top of page
Profile-Feb-2019-I_new.png

Zohreh Davoudi, Ph.D.

Department of Physics University of Maryland, College Park

I am an Associate Professor at the Department of Physics, a Fellow of the Joint Center for Quantum Information and Computer Science (QuICS), and the Associate Director for Education at the NSF Institute for Robust Quantum Simulation at the University of Maryland, College Park. The focus of my research is on simulating complex systems in nature arising from the most fundamental particles and interactions underlying them, or their effective descriptions. Here you will have a glimpse into my research and educational activities as a theoretical physicist.

Research Priorities

My research can be cast into four categories shown below. The underlying theme is to use simulation tools, classical and quantum, to study complex systems in nature arising from interactions of the Standard Model of Particle physics, in particular the strong interactions.

LATTICE GAUGE THEORY: FORMAL DEVELOPMENTS

Developing the mapping between physical quantities such as multi-hadron scattering amplitudes and transition rates and the numerical simulation of strong interactions in a finite discretized spacetime. 

Research Group

In the academic year 2023-2024, my group includes...

IMG_0122.jpg

CHUNG-CHUN HSIEH

Ph.D. student and research assistant

Connor.jpg

CONNOR
POWERS

Ph.D. student and research assistant

Yash Image.jpg

Yash Anand

Undergraduate student and research assistant

received_1097929124493871.jpeg

NAVYA GUPTA

Ph.D. student and research assistant

Vinay.jpg

VINAY VIKRAMADITYA

Ph.D. student and research assistant

...along with post-doc and graduate research fellows and affiliates: 

picture-631-1661877178.jpeg

Dr. ALEXANDER SCHUCKERT

Post-doc fellow

Jake.jpg

JAKE BRINGEWATT

Ph.D. student and research fellow

white_edited.jpg

DR. CHRISTOPHER WHITE

Post-doc research associate

ali.izadi.rad.jpg

ALI IZADI RAD

Ph.D. student and research assistant

The former members or affiliate members of the group include:

raychowdhury.jpg

DR. INDRAKSHI
RAYCHOWDHURY

Indrakshi was a post-doc with us from 2019-2021 and has now joined Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani in Goa as an assistant professor.

Ani.jpg

DR. ANIRUDDHA BAPAT

Ani was a Ph.D. student with QuICS and affiliated with our group from 2019-2021. He then joined the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a post-doc research associate.

andrewshaw.jpg

ANDREW SHAW

Andrew was a Ph.D. student with us from 2018-2020.

stryker_edited_edited.jpg

DR. JESSE STRYKER

Jesse was a post-doc with us from 2020-2023 and has now joined the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a post-doc research associate.

mueller.jpg

DR. NIKLAS MUELLER

Niklas was a post-doc with us from 2020-2022 and has now joined the University of Washington's InQubator for Quantum Simulation as a research assistant professor.

kadam.png

Dr. SAURABH KADAM

Saurabh was a Ph.D. student and graduate research assistant with us from 2019-2023. He has now joined the University of Washington's InQubator for Quantum Simulation as a post-doc research associate.

alexshaw.jpg

ALEXANDER SHAW

Alex was a graduate research fellow with us from 2020-2022. 

Media Appearance Highlight

The 2016 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate at the American Museum of Natural History, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson. Panelists: David Chalmers (NYU), Zohreh Davoudi (MIT), James Gates (University of Maryland), Lisa Randall (Harvard), and Max Tegmark (MIT).

2016 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate: Is the Universe a Simulation?

2016 Isaac Asimov Memorial Debate: Is the Universe a Simulation?

Play Video

Science Outreach Highlight

TED-ED lesson on "Are we living in a simulation?". Lesson writer: Zohreh Davoudi. Directed by Eoin Duffy, narrated by Christina Greer, music by QB Sound.

Are we living in a simulation? - Zohreh Davoudi

Are we living in a simulation? - Zohreh Davoudi

Play Video

Research explained...

PRXQuantum.4.027001.png

Summer 2023

"Advocating for Quantum Simulation of Extreme Physics", a piece written by Dina Genkina of the Joint Quantum Institute regarding our effort in nuclear & particle-physics long-range planning .

medium.png

Winter 2019

"Is the Universe Real?", Brian Bergstein's piece in Medium.com regarding our paper on simulation hypothesis.                                                                                                                                

pp-fusion.jpg

Winter 2016

"Proton-Proton Fusion: Powering the Sun: Large-scale simulations of quarks promise precise view of reactions of astrophysical importance.", Department of Energy's Office of Science Highlight.

jqi-schwinger-story-v3_gallery_size.jpeg

Spring 2022

"Quantum Computers Are Starting to Simulate the World of Subatomic Particles", a piece written by Bailey Bedford of the Joint Quantum Institute regarding our recent work.

davoudi3_crop_web.jpg

Spring 2019

An interview by Matthew Wright of the University of Maryland regarding my research awarded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.                                                          

dispersion.jpg

Winter 2013

A general-audience presentation of my work on simulation hypothesis with Martin Savage and Silas Beane. The images and text are based on a talk presented at the Art Institute of Seattle .

qcd-ion.jpg

April 2020

"Charting a Course Toward Quantum Simulations of Nuclear Physics", a piece written by Bailey Bedford of the Joint Quantum Institute regarding our work on analog simulations of gauge theories.

kitp.jpg

Spring 2017

"Nuclear Physics in the Spotlight: From exploring nature’s most extreme environments to testing its most fundamental symmetries", invited contribution to KITP's newsletter

bottom of page