Bio

Gefen Baranes is a PhD student in Physics at MIT, working with Profs. Mikhail Lukin, Vladan Vuletić, and Susanne Yelin on fault-tolerant quantum computing and networks. Her research bridges theory and experiment to design scalable quantum architectures, with contributions spanning error correction, blind quantum computing, and distributed quantum systems. She introduced frameworks for leveraging atom loss as a resource, developed the first scalable protocol for fault-tolerant blind computation, and designed high-rate entanglement distillation for quantum networks.
Prior to MIT, Gefen earned a double BSc in Physics and Electrical Engineering from the Technion, where she was part of the Excellence Program. She is a recipient of the MIT Patrons of Physics Fellowship, with multiple invited talks and best-poster awards.

Exploring the Frontiers of Scalable and Secure Quantum Computing

Quantum technologies promise transformative advances in computing, networking, and security, yet their scalability is limited by high error rates. My research develops practical quantum architectures that remain robust under realistic noise while enabling secure and distributed quantum applications.

A central focus of my work is fault-tolerant quantum computing. I introduced a framework for leveraging atom loss, a key error mode across platforms, not as a liability but as a resource [arXiv:2502.20558 (2025)]. By integrating tailored syndrome extraction with novel decoding strategies, we established new design principles for hardware-efficient error correction. Furthermore, we achieved the first below-threshold error correction demonstration in a neutral-atom quantum computer [arXiv:2506.20661 (2025)].

Another major direction of my research is blind quantum computing, enabling clients to securely delegate quantum computations without revealing their algorithm or data. I developed the first scalable, fault-tolerant protocol based on a hybrid matter-photon architecture [arXiv:2505.21621 (2025)], culminating in the first demonstration of universal blind quantum operations across a solid-state network [Science 388, 509–513 (2025)]. This work directly informs the design of quantum cloud computing and secure quantum collaboration.

To extend capabilities beyond local processors, I investigate distributed architectures. My contributions include a high-rate entanglement distillation protocol with constant encoding rate and arbitrarily high-fidelity logical Bell pairs, reducing memory and latency constraints in quantum networks [arXiv:2408.15936, ISCA (2025)].

I aim to continue bridging rigorous theory with experiment to bring quantum technologies closer to practical deployment. My long-term vision is to develop scalable, robust, and trustworthy quantum architectures, enabling real-world quantum computing and networking.