Section: Highlights of the Year

Highlights of the Year

The ZX-calculus is a powerful diagrammatic language which can be used to reason on quantum computing. The ZX-calculus is also an essential tool for the development of the quantum computer allowing for instance optimisation of quantum programs. Indeed the ZX-calculus is equipped with an equational theory which allows one to transform and optimize quantum programs. A few years ago, we have proved the first completeness result of the ZX-calculus [41] [28], guaranteeing that two equivalent evolutions can be transformed one into the other thanks to the equational theory. Its completeness gives to the ZX-calculus a competitive advantage compared to the other models of quantum computation, like the quantum circuits, for which no complete equational theory is known.

In [31], Renaud Vilmart introduced a new, simple, and meaningful equational theory for the ZX-calculus, based on the famous Euler angle decomposition. Renaud participated to the various previous results of the team on this subject during his PhD thesis in the Mocqua team, and culminated with this sole author paper published at LICS for which he obtained the best student paper award.

Best student paper award at LICS'19 for Renaud Vilmart. [31].