Jacob Ngaha

After graduating, he accepted a position at the University as a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Mathematics and is now preparing for a new position with the Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid (ICMM) in Spain, focused on quantum super-computing. He will be studying how quantum effects can enhance the computing abilities of optical machines. He hopes to bring his new expertise and experience back to New Zealand to improve and develop the quantum technology and industry at home.

What initially drew you to the field?

I was fascinated by space, the stars, and the universe, which pushed me towards studying physics at an undergraduate level. As I learnt more, I became increasingly interested in the underlying physics of the universe, which nudged me towards quantum mechanics.

How did your time at UoA prepare you for your career?

Each step along my academic journey – from bachelor’s to master’s, through to my PhD – I feel like I have been neatly guided into my current work as a postdoctoral researcher.

Is there a project you are particularly proud of that you can share with us?

The work from my PhD on frequency filtering in quantum optics. In quantum optics settings, we often measure interactions of light through a filter, which picks out different frequencies, or colours, of light. One of the main issues with standard filters is that there is a trade-off between how many colours you can let through and how much the filter delays the light. Ideally, a filter allows a narrow range of frequencies with minimal time delay. I came up with a model for a filter – the multi-mode array filter – that avoids this issue by allowing one to pick a very narrow range of frequencies, while introducing only a small delay into the system. I am also proud of this work given that I began my PhD just before COVID, so completing my PhD during that time feels like a real achievement.

Another smaller project I’m proud of was creating a kupu Māori for “quantum physics”. The word for “physics” has been around for a while, so choosing the right “modifier” to describe quantum was a bit of a challenge. The word “quantum” here describes the quantised, or discrete, energies of atoms and light. Hence, we decided on the word “tataunga,” which means “countable” or “quantifiable”.

What advice would you give to someone considering studying in this field?

Try not to let grades get in the way of what you really want to do. If you had told undergraduate Jacob that he would get a PhD, he probably would not have believed you.

Finally, tell us something about yourself that we can’t learn by Googling you.

One fun fact is that I’m a black belt in karate.