Precision, Control, and Collaboration: How Tommaso Calarco Shapes the Future of Quantum Computing and Quantum Control | Quantum 100

From the European Quantum Manifesto to Quantum Optimal Control: Tommaso Calarco’s Role in Steering the Quantum Computer Revolution.

In an era when the promise of quantum computers hovers at the threshold between laboratory curiosity and real-world deployment, the work of theorists who can turn that promise into a practicable control methodology is vital. This blog explores the career, vision, and influence of Professor Tommaso Calarco, a leading figure in quantum optimal control, whose efforts have shaped not only the science of qubit manipulation but also the architecture of Europe’s quantum technology ecosystem. We take a narrative journey through Calarco’s contributions—as a scientific strategist, network builder, and quantum theorist—focusing on how his work anchors the quest for scalable, high-fidelity quantum computers, quantum sensors, and quantum communication networks.

At Pitchworks, our Quantum100 initiative is more than a directory it’s a living map of the people and ideas accelerating the quantum revolution. Through deep-dive features, we highlight leaders whose vision is shaping the enterprise adoption of quantum technologies. We’ve already explored the pioneering role of Dr. Jay Gambetta in superconducting quantum computing and the transformative leadership of Peter Chapman at IonQ. Building on that journey, this blog turns the spotlight toward another figure whose impact has redefined the pace and perception of quantum progress Hartmut Neven, the architect behind Google’s Quantum AI Lab and one of the most influential forces in bringing quantum from theory into practice. In our recent blog we spoke about Hartmut Naven  and Robert Suotr   Jeremy O’Brien and Christopher Monroe, Chad Rigetti   Andrew Dzurak Christian Weedbrook now take a Now take a look on this blog about Professor Tommaso Calarco.

Tommaso Calarco © EU2016 NL, Photo: Ministerie van Economische Zaken / Martijn Beekman / Quantum Europe, licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Tommaso Calarco did not begin as a physicist. His first passion was music, and he initially pursued formal training in that field. Yet the lure of physics—and particularly the profound mysteries of quantum mechanics—drew him into a domain where abstraction, mathematics, and creativity converge. He earned his master’s degree at the University of Padua, followed by a doctorate at the University of Ferrara. Postdoctoral stints at leading European institutions, including the University of Innsbruck, placed him in environments where experimental and theoretical physics merged, sharpening his understanding of how quantum phenomena could be harnessed not just for pure science but for building the quantum computer.

By the mid-2000s, Calarco was already a recognized figure in the emerging field of quantum optimal control. This discipline is at the heart of quantum computing: the art of steering fragile quantum states through a landscape of decoherence, noise, and physical constraints to produce reliable outcomes. Unlike classical computers, where control of bits is binary and robust, a quantum computer manipulates qubits that exist in superposition and entanglement, making them incredibly powerful but also extraordinarily delicate. Errors, decoherence, and imperfect manipulation can quickly degrade performance. Quantum optimal control seeks to design pulses, sequences, and algorithms that guide qubits from one state to another with maximum fidelity and minimum error.

Calarco’s work in this field spans theoretical and applied dimensions. He has studied the fundamental limits of quantum transport, asking how fast a system can evolve without violating the principles of quantum mechanics. He has co-developed methods such as the Chopped Random Basis (CRAB) technique, which allows control pulses to be optimized in truncated random bases, enabling practical implementations of quantum control strategies across a variety of platforms. These contributions directly support the quest to scale quantum computers by improving control fidelity, reducing error rates, and ensuring that qubit operations remain stable and precise.

While Calarco’s academic output in quantum computing is extensive, his influence extends far beyond journal articles. He has played an instrumental role in shaping the political and funding ecosystem around quantum technologies in Europe. In 2016, he co-authored the Quantum Manifesto, a landmark document that served as both a call to action and a policy blueprint. The Quantum Manifesto argued that Europe needed to invest heavily and strategically in quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum sensing to remain competitive in the twenty-first century. The manifesto gained support from thousands of researchers and was pivotal in launching the €1 billion European Quantum Flagship in 2018. Quantum 100 Quantum Computing Tommaso Calarco

The Quantum Flagship is now one of the most ambitious and well-funded scientific initiatives in Europe. It covers the entire spectrum of quantum technologies: quantum computing platforms such as superconducting qubits, trapped ions, and silicon spin qubits; quantum communication infrastructure including quantum key distribution and satellite-based quantum links; quantum simulation platforms for solving complex physical problems; and quantum sensing technologies with applications in navigation, medicine, and industry. Within this Flagship, Tommaso Calarco has taken on the role of leading the Quantum Community Network, which connects theorists, experimentalists, industry players, and policymakers. His ability to bridge the divide between abstract theory and industrial application has made him a vital figure in aligning Europe’s research agenda with commercial and societal goals.

Calarco’s leadership also extends to regional initiatives. He helped establish EIN Quantum NRW, a quantum technology network in North Rhine–Westphalia, which unites universities, research centers, and companies under a common mission of advancing quantum computing and related technologies. Supported by significant state funding, this network demonstrates his belief that quantum innovation must be embedded not just in elite research institutions but across ecosystems where academia and industry collaborate.

His academic appointments reflect this dual mission. He serves as Director of the Institute for Quantum Control at Forschungszentrum Jülich, where he oversees efforts to develop precise control protocols for qubits, test them on real hardware, and validate their feasibility under realistic conditions. He is also a full professor of quantum information at the University of Cologne and, since 2023, at the University of Bologna, where he continues to train the next generation of quantum computer scientists and researchers. Through these roles, he blends research with education, ensuring that knowledge flows from laboratories to classrooms and into the broader industrial sphere.

Calarco’s scientific vision is not just about control but also about speed, scalability, and resilience. He has explored how to accelerate quantum processes without introducing additional errors, how to transport quantum states across networks with minimal dissipation, and how to generalize control protocols so they can be applied across different physical implementations of qubits. His work contributes to making quantum computers platform-independent in their optimization, allowing superconducting circuits, trapped ions, cold atoms, and solid-state systems to benefit from the same theoretical advances. This is crucial in an era where no single qubit technology has yet emerged as the definitive winner, and flexibility remains key to progress.

Yet Calarco’s contributions cannot be understood in isolation from his strategic efforts. As a key advisor to European institutions, he has influenced the way governments and funding agencies perceive the quantum computer. He has advocated for alignment between national strategies and European frameworks, ensuring that countries like Germany and Italy embed their national efforts within the broader European vision. His input into initiatives such as EuroQCI, which aims to build a secure quantum communication infrastructure, and EuroHPC, which integrates high-performance computing with quantum platforms, illustrates his ability to connect the dots between different layers of Europe’s technological future.

For Calarco, the quantum computer is more than just a device—it is a symbol of Europe’s capacity to innovate, collaborate, and lead. He often emphasizes that quantum mechanics is a domain that defies classical intuition, describing it as “absurd” yet real. He likens working on quantum control to playing with Lego as a child: tinkering with pieces until a coherent structure emerges. This metaphor captures both the creativity and the discipline required to transform the counterintuitive laws of quantum physics into practical machines that will shape the future.

As quantum computing moves closer to practical realization, questions emerge that echo through his research and advocacy. What is the maximum coherence time achievable in realistic quantum computers? How can error correction be integrated with quantum optimal control to achieve fault tolerance? Can Europe maintain leadership in quantum technology while competing with massive investments from the United States and China? Calarco addresses these questions not only in technical papers but also through his role as a communicator and strategist, ensuring that policymakers, industry leaders, and the public grasp the stakes of the quantum revolution.

The impact of his work is already visible. Control techniques developed under his supervision are being implemented in laboratories across Europe. Regional networks like Quantum NRW are strengthening industrial capacity. The Quantum Flagship is funding dozens of projects that draw from his roadmap. His professorial roles ensure that new cohorts of physicists, engineers, and computer scientists are trained with an appreciation for both the theoretical elegance of quantum control and the practical urgency of building scalable quantum computers.

Year / Date	Title	Notes / Additional Info
2025	Large spin-shuttling oscillations enabling high-fidelity single-qubit gates	A recent work listed on his ResearchGate profile. (ResearchGate)
2025	Real-time adaptive quantum error correction by model-free multi-agent learning	Preprint co-authored by him. (ResearchGate)
2025	Optimizing two-qubit gates for ultracold atoms using Fermi-Hubbard models	Article / preprint listed on ResearchGate. (ResearchGate)
2025	Fast neutral-atom transport and transfer between optical tweezers	Article/report in 2025 with his co-authorship. (ResearchGate)
2025	Circuit Design for a Star-shaped Spin-Qubit Processor via Algebraic Decomposition and Optimal Control	Preprint with him listed. (ResearchGate)
2025	High-Fidelity Electron Spin Gates for Scaling Diamond Quantum Registers	Article in 2025 with his name. (ResearchGate)
2025	The Role of Bases in Quantum Optimal Control	Article / preprint in Dec 2024 / early 2025 with his co-authorship. (ResearchGate)
2024	Gate-set evaluation metrics for closed-loop optimal control on NV center ensembles in diamond	Article co-authored by him in 2024. (ResearchGate)
2024	Experimental error suppression in Cross-Resonance gates via multi-derivative pulse shaping	Article with him listed (2024). (ResearchGate)
2024	Quantum state preparation via engineered ancilla resetting	Article in 2024. (ResearchGate)
2024	Analyzing collective emission of a Rydberg-blockaded single-photon source	Article (2024) with co-authors including him. (ResearchGate)
2024	Compensating for Nonlinear Distortions in Controlled Quantum Systems	Article 2023/2024 with him. (ResearchGate)
2023	QuOCS: The quantum optimal control suite	Article (2023) with his involvement. (ResearchGate)
2023	Suppression of coherent errors in Cross-Resonance gates via recursive DRAG	Preprint (2023) listing him. (ResearchGate)
2022	Information theoretical limits for quantum optimal control solutions: error scaling of noisy control channels	Article in 2022 co-authored by him. (PMC)
2022	Quantum optimal control in quantum technologies. Strategic report on current status, visions and goals for research in Europe	Strategic / review paper in 2022. (Google Scholar)
2022	Continuous Quantum Gate Sets and Pulse-Class Meta-Optimization	Article in 2022 with his co-authorship. (ResearchGate)
2022	Nonperturbative Analytical Diagonalization of Hamiltonians with Application to ZZ-coupling suppression and enhancement	Article in 2022. (ResearchGate)
2022	One decade of quantum optimal control in the chopped random basis	Review / retrospective in 2022. (ResearchGate)
2018	Europe’s Quantum Flagship is taking off	Perspective article involving him. (ResearchGate)
2018	Optimal storage of a single photon by a single intra-cavity atom	Preprint / theoretical work in 2018 listing his name. (ResearchGate)
2018	Hybrid systems of ultracold atoms and trapped ions / quantum state engineering with static impurities	Work in 2018 with co-authors including him. (ResearchGate)
2018	The European Quantum Technologies Roadmap	Roadmap article published around 2017–2018 with his involvement. (ResearchGate)
2017	Optimal control of Rydberg lattice gases	Article in 2017 with him as co-author. (ResearchGate)
2017	Single-Atom Transistor as a Precise Magnetic Field Sensor	Article in 2017 with his co-authorship. (ResearchGate)
2017	Autonomous Calibration of Single Spin Qubit Operations	Article around 2017 listing him. (ResearchGate)
2016	Platform of Rydberg atoms and optimal control for two-qubit operations	Theoretical work in 2016 involving Rydberg qubits and control. (ResearchGate)
2015	Dressing the Chopped-Random-Basis Optimization: A bandwidth-limited access to the trap-free landscape	Article in Dec 2015 with him. (ResearchGate)
2015	Training Schrödinger’s cat: quantum optimal control	Article in 2015 co-authored by him. (ResearchGate)
2015	Optimal control of complex atomic quantum systems	Article in 2015 with him. (ResearchGate)
2015	From the classical to the quantum Kibble-Zurek scaling	Article in 2015 with his contribution. (ResearchGate)
2008	Quantum theory of ultracold atom-ion collisions	Published in 2008, with him as co-author. (ResearchGate)

Quantum Computer Advancements and Tommaso Calarco’s Contributions

1990s – Early 2000s

• Global context: Quantum computing is mostly theoretical. Key algorithms (Shor’s, Grover’s) attract attention. Early trapped ion and superconducting qubit experiments begin.

• Calarco’s role: Completes his master’s (Padua) and PhD (Ferrara). Postdoctoral work with Peter Zoller in Innsbruck connects him to experimental groups pushing quantum simulation and ion trap advances. Begins focusing on quantum control theory—laying a foundation for later contributions.

2004 – 2007

• Global context: Demonstrations of few-qubit operations in ion traps and superconductors. Noise and decoherence remain key barriers.

• Calarco’s role: Senior researcher at BEC Center in Trento. By 2007, becomes professor at Ulm, leading the Institute for Complex Quantum Systems. Starts publishing influential work on quantum optimal control for atomic and ionic systems, aiming to reduce errors in quantum processes.

2008 – 2010

• Global context: First proposals of scalable architectures (surface codes for error correction, neutral atoms, superconducting grid layouts). IBM, Google, and academic labs begin building prototype devices.

• Calarco’s role: Publishes on ultracold atom–ion collisions and quantum control of many-body systems. Starts exploring quantum speed limits (how fast quantum systems can evolve). Helps shape control algorithms that become important for quantum computer error mitigation.

2012 – 2015

• Global context: Multi-qubit superconducting circuits reach >5 qubits; trapped ions demonstrate programmable gates. Rise of startups (Rigetti, IonQ, D-Wave’s annealers gain publicity).

• Calarco’s role: Helps develop Chopped Random Basis (CRAB) method for practical optimal control, widely adopted in experiments. Co-authors papers on quantum Kibble-Zurek scaling and training Schrödinger’s cat with quantum control. Advocates optimal control as a core pillar for building quantum computers, simulators, and sensors.

2016

• Global context: EU, US, and China all increase national investments. Quantum computing shifts from niche physics to strategic technology.

• Calarco’s role: Plays a pivotal role in drafting the “Quantum Manifesto”. This document calls for Europe to invest €1 billion in quantum technologies, spanning quantum computing, communication, sensing, and simulation. Gains support of >3,400 researchers, directly leading to the Quantum Flagship program.

2018 – Launch of the European Quantum Flagship

• Global context: IBM unveils 20-qubit system; Google builds Bristlecone (72 qubits, not fully usable). Quantum supremacy discussions intensify.

• Calarco’s role: Helps launch the €1 billion EU Quantum Flagship. Becomes leader of the Quantum Community Network (QCN)—coordinating scientists, companies, and policymakers. Also contributes to building EIN Quantum NRW, a German regional network aligning academia and industry.

2019 – 2021

• Global context: Google claims “quantum supremacy” with Sycamore (53 qubits). IonQ and Honeywell (Quantinuum) achieve high-fidelity trapped-ion operations. Quantum startups attract billions in funding.

• Calarco’s role: Continues research in error scaling of noisy control channels and optimization of two-qubit gates. Helps found the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC) in 2021, ensuring European industry alignment with research. Expands his role as advisor for EU and national governments on quantum computing strategies.

2022 – 2023

• Global context: Quantum computers reach 100+ physical qubits (IBM Eagle, Osprey). Focus shifts to error correction, scaling, and hybrid quantum-classical algorithms.

• Calarco’s role: Publishes strategic report on quantum optimal control in quantum technologies—a roadmap for Europe. Takes up professorship at University of Bologna (2023) while continuing leadership at Forschungszentrum Jülich. Strengthens ties between EU research and industrial application.

2024 – Present

• Global context: IBM, Google, and Chinese groups demonstrate progress toward error-corrected qubits; quantum cloud services expand; Europe pushes to compete globally.

• Calarco’s role: Expands theoretical research on qubit gate optimization, spin transport, and multi-platform control algorithms. Through the Quantum Flagship and Quantum NRW, continues to unify research, education, and policy. Acts as a strategic voice in ensuring Europe maintains leadership in quantum computing, sensing, and communication.

In conclusion, the story of Tommaso Calarco is a story of synthesis. It is about a physicist who combines the rigor of theory with the pragmatism of policy, the detail of control pulses with the broad strokes of continental strategy. His legacy will be measured not just in the scientific papers he has written or the algorithms he has developed, but in the structures he has built: the Quantum Manifesto, the Quantum Flagship, the Quantum Community Network, and the regional and national strategies that now define Europe’s quantum landscape. As the world edges closer to fault-tolerant quantum computers, his contributions remind us that precision in science and clarity in governance must go hand in hand. Through his dual role as theorist and strategist, Tommaso Calarco ensures that the quantum computer is not merely a dream of physicists but a tangible, scalable technology that will transform computation, communication, and sensing for generations to come.

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