The Ohio State University

Michael Chmutov
Class of 2007
Major: Mathematics and Physics

After joining a lab in his third year at Ohio State, Michael Chmutov quickly became involved in quantum computing using optical lattices.

“I was mildly curious about the field of quantum computing in general, but I had never seriously looked at it. So this was a very novel experience for me,” he explains. He has worked on the team managing the experimental equipment and been involved with setting up a new CCD camera for the project.

Although the work is demanding, Chmutov says it pays off when a significant part of the experiment finally comes together. “The feeling that we knew it would happen and that we understand what is really happening there was worth the long hours spent in the basement working for it,” he says.

Chmutov, who won a Goldwater Scholarship, realized in high school that he wanted to pursue a Ph.D. in mathematics or physics. His participation in experimental research provided him with many useful skills as well as insights into previously unfamiliar areas. “Don't wait until you think you are ready, because that will never happen," he says. "There usually are problems at every level so there will be plenty to do, and you will not learn enough in any class to be completely ready for research. It seems that the only way is to try it and learn what you need as you go along.”
 

Back to Undergraduate Student Research page