Karol Życzkowski

Karol Życzkowski is a Professor of Physics at the Atomic Physics Department, Institute of Theoretical Physics, Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland. He also holds a position at the Center for Theoretical Physics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw. Since January 2023, he has served as President of the Cracow Branch of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN). Previously, from 2019 to 2023, he was Director of the Quantum Information Center in Gdańsk (KCIK). In 2024, he was awarded an ERC Advanced Grant for his project 'Typical and Atypical Structures in Quantum Theory'.

Życzkowski earned his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from Jagiellonian University in 1987 under the supervision of Prof. Jan Mostowski. He completed his habilitation in physical sciences at the same institution in 1994. His academic journey includes prestigious fellowships: Humboldt Fellowship at Essen University (1989-90) and Senior Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Maryland (1997-98). He became a full Professor of Physics in Poland in 2005 and has held positions at both Jagiellonian University and the Polish Academy of Sciences.

His research spans multiple areas of theoretical physics and mathematics, with a primary focus on quantum information theory. He has made significant contributions to understanding quantum entanglement, quantum chaos, random matrices, and the geometry of quantum states. His influential book 'Geometry of Quantum States: An Introduction to Quantum Entanglement,' co-authored with Ingemar Bengtsson, has become a standard reference in the field. Beyond quantum physics, he has conducted important work in voting theory, developing the 'Jagiellonian Compromise' for the Council of the European Union based on the Penrose Square Root Law.

Analysis of his publication record reveals a consistent focus on the mathematical foundations of quantum information, with increasing interdisciplinary work connecting quantum physics to other fields like game theory and financial mathematics. His research has evolved from foundational quantum mechanics to practical applications in quantum computing and information processing, while maintaining strong mathematical rigor.

• ERC Advanced Grant (2024) for 'Typical and Atypical Structures in Quantum Theory'
• NCN Grant Maestro-7 (2016)
• Award of Rector of Jagiellonian University for monograph 'Geometry of Quantum States' (2007)
• Award of Rector of Jagiellonian University for series of papers on mathematical foundations of quantum information theory (2013)
• Prime Minister Award for outstanding habilitation thesis (1995)
• Senior Fulbright Fellowship (1997)
• Humboldt Fellowship (1989)

Życzkowski has supervised 16 Master's theses and 5 Ph.D. theses, with 3 additional Ph.D. projects in progress. He has coordinated 9 research grants and participated in 10 others, including leading the Polish node of a German SFB-Transregio project. His editorial service includes positions on the boards of Open Systems & Information Dynamics (since 2003), Journal of Physica A (2004-2006, 2007-2010), Quantum (2016-2021), and Acta Physica Polonica B (since 2021). He has served on panels evaluating ERC Advanced Grants three times.

At Jagiellonian University, Życzkowski leads the Jagiellonian Quantum Information Team (JQIT) and organizes the weekly 'Quantum Information & Chaos' seminar. He has been instrumental in establishing quantum information research in Poland, co-organizing the European Research Network Krzyżowa Initiative for Quantum Information and the Polish Research Network LFPPI (Laboratory of Physical Foundation of Information Processing).