Thomas Vidick

Thomas Vidick is a Professor of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). As of 2022–2023, he held a visiting position at the Weizmann Institute in Israel. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley in 2011. His research focuses on quantum information, complexity theory, and cryptography, with a particular emphasis on applying complexity-theoretic tools to quantum computing challenges. Notably, his work resolved Tsirelson's problem and demonstrated that MIP* = RE, a landmark result in computational complexity and operator algebras.

Research Interests:

• Quantum information and its intersections with complexity theory
• Entanglement in multi-prover interactive proofs and device-independent cryptography
• Quantum verification, cryptography, and protocols
• Applications of semidefinite programming and approximation algorithms in quantum contexts

Awards and Honors:

• Simons Investigator (2021)
• NSF CAREER Award (2015)
• AFOSR Young Investigator Award (2015)
• Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (2016)
• Okawa Research Grant (2014)

Teaching and Academic Contributions:

• Regularly teaches courses such as Analysis and Design of Algorithms (CMS/CS/IDS 139) and Introduction to Cryptography (CS 152) at Caltech.
• Co-organizes the TCS+ online seminar series and contributed to QIP 2022 as a host.
• Research activities include collaborations on quantum-proof extractors, certifiable randomness, and cryptographic protocols.