This doctoral dissertation improvement grant will support the investigator, a PhD candidate, for one semester of research at the Rotman Institute of Philosophy at the University of Western Ontario. At the Institute, the researcher will work with two specialists in his area of specialty, the foundations of quantum physics. He will work with these experts to develop an ontological framework for characterizing quantum information as a foundational approach to quantum mechanics. His mentor advocates a principle-based approach to quantum information, which leaves open the question of the underlying ontology. The researcher will show that the principle approach is incomplete, and that it does not mesh well with the ways in which theorists use quantum information-theoretic principles in some contexts of active research.
The project's interdisciplinary impact will be disseminated not just within the philosophical community, but also to physicists working in related fields. It will have an impact on the researcher's teaching both inside and outside of the classroom. He plans to design an upper-level undergraduate course in the foundations of quantum theory, which could be cross-listed in philosophy and physics departments. In addition, he plans to engage in scientific community outreach through general audience lectures, and Rotman sponsored blog posts.
