Murphy Niu

Murphy Niu is an Assistant Professor and Stansbury Chair of Computer Science at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB). She is affiliated with the Computer Science department in the College of Engineering and collaborates with Google Quantum AI and the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies.

• Education: PhD in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), BS in Physics from Peking University

Her research focuses on quantum computing systems, combining machine learning with quantum technologies. Key areas include intelligent quantum control optimization, quantum metrology, quantum machine learning, quantum algorithm design, and near-term quantum error correction. She also explores quantum optics and applies deep reinforcement learning to quantum control and circuit optimization.

Murphy Niu’s honors include the National Science Foundation Early CAREER Award. She investigates analog control pulse optimization, quantum gate synthesis, and circuit optimization using reinforcement learning frameworks like UFO. Her work aims to enhance scalability and error resilience in quantum computing systems while bridging machine learning and quantum information science.

As a senior research scientist at Google Quantum AI, she contributes to theoretical and experimental advancements in quantum control and feedback algorithms. Her research integrates recurrent neural networks and reinforcement learning for non-local feedback control in quantum systems, inspired by applications in quantum optics and superconducting qubit architectures.