Physics/comp sci major makes the quantum leap
“The possibilities are endless,” says senior Saketha Male, researcher and co-founder of Carolina’s first quantum computing club.
Saketha Male grew up devouring movies and science books given to her by her father. She enjoyed being challenged by complex problems and decided to pursue astrophysics.
But after she arrived at Carolina, she found the work less engaging due to its focus on coding and data analysis. At the time, she was working in a high-energy physics lab with Reyco Henning, who encouraged her to seek a more hands-on approach.
That’s when she learned about a new field called quantum computing, which combines computer science and engineering to solve problems in quantum mechanics — how matter and light behave at atomic and subatomic scales. A graduating senior studying physics and computer science in the UNC College of Arts and Sciences, she works in a lab at the Duke Quantum Center.
A traditional computer bit — the smallest unit of data in computing — can be thought of as a coin, existing in one of two states: heads or tails. In contrast, a quantum bit, or qubit, is like a spinning coin — existing in a combination of heads and tails at once. This unique property allows quantum computers to consider many possibilities at once, unlocking new approaches to computation.
Quantum computers aren’t faster at everything. They excel at certain tasks like simulating quantum systems or generating truly random numbers, but they are still experimental and difficult to build.
“Early computers filled entire rooms, and we’re at a similar stage now,” Male explains. “My lab’s quantum computer uses only a few qubits, but it still takes up the space of an entire bedroom.”
Building a quantum computer that can solve real-world problems will require thousands of qubits. Figuring out how to scale up these systems — adding more qubits and components without compromising their stability and fidelity or vastly increasing their size — is a challenge Male’s research is working to overcome.
As a research assistant at Duke, she focuses on stabilizing magnetic fields. Quantum experiments are extremely sensitive, and even small disturbances can destabilize them. Human bodies and everyday items like AirPods produce magnetic fields stronger than Earth’s, so researchers need to find a way to keep the field stable.
“My work is like making magnetic field noise-canceling headphones for ions,” she says. “These experiments are extremely sensitive, and even small fluctuations can disrupt the system. By improving field stability, we can keep the ion coherent for longer, which allows for more reliable experiments and better testing of quantum systems.”
Quantum computing isn’t just a research interest for Male, it’s a movement she’s starting at UNC-Chapel Hill. Spotting an opportunity on campus, she and a friend founded the University’s first quantum computing club, turning vision into action.
“I expected maybe five people at our first meeting, but nearly 50 showed up,” she recalls.
Male believes quantum computing’s appeal lies in its potential to reach far beyond physics, touching finance, health care, cybersecurity and countless other fields.
“Quantum computing could one day even help solve world hunger by optimizing agricultural systems, developing more sustainable fertilizers and enabling the design of resilient crops,” says Male, who plans to work in consulting before applying to grad school. “The possibilities are endless — and that excites me most.”
