Hi!
I’m a PhD student at the University of Chicago working on quantum programming languages and verification, adivsed by Robert Rand and John Reppy. My interests lie in programming languages: compilation, verification, and using PL for better software engineering. I’m currently exploring applying these techniques to quantum computing. Before starting my PhD, I obtained my undergraduate degree in computer science from Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany. Subsequently, I worked as a software engineer at LogMeIn. Being an engineer at heart, I still possess a strong passion for utilizing technology to tackle complex challenges and for creating high-quality software.
Education
- B.Sc. in Computer Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany, 2019
- MS in Computer Science, The University of Chicago, USA, 2023
- Ph.D. in Computer Science, The University of Chicago, USA, 2025 (expected)
Languages
- German, English (bilingual)
Currently working on
- Formalizing ZX Calculus to create a verified ZX calculus optimizer
Publications
Adrian Lehmann (2019). "Loop unrolling with non-constant bounds in FIRM". KIT Bachelor Thesis.
Adrian Lehmann, Ben Caldwell, Robert Rand (2022). "VyZX : A Vision for Verifying the ZX Calculus". Preprint
Adrian Lehmann, Ben Caldwell, Robert Rand (2023). "VyZX: Formal Verification of a Graphical Quantum Language". Preprint
Bhakti Shah, William Spencer, Laura Zielinski, Ben Caldwell, Adrian Lehmann, Robert Rand (2024). "ViCAR: Visualizing Categories with Automated Rewriting in Coq". To appear in ACT 2024
Talks
June 29, 2022
Talk at Quantum Physics and Logic 2022, Oxford, United Kingdom
October 06, 2023
Talk at Midwest Programming Languages Summit (MWPLS) 2023, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
October 20, 2023
Talk at UCSC LSD Seminar x UChicago PLRG, Zoom
June 24, 2024
Talk at EGRAPHS24, Copenhagen, DK
July 17, 2024
Talk at QPL'24, Buenos Aires, AR
Other Research Experience
- Sep 2020 - Today: Graduate Student Researcher
- University of Chicago
- Sep 2020 - Sep 2021: Worked on NSF Grant to build a CUDA backend to a DSL ‘‘Diderot’’ for data visualization and analysis in StandardML under advisement of John Reppy.
- Jan 2022- Jun 2022: Part of NSF expedition “EPiQC” to formalize the ZX calculus
- Oct 2018 - Mar 2019: Research Project
- Karsruhe Institute of Technology
- Built a compiler for a subset of Java with custom backend and optimization framework
- Oct 2017 - Mar 2018: Research Project
- Karsruhe Institute of Technology
- Prototyped and analyzed BLE beacon based indoor navigation system based on multilateration as part of practice in software engineering program at Karlsruhe Insitute of Technology
Work experience
- Jun 2022 - Sep 2022: Research Intern
- Microsoft Quantum, Remote, US
- Created quantum algorithm samples (Entanglement Swapping, Solving Sudoku with Grover’s Search, and Numerical Integration using Quantum Amplitude Estimation) using Q#, Qiskit, and the Microsoft Quantum Development Kit for the Azure Quantum platform.
- Dec 2019 - Aug 2020: Assosicate Software Engineer
- LogMeIn, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Built a system to mass deploy files, scripts to virtual machines in a private cloud. For this I worked in a cross functional Software Engineering and DevOps team with members on multiple continents managing a global private cloud with thousands of active virtual machines. Built out the high availibility deployment on a container infrastructure. Built a terraform provider for private cloud. Was repeatedly recognized for outstanding work by my superior. Conducted multiple technical interviews
- Technologies used: Java, Spring, (Postgres)SQL, Docker, Kubernetes, Go, Terraform, Ansible
- Sep 2018 - Nov 2019: Software Engineering Intern (part-time)
- LogMeIn, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Working on internal tools for developing products used by millions everyday. Won Team Quality Award. Built end-to-end testing framework. Built Terraform provider prototype for private cloud
- Technologies used: Java, Spring, Docker, Go, Terraform, Selenium
Teaching
Misc. Projects
I created a bunch of study guides during undergrad. So if you are a KIT computer science student please find them on my GitHub here. Some of them are German
I benchmarked a bunch of quantum compilers to see if juxtaposition with other compilers would improve performance
Here is an overview of NTFS I wrote for a seminar
There’s more on my GitHub
Service and leadership
- Jan 2023 POPL Student volunteer
- POPL Conference, Boston, MA, USA
- May 2017 - Jun 2018 Hack & Söhne Hackathon Organization, Sponsorship Management
- Hack & Söhne, Karlsruhe, Germany
- Organizing events such as the OpenCodes Hackathon and the Hacktival, which themselves were Germany’s biggest student run hackathons in 2018 and 2019. I was invloved in all aspects of organizing these events, from hands-on work at the event, to financial planning. My main focus though lay on sponsorship acquisition and management to make sure the event’s funding is secured.
- Jun 2019 - Jun 2019 Joint Chairman Hack & Söhne, talKIT - The technology symposium
- Hack & Söhne, Karlsruhe, Germany
- talKIT - The technology symposium is a student organisation that annually organizes the largest European student technology symposium and is the parent organization of Hack & Söhne. In my role I got to represent Hack & Söhne both internally and externally. During my time two sucessful events were run and the stability of the organization was ensured.
- May 2016 - Nov 2017 Webmaster at sports club
- TFC Ludwigshafen, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Germany