Most recently I had the pleasure of working with and capturing John Martinis - the man responsible for developing the world’s first quantum computer for Google.
However, let’s first take a step back…
As a photographer I regularly shoot portraits with influential people with the most amazing stories, this time was no different… visiting the Google Quantum Lab in Goleta, California and capturing a portrait of Martinis himself also featured within Nature’s latest article – definitely worth a read (if not to see my image!).
John Martinis / Google Labs / Quantum Computer Supremacy for Nature Magazine.
If you didn’t already know, Nature is a world-leading multi-disciplinary scientific journal, ranked the most cited journal of science in 2012. With various scientific articles, topics and reports published weekly, Nature is one of the most prestigious scientific education based sites out there.
Quantum Supremacy Super Computer
So, as you can imagine if visiting the Quantum lab in California wasn’t enough, working with Martinis was a great honour, and certainly something to add to the portfolio, not to mention a story for generations to come.
Who is John Martinis?
Hang on a second… who is John Martinis? Whether you know the name or not, you’ve more than likely heard of the project he’s been working on. Martinis and his team under his supervision are responsible for the development of the world’s first quantum computer for Google, supposedly capable of carrying out calculations much faster than any other computer currently on the market.
“Doing this experiment was the culmination of my career” – Martinis
Where did the idea of the quantum computer come from?
First attending a lecture as a graduate in the 1980s, little did Martinis know this was set to change his entire path in life. With the work of famous physicist Richard Feynman and his idea of using quantum particle characteristics to develop a ‘so-called’ supercomputer that would allow for tasks which would undoubtedly be impossible on orthodox machines, further inspiring Martinis to someday accomplish this.
On this new and inevitable journey with a fresh dose of inspiration flowing through his veins, Martinis achieved what he called ‘the cumulation of his career’, with Martinis and his team taking a giant leap towards Feynman's original idea set out in lecture hall more than three decades on with a successful design of the quantum computer able to carry out a calculation in a fraction of the time compared to anything else out there.
If you’re interested in reading more on John Martinis, be sure to read the article On Nature’s website by clicking here.
The bottom line
Working as a photographer allows me the opportunity to capture truly amazing moments, just like those discussed in this article, and now more important than ever given the creation of my blog helps me tell my story.