Physics Program

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Paul Cadden-Zimansky and Bard Students Presented Research at Global Physics Summit

Last week, Paul Cadden-Zimansky, associate professor of physics at Bard College, and Bard students Thanasis Kostikas ’26 and Yaroslav Valchyshen ’27 attended the Global Physics Summit in Denver hosted by the American Physical Society (APS), one of of the largest societies of physicists in the world. At the conference, Kostikas and Valchyshen each gave talks on their Bard Summer Research Institute work on visualizations of quantum states, which were supported by the Bard Office of Undergraduate Research. Kostikas presented  “Geometrical Mapping of Algebraic Representations of Qudits,” and Valchyshen presented  “Interactive 2D and 3D Tools for Understanding Qudit State Geometry.”

Additionally, Cadden-Zimansky was awarded the APS “5 Sigma Physicist Honor” for outstanding volunteer advocacy work in physics. The award was created to recognize exceptional advocacy of APS members who go above and beyond to advance issues that are important to the physics community. Cadden-Zimansky was honored for supporting the global event coordination, social media content, and public communication efforts for the International Year of Quantum, as well as his work in volunteering to help middle and high school teachers develop ready-to-use, age-appropriate quantum science lessons during a daylong teacher professional development event at the Global Physics Summit. 

The Bard Physics Program is dedicated to helping students at all levels gain a better understanding of the universe and how it works.

Post Date: 03-24-2026

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Bard College Awarded Department of Energy Grant for Quantum Computation Research Project

Bard College Assistant Professor of Physics Abhinav Prem has received a two-year research award from the US Department of Energy to develop new methods that make quantum computers more stable and reliable. The project, “Leveraging Novel Symmetries for Noise-Resilient Topological Quantum Computation,” is a joint collaboration with professor Stephan Haas at the University of Southern California (USC) and was funded under the DOE EXPRESS 2025 program. Bard is the lead institution and recipient of $300,006 of the $500,000 award.

Quantum computers promise dramatic speedups for problems like materials design, drug discovery, and complex climate modeling. But unlike conventional computers, quantum bits — or qubits — are extremely sensitive to their surroundings. Small disturbances such as heat, vibrations, or stray fields can flip or erase quantum information, causing errors that quickly cascade and wreck a computation.

Instead of trying to stop every disturbance, professor Prem uses a different strategy: build “tracks” that guide errors into predictable paths where they can be caught and corrected. These tracks come from mathematical structures called symmetries and from exotic states of matter known as topological phases. By designing systems where errors are forced to behave in regular, controllable ways, this research program aims to create quantum memories and operations that are naturally resilient, reducing the overhead for constant external correction.

“Think of an error as a runaway train,” Prem explains. “If the train can go anywhere, it will crash. Our project is about building the tracks that force those errors to move along very specific, predictable pathways. By constraining how errors propagate, we can effectively 'catch' and correct them before the train goes off the rails. This approach could lead to scalable quantum devices that are inherently resilient to inevitable environmental noise."

The two-year project will combine theoretical work with practical protocols aimed at near-term quantum devices, and will support one postdoctoral researcher each at Bard and USC.

Post Date: 01-21-2026