Our group investigates quantum mechanics and tries to put it to good use. We are particularly interested in quantum computing — the use of quantum effects to improve computation. Much of our work addresses the physics behind quantum computer construction. Some questions that we explore: How can one assess the quantumness of a physical system? What is the fundamental behavior of the physical systems that are candidate quantum bits (qubits)? Is it possible to design a quantum apparatus that is inherently robust against noise? Some of our research seeks new quantum algorithms.