Published on 14 Jun 2023

Student Feature: Nithyasri Srivathsan, CS Year 2

SCSE Undergrad who is a Quantum Computing Researcher, Speaker, Author and Entrepreneur

“My SCSE experience has been phenomenal, especially because of our established professors whose research and teaching inspire me every day! I had an opportunity to serve as a research assistant under Asst Prof Shang-Wei Lin who was a great source of encouragement and guidance in my research work.

I also enjoy the wonderful opportunity to pursue interdisciplinary courses at NTU such as National Security and Environmental Sustainability. SCSE truly provides in depth learning and a strong foundation, shaping your technical abilities in the niche of Computer Science which is very constructive for a researcher like me.”

Nithyasri Srivathsan, BEng Computer Science, Year 2, has successfully exhibited her abilities as a young quantum computing researcher, author, guest lecturer, and keynote speaker in quantum computing.

Nithyasri has founded SheQuantum, the world’s first quantum computing EdTech startup, which is an education platform aimed at providing simplified quantum computing education to the global masses and enabling women to quantum workforce. The startup has a reach of 289 institutions worldwide with women being nearly 55% of the registered users. Her organizarion has received honorary mentions from global quantum computing experts, including DIT Germany¹ and Purdue University².

Nithyasri’s research interests lie in quantum computing, quantum information, theoretical computer science, and software engineering. She is the first author of research on SIC-POVMs: Probability distributions and entanglement properties³, which explores an introductory taste of quantum information calculations in Python. This was supported in part by National Science Foundation, USA grant, at QBism Research Group, University of Massachusetts Boston, under Prof Blake Stacey and Prof Christopher Fuchs, and was published in Feb 2023.

Under Nithyasri’s authorship, her book titled ‘Quantum Computing An [Unconventional Beginners'] Book’ has been named in the ‘8 Best Quantum Computing eBooks for Beginners’ list⁴ by Book Authority. She has co-authored "Quantum Networks: A Primer" with the co-founder of networkQ, a quantum networks start-up in Jan 2023. She has also contributed to a whitepaper by Ernst & Young, UK, ‘Ready your quantum workforce’⁵, published in Dec 2022 on the issue of diversity in quantum technology.

Photo of Nithyasri and colleagues. Internship: Nithyasri and colleagues at Atomionics, Singapore, a VC-backed startup building revolutionary quantum sensor.

As a student research assistant, Nithyasri conducted literature review at the intersection of Quantum Computing and Formal Verification under the mentorship of Asst Prof Shang-Wei Lin, SCSE, on Distributed Quantum Computing SAT Solving.

Nithyasri has delivered various tech talks globally. She was invited by IMDA, Singapore, to deliver a keynote talk on quantum computing education and diversity in TechXLR8 Expo organised by Quantum Engineering Programme, CQT, Ministry of Information Technology and NUS in Jun 2022⁶.

Photo of Nithyasri delivering speech. Nithyasri Srivathsan delivering a speech on “Inspiring the next generation of Quantum Experts through accessible education” at TechXLR8 Expo, Singapore, June 2022.

In her capacity as a researcher and entrepreneur, she was invited to deliver a guest lecture at University of Massachusetts Boston in 2022 in the course PHY447: Quantum Information IV⁷ on International Women’s Day. She also delivered invited keynote talks on quantum computing, education, and diversity in Spain, France, Netherlands, United States, Singapore, and India at prestigious institutions such as Cite de l’Economy (Gov of France), Amsterdam Institute of Applied Sciences, and Indian Institute of Information Technology⁸.

Hearty congratulations to our student! At SCSE, we are immensely proud of Nithyasri and wish her all the best in her passion and onward contributions to quantum computing research.