Sankalp (second from left) with his labmates in front of a model of Microsoft’s topological qubit quantum chip, Majorana 1.
Author: Sankalp Pandey | Major: Computer Science, Computer Engineering | Semester: Fall 2025
This September, I had the opportunity to travel to Albuquerque and attend the IEEE Quantum Computing and Engineering (QCE) Conference, which is one of the largest international and most premier gatherings in the quantum technologies space. My research group and I were excited to present our accepted work on a quantum mixture of experts approach for scalable neural networks, which is a method that specializes in the intersection of artificial intelligence and quantum computing.
Although I was not the main presenter for our paper, I worked closely with my co-author to prepare the talk and ensure the explanation was intuitive. Sitting in on all the different sessions was incredibly insightful for me. I learned that it is not enough just to report numeric results. You have to present in such a way that even a complex approach becomes understandable and intuitive. Furthermore, I learned that to be prepared for the different kinds of questions you may be asked, you must be adaptive during the discussions and have a deep understanding of both the current scene in the industry and how your work relates to it. This is pivotal for how I will prepare for my own future talks.
Attending the numerous technical talks and workshops was also incredibly memorable. As I am from an artificial intelligence background, I was still relatively new to quantum. Due to this, I attended a tutorial for quantum fundamentals held by Dr. Eleanor Reiffel from NASA Ames. Another talk I enjoyed was the keynote presentation by IBM Quantum’s Dr. Jay Gambetta, who presented a forward look at where the industry is headed. Both of these sessions helped me in different ways. Firstly, I made sure my understanding was grounded in the fundamentals, and then sparked a curiosity about future directions for my own research.
It was amazing to see how the conference brought together researchers, engineers, and industry leaders from all over the world. This was the first time that the scale of an internationally prestigious conference really hit me. Being at the conference allowed me to help represent my lab’s work, but even more than that, it was a chance to immerse myself in the cutting edge of a rapidly developing field. As I plan to pursue a PhD, it was an important professional milestone for me, especially since it serves as a glimpse of what I hope to see in my future.
The conference was also an amazing opportunity for professional development. I had the rare chance to meet and talk with researchers and engineers from IBM Quantum, Microsoft, NASA, Los Alamos National Laboratory, and many more to learn about the different approaches shaping the future of quantum computing. Additionally, meeting people from such varied backgrounds helped me think more concretely about potential career paths I can follow.
For other students considering attending a conference like this, my advice is to take full advantage of the experience. Even if there are talks outside your immediate research area, you should still check them out because you never know what might lead to a new idea. Also, be proactive in introducing yourself to everyone you meet. It is not every day that all the top individuals in an industry congregate together, and this is a great chance to network and learn from the connections you make.
This was my first conference, and it will always be one I remember. IEEE QCE 2025 was a transformative experience for me. I gained technical insights and professional connections, but even more than that, I gained the confidence to see myself as part of this global community. I am eager to use everything I learned to prepare for graduate school and my future career in research.