James Hefford
Interests
I am interested in the underlying algebraic structures of quantum theory, in particular how they pertain to possible post-quantum theories - those which exhibit phenomena beyond standard quantum mechanics. Such theories offer invaluable insight into how quantum theory manifests and how we might extend it in the future to capture unexplained phenomena.
Of particular interest is furthering our understanding of generalised decoherence structures including the transition from a post-quantum theory to quantum theory via a hyper-decoherence process. Some of my work involves studying classes of quantum-like theories which exhibit generalised decoherence structures and trying to understand the algebraic and operational characteristics of such theories.
Biography
| Oxford University | DPhil in Computer Science | 2019 - Present |
|---|---|---|
| University College London | MRes in Quantum Technologies | 2018 - 2019 |
| Imperial College London | MSci in Mathematics | 2014 - 2018 |
I am also affiliated with the CDT in Delivering Quantum Technologies at UCL.
Teaching
Oxford:
MT20 - Tutor for Quantum Processes and Computation
Imperial:
2017-2018 - Tutor for first year undergraduates
Selected Publications
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The Produoidal Algebra of Process Decomposition
Matt Earnshaw‚ James Hefford and Mario Román
2023.
Details about The Produoidal Algebra of Process Decomposition | BibTeX data for The Produoidal Algebra of Process Decomposition | Link to The Produoidal Algebra of Process Decomposition
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Optics for Premonoidal Categories
James Hefford and Mario Román
2023.
Accepted at ACT 2023
Details about Optics for Premonoidal Categories | BibTeX data for Optics for Premonoidal Categories | Link to Optics for Premonoidal Categories
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On the pre− and promonoidal structure of spacetime
James Hefford and Aleks Kissinger
In arXiv Preprint. Vol. arXiv:2206.09678. 2022.
Submitted to ACT 2022
Details about On the pre− and promonoidal structure of spacetime | BibTeX data for On the pre− and promonoidal structure of spacetime | Link to On the pre− and promonoidal structure of spacetime