Abdullah Alhussni

I am Abdullah Alhussni, a sophomore studying Electrical Engineering at New York University Abu Dhabi, also pursuing a path in Mathematics, with an expected graduation in 2026. I have been associated with the Center for Quantum and Topological Systems (CQTS) since the summer of 2023 and started working under Professor Asif Equbal in the interdisciplinary Quantum eXploration Lab (iQX) in the fall of 2023. Coming from a background of competitive physics and a love for mathematics, I am excited to share my passion for problem-solving in the field of quantum systems. My academic and research interests notably converge within robotics and artificial intelligence, particularly in dynamical systems and control theory. Optimization is the area where I envision my future. Studying optimization in the context of quantum systems is what I enjoy doing at iQX. With my background in engineering, math, physics, and problem-solving, I am currently focused on pulse-shaping, aiming to deeply understand, analyze, and optimize it across all possible frameworks: mathematical modeling, software simulations, and the limitations of physical hardware. Pulse sequencing is akin to the language we use to communicate with qubits, and the shapes of these pulses resemble the morphology of the words. A profound understanding of both is hence necessary for the ideal manipulation of qubits. As a young researcher, I look forward to producing meaningful results in the field of sequencing and pulse-shaping, specifically in selective excitation. I aspire to grow and use my background to provide the "Quantum Systems Research Community" with a better understanding of how to manage multi-spin systems and to deepen our comprehension of the language used to communicate with qubits.

Over the summer of 2024, I have been working on Optimal Control Theory in Quantum Sensing. Using the Spinach library and High-Performance Computing, I have been running simulations to optimize Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (DNP) experiments using Optimal Control and the Gradient Ascent Pulse Engineering (GRAPE) algorithm specifically. The objective is designing pulses that are optimal with respect to power and time, among other parameters, while also achieving the target state of the system. While difficulties arise due to hardware limitations and the difficulty of finding initial guesses, I am working on finding solutions to all of these obstacles.