Achim Kempf

Achim Kempf is a Professor and the Dieter Schwarz Chair for the Physics of Information and AI at the University of Waterloo. His research spans quantum theory, general relativity, cosmology, and their intersections with information theory and machine learning.

• Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Waterloo
• Cross-appointed to the Department of Physics
• Associate member of the Institute for Quantum Computing
• Founding member of the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics
• Member of the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute
• Advisory Board, Banff International Research Station (2021-2022)

Research Focus:
Kempf’s work explores how information theory can unify quantum mechanics and general relativity. His lab investigates quantum black holes, cosmological structure formation, and quantum computing applications, including novel integration-by-differentiation techniques adopted by Maple software.

Scientific Awards:

• Canada Research Chair (2004-2014)
• University Research Chair (2014-2021)
• Dieter Schwarz Chair (2025)
• Google Faculty Research Award (2019)
• Member, Royal Society A Editorial Board (2017-2023)

Students and Collaborations:
Kempf mentors a diverse team, including Ph.D. students Michael Broughton, Guillaume Verdon, and Evan Peters, who co-developed Tensorflow Quantum with Google. He also co-founded the Waterloo Centre for Astrophysics and contributes to the Mathematics of Data Science and Machine Learning Research Group.