Poster at Conference on Quantum Information Processing (QIP), 2017. Available here.
• arXiv:1606.05626, 2016.
• Additional videos:
  Seminar by Sev at Leibniz Universität Hannover available here.

J. Yirka. Evaluation of TCP header fields for data overhead efficiency.

Poster, 2015.

• Poster at National Conference on Undergraduate Research (NCUR), 2016.
• Poster at VCU Symposium for Undergraduate Research and Creativity, 2015. — Awarded "Launch Award for Outstanding Research Poster"

Research Experience

• R&D Intern | Sandia National Laboratories | Summer 2023 - present
  Advised by Ojas Parekh and John Kallaugher
  Topic: Hardness of estimating optimum product states of local Hamiltonians. Quantum Max-Cut, Vector Max-Cut, and Quantum constrained optimization problems. Alternative query models.
• Summer School Fellow | Los Alamos National Laboratories | Summer 2019
  Advised by Yigit Subasi
  Topic: Near-term (NISQ) quantum algorithms. Studied use of mid-circuit measurements and resets to construct circuits for entanglement spectroscopy which were noise-resilient and low-width.
  Implemented noisy simulations with Qiskit, Python, Unix, Jupyter. Managed project with git. Tested algorithms on Honeywell quantum hardware.
• Research Assistant | Graph Theory Computational Discovery Lab, VCU | Summer 2018
  Supervisor: Craig Larson
  Topic: Automated conjecturing software applied to graph theory.
  Maintained a growing database of graphs, their properties, and known theorems. Managed open-source project and programmed using git, GitHub, and Sage/Python.
• NSF REU Researcher | QuICS, University of Maryland | Summer 2017
  Advised by Andrew Childs, Jianxin Chen, and Amir Kalev
  Topic: Investigated minimum number of measurements for pure state quantum tomography.
• Research Assistant | Quantum Computing Lab, VCU | 2015 - 2016
  Advised by Sevag Gharibian, Ph.D.
  Topic: Complexity theory. QMA oracles, Hamiltonian problems beyond QMA (e.g. P^QMA[log]), quantum polynomial hierarchy and “quantum Toda’s Theorem” (QCPH ⊆ P^PP^PP).

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See My CV for full details on my Research, Awards, Funding, Teaching Experience, and Service.

Last updated: September 10, 2024