IRIS-HEP Fellow: Devon Bontrager
Fellowship dates: May – Aug, 2025
Jun – Aug, 2026
Home Institution: University of Kansas
Project: Cooperative Track Building with Heuristic and Quantum Acceleration
This project aims to explore novel ways to improve track reconstruction performance for the HL-LHC through three innovations: (1) cooperative track building where parallel hypotheses share quality metrics and prune weaker candidates; (2) adaptation of underexplored heuristic methods including Ant Colony Optimization, Particle Swarm Optimization, Simulated Annealing, Genetic Algorithms, best-first A*/Hungarian matching; and (3) a quantum-parallel proof of concept using QUBO-based seed selection on quantum devices. The unified Python framework developed during the project will benchmark trade-offs in speed, accuracy, and resource consumption, and highlight the potential of hybrid classical–quantum pipelines for real-time, high-accuracy tracking in high-pileup environments.
More information: My project proposal
Mentors:
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Dr. Liv Vage (Princeton)
Project: Quantum Simulation Modules for HEP Event Generation
Recent studies indicate that quantum simulators, both analog and digital, can probe non-perturbative phenomena and real-time dynamics that are difficult to access with classical lattice techniques, with clear relevance for high-energy physics. This project explores how such advances can be translated into practical components for HEP event generation and detector simulation workflows. The work will focus on identifying a limited, demonstrable use case motivated by LHC physics, developing appropriate data representations, and designing robust software interfaces that allow targeted quantum simulation modules to be integrated into existing HEP generators.
More information: My project proposal
Mentors:
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Dr. Brij Kishor Jashal (Oxford)
- - "", Devon Bontrager,
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