Prof Jonathan Jones

I am Professor of Physics, working within the Department of Atomic and Laser Physics on Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Quantum Computation, and Fellow and Tutor in Physics at Brasenose College. I originally studied Chemistry at Oxford, and have also studied applications of NMR in Chemistry and Biochemistry. In 1997 I switched to Physics, performing the first NMR implementation of a quantum algorithm, and have remained largely in this area ever since.

My research is principally concerned with the implementation of small quantum computers using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) techniques. I currently have a special interest in developing logic gates which are robust against systematic hardware errors, using the ideas of composite and shaped pulses developed in NMR. Previously I have worked on applications of geometric phases to robust logic, the use of para-hydrogen to prepare pure spin states in NMR experiments, and the use of ideas from quantum cellular automata to implement quantum information processing in systems with only limited control.

Beyond this I have a historic interest in the development of NMR techniques to study chemical and biochemical systems and in the use of ideas from quantum information processing to understand spin-sensing chemical reactions. I have also written on data analysis and computer aided analysis of legislation.

Within the department I have taken a special interest in teaching and admissions, and have held the posts of Organising Secretary for Physics Admissions, Chair of Finals Examiners, and Head of Teaching. As Organising Secretary I was largely responsible for designing the precursor of the current admissions process.

I lecture part of the fourth year advanced option paper on quantum information processing, which I was originally responsible for coordinating. I was previously head of the first year electronics teaching lab and lecturer for first year optics.

At Brasenose College I give tutorials in first year mechanics and relativity, second year quantum mechanics, and third year atomic physics and advanced relativity, as well as jointly coordinating all other college teaching in physics as well as admissions and general oversight of the subject. In college administration I take a special interest in investment policy and governance reform. I have also been a member of the Steering Committee of Conference of Colleges.

My textbook Quantum Information, Computation and Communication (joint with Dieter Jaksch) provides an elementary introduction to quantum information processing suitable for final year undergraduates.

My textbook NMR: The Toolkit (joint with Peter Hore and Stephen Wimperis) is now in its second edition, and has also been translated into French as RMN : la boîte à outils.