Physics Ph.D. candidate Anastasia Pipi (Narang group) is featured in UCLA Newsroom article discussing her quantum science research.
In the article, Pipi, who conducts research in Professor Prineha Narang’s group, spoke about how her passion for physics and math led her from Cyprus to groundbreaking work in quantum science at UCLA, where she focuses on developing practical, AI-driven quantum technologies while maintaining a strong belief in creativity as central to discovery.
From UCLA Newsroom (by Jonathan Riggs | Video by Tina Hordzwick and Roger Lee):
The quantum mind: Rewriting the future, from physics to AI to technology and beyond
Doctoral student Anastasia Pipi is exploring ‘inner space’ to blaze new, world-changing scientific trails
Quantum science is one of today’s most talked-about fields, full of buzz and seemingly limitless potential to reshape how we understand the world — and what technology can achieve. Including subsets like quantum information science and quantum mechanics, the field is a subject more people have heard of than can explain, often surrounded by bold claims, from floating, earthquake-proof cities to making time travel possible.
But for Anastasia Pipi, the focus remains grounded in real science rather than in science fiction. Growing up in Cyprus, Pipi was always fascinated by physics. But explaining her desire to make it a career was sometimes a challenge.
“Physics didn’t seem like a common career path among the people I knew; many saw it as limiting,” she said. “But I was naturally drawn to it — it just made sense to me. I knew that pursuing it could open many more doors.”
Excelling in science throughout high school, Pipi was captivated by her first physics class, where her teacher kindled her curiosity by opening each chapter with deceptively simple questions — such as how an object would move in the vacuum of space — inviting students to reason from first principles before they had learned the formal laws.
Intrigued by the challenge of theorizing about the unknown and driven by a love for math, she went on to study mathematical physics at the University of Edinburgh, where she was first introduced to quantum science.
Eager to innovate in a cutting-edge field, she traveled to the U.S. to join UCLA’s master’s program in quantum science and technology, or MQST.
“I was excited that UCLA offered opportunities to explore not only theory, but also the computational and experimental sides,” Pipi said. “It was a great way to learn how to apply my skills in practice — and it was incredibly motivating to see everyone here pushing boundaries at such an inspiring, accelerated pace.”
What is quantum science?
The power of quantum, Pipi says, lies in its ability to revolutionize secure communication, offering unprecedented protection for sensitive data in an increasingly digital world; to tackle complex pharmaceutical challenges such as personalized medicine and targeted drug design; and to explore fundamental questions in physics, from the nature of gravity to the mystery of dark matter and beyond.
Still, she emphasizes that the foremost goal — both for her and her colleagues — is to solve the practical challenges that stand in the way of making quantum technologies truly viable.
“When we think about the future of quantum, it’s easy to get swept up in the hype,” she said. “But the real excitement lies in the tangible, transformative progress we’re making — even if it comes with big challenges.”
But what, exactly, is quantum?
“In a nutshell, quantum physics is our framework for understanding nature at the smallest scales,” Pipi said. “While Newtonian physics helps us make sense of things like planetary motion or how a ball rolls across the floor, those laws break down when we look at microscopic particles. The behavior of something like an electron is probabilistic — instead of tracing a neat, predictable path, we can only calculate the likelihood of where it might be at any given time.”
Pipi’s scientific curiosity and drive to explore the potential of quantum technologies made her a natural fit for UCLA’s MQST program.
“Anastasia was a standout member of our inaugural cohort and represents exactly the type of student our program was designed for,” said Richard Ross, MQST program director. “She showed an impressive aptitude and curiosity for this interdisciplinary field and is well prepared to make her mark in it.”
Bringing research to life with Nvidia, Caltech and more
Pipi’s time at UCLA was so rewarding that she stayed on after earning her MQST degree to pursue a doctorate in physics under the mentorship of Professor Prineha Narang, a leader in physical sciences and electrical and computer engineering. With Narang’s guidance, Pipi is advancing research at the intersection of fundamental physics and emerging technology, developing quantum control methods powered by artificial intelligence in atomic, molecular and optical systems, in collaboration with scientists at Caltech and the technology company Nvidia.
As she looks beyond her graduation, Pipi is eager to deepen her work on developing computational tools that can help make quantum technologies more practical and scalable. In the meantime, she’s fully embraced life on and off campus, steadily building her international profile as a researcher. In addition to presenting her work on quantum logic spectroscopy as a lead author at the American Physical Society, she traveled to Denmark earlier this year to attend the prestigious AI4Quantum: Accelerating Quantum Computing with AI conference, organized by the global health care company Novo Nordisk.
But Pipi’s interests extend far outside the lab. A certified open-water diver, she is also passionate about ballet, piano and snow skiing. She sees creativity not as separate from science, but as an essential part of it — a perspective that continues to shape her approach to research and life as she continues to explore new and exciting horizons.
“Physics offers a unique outlet for creativity,” she said. “Science is an art form where imagination can be just as important as logic.”
