I was awarded an ANR Jeunes Chercheuses et Jeunes Chercheurs (JCJC) grant in the AAPG 2026 call as PI of my project titled:

HIGHER — Simulating Higher-Order Quantum Computing: From Causal Structures to Quantum Circuit Implementations.

Project abstract: Quantum information theory provides a powerful framework to understand and exploit the laws of quantum theory for information processing. Within this framework, higher-order quantum theory generalizes the notion of computation by allowing not only quantum states but also quantum operations themselves to be inputs and outputs of a computation. Remarkably, this formalism goes beyond standard quantum computational models by admiting processes with classical or even quantum control of computational order—including transformations that act on input quantum channels in an indefinite causal order. Such processes have been shown to offer theoretical advantages in tasks such as channel discrimination, metrology, and algorithmic complexity. The HIGHER project aims to determine the true computational power of these higher-order transformations by studying their simulability with standard quantum circuits. Specifically, we will quantify the cost, in terms of query complexity, of simulating higher-order processes that employ classical or quantum control of causal order. Building on recent results showing that simulating the quantum switch requires at least an exponential overhead, we will (1) build explicit quantum circuit simulations of transformations with classical control and investigate their cost and optimality, (2) establish rigorous bounds on the resources required for quantum circuit simulations of transformations with quantum control of orders, and finally (3) bridge theory and experiment by developing accurate circuit-based models of recent experimental implementations inspired by indefinite causal order. Through this program, HIGHER will identify current limitations, propose improved experimental architectures, and clarify whether indefinite causality represents a genuine physical and computational resource. This project will provide an invaluable opportunity for the scientific coordinator to establish her own research team.