Laura Pecorari, from Bologna to Strasbourg: the journey of a young theoretical physicist

Can you tell us about your academic career so far and what led you to choose this area of research?
My passion for theoretical physics grew gradually but strongly during five years of humanities-focused high school studies. I then received a Bachelor’s degree in physics from the University of Bologna in Italy, followed by a Master’s degree in theoretical physics from the same university. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the academic environment was fantastic and highly interdisciplinary, spanning fundamental to applied physics. This wide variety of subjects helped me greatly in shaping my academic career afterwards. In 2023, I moved to Strasbourg and joined Prof. Guido Pupillo’s quantum physics lab to pursue my PhD. There, I began working on quantum computing and quantum error correction with cold-atom systems. In a nutshell, the goal is to use atoms—which are all identical—as qubits, manipulate them with extremely high precision, and correct the inevitable errors that these operations introduce. From the start, my research has sat at the interface of quantum information and quantum optics, a mix I love because it throws you into the practical challenges of quantum computing and forces you, as a theorist, to be creative and design efficient strategies with modest hardware resources. It’s a fast-moving field with much still to explore, which makes it really exciting. The EuRyQa network that my PhD is part of is also incredibly stimulating, both personally and professionally. It has allowed me to travel extensively—across Europe and beyond—and connect with many researchers working on the same topics.

What are your wishes and plans for the future of your career?
I don’t have a fixed long-term plan yet. In the near term, I hope to stay in academia and pursue a postdoctoral position. More broadly, my wish is to continue working in the same research area and community, while also exploring other paradigms of quantum information processing that I have not yet had the opportunity to work on, such as quantum simulation, communication, and sensing with atomic systems, always maintaining a close connection to experiments.

What do you like about your life in Strasbourg / in Alsace?
I really like Strasbourg and the people I have met there. I think it is a calm, perfectly human-sized city with strong traditions and a distinctly European feel. It is also very walkable and well served by public transport. I especially appreciate its international outlook and lively cultural scene, with frequent art exhibitions and concerts. The theater also has a very active program with major productions, which I really enjoy.