Alex May

Alex May portrait
Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics
I am interested broadly in quantum information and quantum gravity.
Quantum information theory provides a rich set of tools that are broadly applicable in many quantum mechanical settings. A well developed example of this occurs in the context of the AdS/CFT correspondence, which relates a conformal field theory in d dimensions to a gravitating theory in d+1 dimensions. In this context, quantum information theory provides the language to understand how gravitational physics is recorded into the non-gravitating CFT. Conversely, AdS/CFT provides a powerful, geometric description of quantum information theory. In some cases this geometric picture can give novel insights into quantum information. I typically work within this QI-QG landscape, but have interests in quantum information theory that are unrelated to the quantum gravity setting as well. A key subject within quantum information theory that I study is known as non-local quantum computation (NLQC). In the AdS/CFT context, NLQC is an important ingredient in how interactions in d+1 dimensions can emerge from the lower dimensional theory, and reveals an essential role for entanglement in that emergence. NLQC is also interesting in the context of quantum cryptography, where it is related to the cryptographic goals of position-verification. We also recently related NLQC to a broad set of subjects in information theoretic cryptography, and we continue to explore the implications of this connection for cryptography and quantum gravity.
  • Junior Faculty, Perimeter Institute, 2023-present
  • CAP-DTP Wallace Thesis prize, Canadian Association of Physicists, 2022
  • NSERC Michael Smith Foreign study supplement, NSERC, 2019
  • Asadi, V., Cleve, R., Culf, E., & May, A. (2024). Linear gate bounds against natural functions for position-verification. arxiv:2402.18648v1
  • Asadi, V., Culf, E., & May, A. (2024). Rank lower bounds on non-local quantum computation. arxiv:2402.18647v1
  • May, A., & Xu, M. (n.d.). Non-local computation and the black hole interior. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2024(2), 79. doi:10.1007/jhep02(2024)079
  • Kubicki, A. M., May, A., & Pérez-Garcia, D. (n.d.). Constraints on physical computers in holographic spacetimes. SciPost Physics, 16(1), 024. doi:10.21468/scipostphys.16.1.024
  • Kubicki, A. M., May, A., & Pérez-Garcia, D. (2023). Constraints on physical computers in holographic spacetimes. doi:10.21468/scipost.report.8094
  • Cree, J., & May, A. (n.d.). Code-routing: a new attack on position verification. Quantum, 7, 1079. doi:10.22331/q-2023-08-09-1079
  • Allerstorfer, R., Buhrman, H., May, A., Speelman, F., & Lunel, P. V. (2023). Relating non-local quantum computation to information theoretic cryptography. arxiv:2306.16462v4
  • May, A., & Xu, M. (2023). Non-local computation and the black hole interior. arxiv:2304.11184v3
  • May, A., Sorce, J., & Yoshida, B. (n.d.). The connected wedge theorem and its consequences. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2022(11), 153. doi:10.1007/jhep11(2022)153
  • May, A. (n.d.). Complexity and entanglement in non-local computation and holography. Quantum, 6, 864. doi:10.22331/q-2022-11-28-864
  • May, A. (2021). Bulk private curves require large conditional mutual information. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(9), 42. doi:10.1007/jhep09(2021)042
  • May, A. (2021). Quantum tasks in holography. (PhD Thesis). https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/ubctheses/24/items/1.0401122
  • May, A., Simidzija, P., & Van Raamsdonk, M. (2021). Negative energy enhancement in layered holographic conformal field theories. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(8), 37. doi:10.1007/jhep08(2021)037
  • May, A. (2021). Holographic quantum tasks with input and output regions. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(8), 55. doi:10.1007/jhep08(2021)055
  • May, A., & Wakeham, D. (2021). Quantum tasks require islands on the brane. Classical and Quantum Gravity, 38(14), 144001. doi:10.1088/1361-6382/ac025d
  • Dolev, K., May, A., & Wan, K. (2021). Distributing bipartite quantum systems under timing constraints. Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical, 54(14), 145301. doi:10.1088/1751-8121/abe5ce
  • May, A., & Van Raamsdonk, M. (2021). Interpolating between multi-boundary wormholes and single-boundary geometries in holography. Journal of High Energy Physics, 2021(4), 185. doi:10.1007/jhep04(2021)185
  • Non-local quantum computation meets quantum gravity, QPV 2023: Advances in quantum position verification, 2023/09/19, PIRSA:23090014
  • Talk 10 - Constraints on physical computers in holographic spacetimes, It from Qubit 2023, 2023/08/01, PIRSA:23080007
  • Constraints on physical computers in holographic spacetimes”, Strings seminar, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2023/07/14
  • Time and complexity in quantum gravity, Entangle this: randomness, complexity, and quantum circuits, Centro de Ciencias de Benasque Pedro Pascual, 2023/07/11
  • Constraints on physical computers in holographic spacetimes, GeoFlow collaboration meeting, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States, 2023/06/01
  • Quantum tasks require islands on the brane, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai, India, 2023/04/01
  • Does gravity constrain complexity?, Quantum information seminar, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, United States, 2023/03/07
  • Information processing in causal networks from AdS/CFT”, Quantum information processing 2023, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, 2023/02/15
  • “Information processing in causal networks from AdS/CFT, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2023/02/10
  • Does gravity constrain complexity?”, Quantum information and mathematics seminar, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain, 2023/02/08
  • Does gravity constrain complexity?, Joint gravity and quantum information seminar, University College London, London, United Kingdom, 2023/01/24
  • Causal aspects of quantum information in quantum gravity, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom, 2023/01/10
  • Does gravity constrain complexity?, Strings seminar, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States, 2022/11/15
  • Code-routing: a new attack on position-verification, Theory of quantum computation, communication, and complexity 2022, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States, 2022/07/15
  • Towards quantum information processing in gravitating spacetimes, Perimeter institute for theoretical physics, 2022/06/01
  • Non-local computation and black holes, Centrum Wiskunde & Informatica, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 2022/05/03
  • Causal aspects of quantum information in quantum gravity, Perimeter Institute Quantum Discussions, 2022/04/27, PIRSA:22040125
  • Towards quantum information processing in gravitating spacetimes, High energy physics seminar, Purdue University West Lafayette, West Lafayette, United States, 2022/04/12
  • Towards quantum information processing in gravitating spacetimes", Perimeter Institute Quantum Discussions, 2022/01/31, PIRSA:22010076
  • Entanglement and light cones in AdS/CFT, Joint virtual seminar held by Amsterdam, Potsdam, and University College London., University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany, 2021/08/01
  • Bulk causal features and boundary correlation, Strings 2021, South American Institute for Fundamental Research, Sao Paulo, Brazil, 2021/07/01
  • Quantum tasks require islands on the brane, Strings seminar, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, United States, 2021/05/01
  • Quantum tasks require islands on the brane, Math and Physics seminar, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, United States, 2021/04/05