Jan-Åke Larsson, Docent, PhD

I am a researcher and teacher at the Department of Electrical Engineering with a background in mathematics. My main research interests are connected in various ways with quantum mechanics, and I teach cryptology, quantum information theory, foundations of quantum theory, and effective communication in mathematics, science and engineering.

My current main research project is a study of the security of Quantum Cryptography, specifically the classical subsystems needed in the various proposed systems. Another active research interest is the foundations of quantum mechanics, related to questions of locality and contextuality. See the publication list for more information.

I teach communication of mathematical, scientific and engineering results, how to talk before an audience, how to present results, how to write your papers, and so on. There is a voluntary course in the first year of the Applied Physics and Electrical Engineering Masters program, but I have also given a PhD-level course in the Mathematics Department.

If you are interested in doing your Masters or Bachelors thesis with me, contact me. There may be an appropriate project.

Supervision:

• Aysajan Abidin, PhD student, 2007- (Licentiate thesis 2010: Weaknesses of Authentication in Quantum Cryptography and Strongly Universal Hash Functions)
• Bo Sahl, MSc, Relative measurement probabilities by Grover search modification, 2011
• Karl Vestgöte, BSc, Quantum Key Distribution - current state of the technology and prospects in the near future, 2009 (now at Combitech AB, Linköping)
• Jörgen Cederlöf, MSc, Authentication in Quantum Key Growing, 2005 (now at Google Inc., San Fransisco)

Docent

2003 in Applied Mathematics at the Department of Mathematics, Linköping University

PhD degree:

November 2000 in Applied Mathematics at the Department of Mathematics, Linköping University, Sweden.

Current and earlier positions:

• Associate Professor (Swedish title: Universitetslektor) at the Department of Electrical Engineering, Linköping University: July 1 2010-
• Associate Professor (Swedish title: Universitetslektor) at the Department of Mathematics, Linköping University: January 1 2003-June 30 2010.
• Head of the Research School of Interdisciplinary Mathematics at the Department of Mathematics, LiU, 2007-2009
• Research Associate (Swedish title: Forskarassistent) at the Department of Mathematics, Linköping University: July 1 2002-Sept 30 2004.
• Postdoc at MaPhySto (Centre for Mathematical Physics and Stochastics) and QuantOp (Centre for Quantum Optics), Aarhus University, Denmark, July 1 2001-Jun 30 2002
• Temporary Lecturer (Swedish title: Vik. Universitetslektor) at the Department of Mathematics, Linköping University: Jan 1 2001-Jun 30 2001