Homeschooled Student Completes Harvard Physics PhD, Joins IBM Quantum Team

Abigail McClain Gomez has transitioned from Harvard’s Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences to a position with IBM Quantum, graduating in November 2025 and defending her dissertation shortly before becoming a parent. Her unconventional path began with intensive training at 16 in a pre-professional program at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, a pursuit that nearly led her to Fordham University before a passion for mathematics and science developed. Initially intending to study aerospace engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology, encouragement from a professor steered her toward physics and ultimately Harvard. “What can we do with the quantum computers we have now, even if they’re noisy, even if they’re not perfect?” asks McClain Gomez, whose research focuses on maximizing the utility of current, imperfect quantum systems, a pragmatic approach to realizing the technology’s potential.

From Dance to Physics: McClain Gomez’s Academic Journey

A commitment to rigorous training in a pre-professional dance program at age 16 nearly led Abigail McClain Gomez toward Fordham University, revealing a formative period where her passions diverged before focusing on a path in physics. While deeply involved with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, the limitations of combining artistic pursuits with academic demands ultimately shaped her decision; “Fordham had a degree where you dance and study at Alvin Ailey, and I was considering that, but I didn’t want to only do the arts,” she recalls. “And I think because of the time commitment of dance, a double major wasn’t allowed.” This realization prompted an audition for the dance team at the Georgia Institute of Technology, leading to a contract and a subsequent major in aerospace engineering, which served as a stepping stone toward her eventual pursuit of physics at Harvard.

McClain Gomez’s academic journey culminated in a November 2025 graduation from Harvard’s Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Shortly before she defended her dissertation, she became a parent. A Georgia native homeschooled through high school in a close-knit Southern Baptist community, she now applies her PhD research at Fortune 500 firm IBM, where she is part of the effort to make quantum computing a practical reality. Currently, McClain Gomez applies her doctoral research at IBM, focusing on maximizing the utility of imperfect quantum computers, a pragmatic approach that prioritizes present-day applications over the pursuit of flawless technology. Her work centers on addressing the inherent challenges of qubit fragility and error rates, acknowledging that while low error rates are the ultimate goal, truly fault-tolerant systems remain years away. Professor of Physics in Residence Susanne Yelin highlights the impact of this work, stating, “The project really proves a new paradigm which has huge potential impact.”

DiVincenzo Criteria & Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum Devices

The pursuit of practical quantum computing has shifted in recent years, moving beyond the quest for flawless qubits toward harnessing the power of imperfect, “noisy intermediate-scale quantum” (NISQ) devices. While the theoretical potential of quantum computers remains immense, revolutionizing drug discovery, materials science, and fundamental physics, building machines that consistently outperform classical computers presents formidable challenges. Central to understanding this evolution is the framework established by David DiVincenzo, whose criteria outlined the essential characteristics of a functioning quantum computer. DiVincenzo’s stipulations, developed decades ago, detailed requirements for scalability, qubit isolation, and precise control. However, achieving these ideals has proven extraordinarily difficult, prompting researchers like Abigail McClain Gomez to explore alternative approaches. “The physicist DiVincenzo came up with a list of criteria you need in order to build a functioning quantum computer,” Gomez explains, framing her research around the question of what can be accomplished despite current limitations.

This pragmatic focus acknowledges that fault-tolerant quantum computers, capable of correcting errors and maintaining qubit coherence for extended periods, are still years away. Gomez’s work, initially at Harvard and now at IBM, centers on maximizing the utility of NISQ devices. Her first project leveraged machine learning to reconstruct quantum states from imperfect data, analogous to recreating a statue from its shadow. This innovative technique addresses the inherent fragility of qubits, which are highly susceptible to environmental interference and errors. Further expanding on this concept, Gomez investigated distributed quantum computing, seeking methods to link quantum processors despite the challenges of transmitting delicate qubit states. She derived an analytical expression to determine how to distribute information to minimize error, effectively sending “approximations” of quantum data between machines. Gomez’s continued work at IBM focuses on bridging the gap between theoretical advancements and practical application.

Quantum Data Reconstruction via Machine Learning Techniques

IBM’s quantum computing team is currently leveraging the expertise of Abigail McClain Gomez to address a critical challenge in the field: maximizing the utility of imperfect quantum hardware. Gomez, recently graduated from Harvard Griffin GSAS in November 2025, isn’t focused solely on achieving fault-tolerant quantum computers, but on extracting meaningful results from the machines available now, despite their inherent limitations. Her work centers on innovative techniques for reconstructing quantum data, a process vital for unlocking the potential of near-term quantum devices. Central to Gomez’s approach is the application of machine learning to analyze quantum data and recreate quantum states, a method she describes as akin to “using the shadow cast by a statue to recreate it in three-dimensions.” This reconstruction is particularly important given the susceptibility of qubits to environmental noise, which introduces errors into calculations.

Rather than waiting for fully stable qubits, Gomez’s research explores how machine learning algorithms can effectively “fill in the gaps” and recover accurate information from noisy data. This builds upon the foundational work of David DiVincenzo, who established criteria for building a functioning quantum computer, prompting Gomez to ask, “What if we can’t reach these criteria exactly in this era?” Pedro Rivero, a technical lead at IBM Research, explains that Gomez’s role is to bridge the gap between theoretical understanding and real-world implementation, helping to establish the “proof-of-value” necessary for sustained investment in the quantum industry. “By identifying high-impact applications and pushing the operational limits of current hardware, she is helping to establish the ‘proof-of-value’ necessary to make quantum computing a practical reality,” Rivero says, underscoring the importance of demonstrating tangible societal benefits to secure long-term funding and development.

QuEra’s Neutral Atom Approach to Universal Computation

QuEra Computing’s innovative approach to building quantum computers, leveraging neutral atoms rather than the more common charged ions, is rapidly gaining traction as a viable pathway toward practical quantum computation, offering a potentially simpler control architecture. While many firms pursue fault-tolerant systems demanding extremely precise qubit manipulation, QuEra explores a different avenue: harnessing the natural evolution of quantum systems to achieve universal computation. This strategy addresses a critical challenge in the field: the complexity of individually controlling a large number of qubits. Abigail’s work showed that the same computations, some more and some less efficient, can be done with systems where we only have global control knobs, one laser for the whole system versus one laser for each operation on each qubit, as the better-known models use. The project really proves a new paradigm which has huge potential impact. The implications extend beyond mere control simplification.

McClain Gomez’s research also delved into distributed quantum computing, tackling the problem of linking fragile qubits. This approach contrasts with IBM’s own superconducting qubit technology, which relies on near-absolute zero cooling and chip-based manufacturing. However, McClain Gomez’s role at IBM as an interface between platforms and scientists demonstrates the value of understanding diverse quantum architectures.

IBM’s Superconducting Qubits & Practical Quantum Applications

This pragmatic approach is central to the work of Abigail McClain Gomez, who transitioned from Harvard’s Kenneth C. IBM’s strategy centers on superconducting qubits, a technology distinct from the charged ions utilized by companies like QuEra. Unlike QuEra’s approach, IBM’s qubits, cooled to near absolute zero, are manufactured using techniques similar to conventional computer chip fabrication, offering a potentially scalable path to larger quantum processors. McClain Gomez’s research extends beyond hardware considerations, focusing on how to best utilize these imperfect systems. She also investigated distributed quantum computing, attempting to overcome the inherent fragility of qubits by finding ways to transmit information between machines while minimizing errors. Her analytical expression aimed to “decide” what information to distribute, sending collaborators approximations rather than the complete quantum state, a technique likened to sharing a picture of a puzzle piece instead of the piece itself. This work is not merely academic; it’s directly informing IBM’s strategy for demonstrating the “proof-of-value” of quantum computing.