Rate My Professor John van de Wetering

Dr. John van de Wetering serves as Assistant Professor in Theoretical Computer Science at the Informatics Institute, Faculty of Science, University of Amsterdam, a position he has held since December 2022 within the Theoretical Computer Science group and in collaboration with the QuSoft research center on quantum computing theory. His academic background includes a PhD in Computer Science from Radboud University Nijmegen, awarded cum laude in 2020 for the thesis "Quantum Theory from Principles, Quantum Software from Diagrams"; an MSc in Mathematical Physics from Radboud University (2016, bene meritum), with a thesis completed at Oxford University; and dual BSc degrees in Mathematics and Physics from Radboud University (both 2014, cum laude). Before joining the University of Amsterdam, he was a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Oxford Quantum Group (September-November 2022, funded by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship), Visiting Researcher at the same group (December 2020-August 2022, NWO Rubicon Fellowship), and Technical Advisor at Cambridge Quantum Computing (September-December 2019), where he developed new quantum circuit optimization methods.

Van de Wetering's research specializes in quantum compilation, employing diagrammatic languages like the ZX-calculus to enhance quantum circuit optimization, classical simulation, and verification; he is a co-creator of PyZX, an open-source Python tool for ZX-calculus-based quantum compilation. His work also encompasses quantum foundations, using algebraic and compositional methods to derive quantum theory from natural physical principles. Notable awards include the NWO Veni Individual Fellowship (2024, €320,000) for "A diagrammatic toolbox for quantum circuit simulation," NWO Rubicon Fellowship (2020, €180,000), Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship (2020, €212,933), and Unitary Foundation Grant (2025, €4,000). Key publications feature "Optimal compilation of parametrised quantum circuits" (Quantum, 2025, with Yeung, Laakkonen, Kissinger), "Classically simulating intermediate-scale instantaneous quantum polynomial circuits through a random graph approach" (Physical Review A, 2025, with Codsi), "ZX-Flow: A Flexible Criterion for Deterministic Computation with ZX-Diagrams" (QPL 2026, with Kissinger), and "Quantum Circuit Optimization with AlphaTensor" (Nature Machine Intelligence, 2025, co-author). He directs the MSc programme in Quantum Computer Science at the University of Amsterdam, launched in September 2024, supervises students, teaches courses, and has presented keynotes including "Picturing Quantum Software" at SEFM 2024.