Penghui Yao

Penghui Yao is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Nanjing University, where he is a member of the CS Theory group. His academic career spans prestigious institutions including the Centre for Quantum Technologies at National University of Singapore, Centrum Wiskunde Informatica (CWI), Institute for Quantum Computing (IQC) at University of Waterloo, and Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS) at University of Maryland.

Education:

• BSc in Mathematics from East China Normal University
• PhD from Centre for Quantum Technologies, National University of Singapore (supervised by Rahul Jain and Miklos Santha)

Professor Yao's research focuses on quantum computing and theoretical computer science, with particular expertise in quantum algorithms and computational complexity. His work bridges classical and quantum information theory, with significant contributions to analysis of Boolean functions and their quantum applications. He has developed novel approaches to communication complexity problems in both classical and quantum settings, advancing our understanding of the fundamental limits of computation.

His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward practical quantum algorithms with applications in distributed systems, quantum simulation, and quantum cryptography. The breadth of his work spans from theoretical foundations of quantum complexity classes to experimental implementations of quantum processes, demonstrating both depth in theoretical understanding and relevance to practical quantum computing challenges.

Professor Yao actively mentors the next generation of quantum computing researchers, supervising multiple PhD and Master's students at Nanjing University while maintaining collaborations with international research groups. His service to the community includes program committee roles for major quantum computing conferences including QIP and TQC.