PRX Quantum’s chief editor talks early inspirations, plans for 2025, and tips for senior scientists

Quantum science and technology is perhaps one of the fastest growing fields in physics today. Quantum cryptography promises a new era of information security, while quantum computing is expected to revolutionize industries like pharmaceuticals, materials science, and finance. Even simple, everyday problems like optimizing traffic flow could one day be answered by quantum algorithms.

The next decade will likely bring dramatic advancements for the quantum community, and under the guidance of Chief Editor Katiuscia Cassemiro, PRX Quantum stands ready to serve as the field’s most impactful journal. As Cassemiro and her team prepare for the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology in 2025, we sat down with Cassemiro to talk about her own scientific journey, hot topics in quantum research, and what’s slated for the 2025 APS Global Physics Summit.

Quantum science isn’t exactly “entry-level” physics. What drew you in as a young researcher?

At the time I was in college, quantum mechanics was definitely not as trendy as it is today. But one thing that fascinated me was this short book by Richard Feynman called “QED: The Strange Theory of Light.” It was just beautiful, describing very simple daily things, the daily natural phenomena, but through the lenses of quantum mechanics. I just found it very intriguing.

I also liked that quantum research experiments are tabletop. In other areas like nuclear physics, you have these big expensive facilities, big accelerators, and you don't really fully control the entire experiment. But in quantum science, it was the other way around. Everything can be done on top of a table. You have full control and it's all there in front of you. I liked that you could see the entire process.

I was [also] in a very good laboratory with people who knew their topics very well, and that made our discussions and conversations more exciting and more fruitful.

You began in quantum research and eventually pivoted to editing. Has this changed your relationship with the field?

Yes. Even as a researcher, I had my eye on an editing career because it’s an opportunity to see science more broadly, and also to be participating actively in the process. As an editor, you have to move away from technical, detailed knowledge, but you gain broader knowledge and more connections with the community.

My role is definitely different now — there is more emphasis on making sure that published research in my field is solid, that researchers trust and engage with our review process, and that our curation reflects the top results. I think we have achieved these goals because our readers send positive feedback. Moreover, PRX Quantum has strong submissions and the highest impact factor among journals dedicated to quantum science and technology.

What are the exciting frontiers in quantum science and technology you’re paying close attention to?

It’s tough to pick a few, and we are often surprised. In recent years, the contributing community has grown tremendously. We don’t just have quantum mechanics physicists — we now have computer scientists, we have engineers, we have people working with chemistry, materials, and so on. And it's because of this rich combination of people from different backgrounds that we are able to push the field forward.

For example, dark matter is one of the big mysteries out there, and it's not technically within the scope of PRX Quantum. But people are trying to use quantum sensors just to get a hint of what dark matter is. Another innovative system that’s gaining increased attention is the fluxonium qubit — a modification of the industry-standard superconducting transmon that’s adding new knobs to the engineering toolbox.

There is also a lot going on with applying artificial intelligence to quantum science. While many studies are mostly concerned about automating routines, others are asking ingenious scientific questions on how the two domains together can address challenging issues. We also see intense research into new materials, like 2D materials.

Big breakthroughs are tough to come by, but we are seeing a lot of big results when people push boundaries in other fields by applying quantum tricks to specific systems. Sometimes the breakthrough is with neutral atoms, other times it's superconducting qubits or some error correction protocol. But generally, the question we are asking at PRX Quantum is, what are the results that are going to be the foundation of future research?

2025 is the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. Do you have big plans?

Yes, and it's also the five-year anniversary of PRX Quantum, so it's a very opportune coincidence. First, we are preparing a collection of freshly published papers that we believe will be on people's minds for several years. We are thinking the ideas in these papers could shape the next several decades of quantum research — there are some amazing results to share. We will also be inviting the authors of some of these papers to a special session at the 2025 APS Global Physics Summit in March.

The Summit will be a big celebration for us. We’ll have a session on the history of our field, and we’ll have a few Nobel Laureates coming for that. Another session will be focused on how the tools and ideas from quantum information have shaped other fields. We’re also partnering with the APS Division of Quantum Information to present an award for the most impactful doctoral thesis in quantum science. We have a big party planned during the conference, too.

If you could sit down and chat with each author of PRX Quantum, what would you say to them?

The number one thing in my mind is always, tell me how you felt about the process and what you like to read in the journal. I want to know everything that you liked about the review process, and everything you thought could have been better. I'm always curious to understand and make sure that we are conducting the best possible review process. Was it fruitful? Has the paper improved? Of course, I know our process is rigorous and our referees are very qualified, but I am interested in people’s perceived experiences. I'm also curious about how our readers interact with the papers we publish.

I always ask these questions when I meet with authors throughout the year. In a project initiated by our board members, we are visiting many institutes around the world to discuss the review process with the quantum community, especially the younger generation. We’re not just welcoming them and asking for their help as referees, but also sharing submission tips and best practices and so on.

I would also encourage senior researchers to work together with their junior members when reviewing papers. Even though journals in the Physical Review portfolio have been accepting joint reports for a long time, it's not well-known that you can include your students and postdocs when you referee a paper. It’s very simple to file a joint report. You simply say, “I wrote this report together with such and such.” It doesn’t have to be super formal.