Quantum & Classical computing
IBM Zürich & ETH Zürich (CH)
[Apr 2026] We recently showed that quantum computers can be used to validate real lab experiments, but we did not push the hardware at our disposal to the limits. In a new preprint, we show significant and consistent improvements to energy calculations when the active space of the half-Möbius molecule is increased from 36 to 50 orbitals. This represents the largest chemical calculation executed on quantum hardware to date.
S. Piccinelli, S. Barison, A. Baiardi, F. Tacchino, J. Repp, I. Rončević, F. Albrecht, H. L. Anderson, L. Gross, A. Curioni & I. Tavernelli
arXiv:2603.08696 (2026)
[Mar 2026] Can quantum computers help us validate real lab experiments? In our recent work published in Science, we used quantum simulations to confirm the half-Möbius topology of a recently synthesized molecule.
[Sep 2025] Our work on local high-dimensional fermion mappings to qudits has been published in Physical Review A!
[Feb 2025] Extended sample-based quantum diagonalization (Ext-SQD) has been published in Quantum Science and Technology, have a look at the publication!
[Jun 2024] Our work on variational embedding has received a huge update. Now it features not only a strategy to combine quantum variational circuits with classical methods, but also a more general framework to combine classical methods with different accuracies.
[May 2024] Our work that extends the p-VQD algorithm by introducing adaptive circuits for time evolution has been published on Physical Review Research.
The limitations of computing and processing power are no small matter. Rather, they constitute a decisive question, which must be treated with the utmost respect.
- from "Computer meets Theoretical Physics"
Currently, I am a postdoctoral researcher in quantum computing at the IBM Research Lab in Zürich.
I obtained my Ph.D. in Physics at EPFL, in Lausanne, in the group of Prof. Giuseppe Carleo.
My research focuses on the development of quantum algorithms for the simulation of quantum systems.
I work to make the most of current quantum hardware, combining it with methods inspired by classical machine learning.
S. Barison , F. Vicentini & G. Carleo
Quantum 5, 512 (2021)
S. Barison , D.E. Galli & M. Motta
Physical Review A 106 (2), 022404 (2022)
S. Barison , F. Vicentini, I. Cirac & G. Carleo
Phys. Rev. Research 4 (4), 043161 (2022)
R. Carobene, S. Barison & A. Giachero
Quantum Science and Technology 8 (3), 035014 (2023)
D. Linteau, S. Barison , N. Lindner & G. Carleo
Phys. Rev. Research 6 (2), 023130 (2024)
S. Barison , F. Vicentini & G. Carleo
arXiv:2309.08666 (2023)
S. Barison , J. Robledo-Moreno & M. Motta
Quantum Science and Technology 10 (2), 025034 (2025)
R. Carobene, S. Barison , A. Giachero & J. Nys
Physical Review A 112, 032619 (2025)
S. Piccinelli, A. Baiardi, S. Barison, M. Rossmannek, A. C. Vazquez, F. Tacchino, S. Mensa, E. Altamura, A. Alavi, M. Motta, J. Robledo-Moreno, W. Kirby, K. Sharma, A. Mezzacapo & I. Tavernelli
arXiv:2508.02578 (2025)
I. Rončević, F. Paschke, Y. Gao, L. Lieske, L. A. Gödde, S. Barison, S. Piccinelli, A. Baiardi, I. Tavernelli, J. Repp, F. Albrecht, H. L. Anderson & L. Gross
Science 392, eaea3321 (2026)
S. Piccinelli, S. Barison, A. Baiardi, F. Tacchino, J. Repp, I. Rončević, F. Albrecht, H. L. Anderson, L. Gross, A. Curioni & I. Tavernelli
arXiv:2603.08696 (2026)
EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland
2020 - 2025
University of Milan, Milan, Italy
2018 - 2020
University of Milan, Milan, Italy
2015 - 2018
Liceo Scientifico "IISS I. Versari", Cesano Maderno (MB), Italy
2010 - 2015