Spotlight on Bryce Bjork

Oxford Ionics is made up of a rapidly growing team of 80 people around the world, all driven by the core vision that powerful quantum computers can unlock world-changing innovations. In this blog series, we’re going to introduce you to some of the individuals turning this vision into reality. 

We’re kicking off by spotlighting Bryce Bjork, Principal Quantum Scientist. Based out of our Boulder, CO office, Bryce has had an incredible career across academia, research, and industry. Read on to hear more about his journey, the skills he uses every day, and what he’s most excited about as Oxford Ionics continues to hit milestone after milestone.

What was your background before joining Oxford Ionics?

I’ve always been excited about the prospect of quantum computing and the ability for it to solve problems that couldn’t otherwise be solved on classical computers. During my PhD in Physics at JILA at the University of Colorado, Boulder, I applied mid-infrared cavity-enhanced direct frequency comb spectroscopy to a new class of transient radical reactions such as OH+CO->HOCO. This novel ultra-sensitive, time-resolved technique allowed us to accurately measure the concentrations of the reactants, intermediates, and products of the reaction on the microsecond timescale – enabling a better understanding of the reaction process and direct measurements of reaction rates. During this study, I gained an appreciation for the difficulty of quantum chemistry simulations on classical computers – a key area where quantum computers are expected to provide an advantage.

After my PhD, I transitioned to Honeywell Quantum Solutions, now Quantinuum, to help build up some of its early development systems from the ground up. I was fortunate to be able to work with an exceptional team where we were able to demonstrate key technological capabilities such high-fidelity (>99.9%) two-qubit Mølmer-Sørensen gates and a novel D-state light-shift gate on 171Yb+ qubits sympathetically cooled with 138Ba+. Additionally, we were able to demonstrate a technique for converting leakage out of the qubit manifold into qubit errors, a critical tool for enabling Quantum Error Correction in hyperfine clock-state qubits such as 171Yb+. 

From there, I built up a cryogenic surface trap system and demonstrated multiple types of high-fidelity gates in 137Ba+. Finally, I spent a bit of time working on the compiler and emulator team where I gained an appreciation for the higher levels of the compute stack. It was very fun to be part of such a fast-growing and exceptionally talented team as we pushed the boundaries of trapped-ion quantum computing and navigated the associated difficulties of such a rapidly-scaling organization. While at Quantinuum, I gained an appreciation for just how many different areas of expertise are needed to design and build powerful quantum computers and how the organizational structure can have an impact on the development of these systems.

Why did you choose to join Oxford Ionics?

For me, the thing that stood out the most was that Oxford Ionics was taking some of the long-held assumptions in the trapped-ion world and completely turning them on its head. In particular, I was drawn to the philosophy the company takes when building its quantum computers – atomic physics hardware tends to be rather complex, and Oxford Ionics constantly looks for ways to reduce this complexity to enable scalability. Whether it’s through theory, re-design, supply chain management, or novel engineering, Oxford Ionics keeps scalability and simplicity at the heart of its systems and that felt like a truly innovative approach. 

The other factor in my decision was of course the company’s roadmap, and the leadership driving it forward. Oxford Ionics’ path to commercially-valuable quantum computers resonated with me – certain aspects of the technology, for example Electronic Qubit Control, felt inherently scalable and practical. When pairing that with the company’s stellar two-qubit gate fidelities, joining the team felt like a no brainer. 

Finally, I think every great company is defined by the quality of its people. Oxford Ionics has so many brilliant scientists, engineers, technicians, and business people, all of whom are warm, welcoming, and entirely driven by the company’s mission. Ultimately, I want to be a part of a team that makes practical quantum computing a reality and I believe Oxford Ionics is on that path.

What skills do you use every day in your job? 

A large part of my role at Oxford Ionics falls within our Quantum Architecture team, and so having a background in the lab has been tremendously valuable for this role. When you’re doing architecture work, it’s important to not lose sight of what it means to be in the lab or in the manufacturing facility actually doing these demonstrations and building these systems in the ‘real world’. While you can have a really beautiful theory, it needs to be rooted in reality – my lab experience helps me stay close to this frame of mind. 

Perhaps a less-expected skill I use every day is cross-functional collaboration. Quantum computing is a truly collaborative effort, requiring inputs not just from physicists and scientists, but from engineers, software teams, and commercial functions. Throughout my career, I’ve learned a lot about interacting with diverse backgrounds, aligning different teams to the company’s mission, and fostering a positive company culture – these are skills I fall back on every day.

What are you most excited about as Oxford Ionics continues to grow? 

I’m really excited about approaching the challenges we have ahead of us and bringing multiple fields together to find the ways to overcome them. Building high-performance quantum computers that can scale requires fitting together so many different pieces of the puzzle – from novel physics to integrated photonics, to microwave engineering and electrical design. I am really looking forward to taking these puzzle pieces and solving a challenge that can seem insurmountable when we first get started. 

In connection with this, I am also really looking forward to building out our global teams but especially our Boulder office. There are so many experts in different fields that we will need on our journey, and I look forward to bringing in experts who will have solutions to our challenges that are obvious in their fields. 

Final question: when you’re not at work, what do you do in your spare time? 

Living in Colorado, there are so many amazing hobbies you can take up that are just right outside your front door. I like to stay outdoors as much as I can, whether that’s skiing and snowboarding, trail running, or mountain and road biking. I also love to do some social dancing, and am an avid swing dancer!