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Curriculum Vitae — Erika Kawakami

Professional Experience

  • Apr. 2025 – present
    RIKEN Hakubi Team Leader (primary)
    RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute (PRI)
  • Apr. 2021 – present
    RIKEN Hakubi Team Leader (concurrent)
    RIKEN Center for Quantum Computing (RQC)
  • Sep. 2020 – Mar. 2025
    RIKEN Hakubi Team Leader (primary)
    RIKEN Cluster for Pioneering Research (CPR)
  • Sep. 2020 – Mar. 2021
    RIKEN Hakubi Team Leader (concurrent)
    RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS)
  • Oct. 2017 – Mar. 2021
    PRESTO Researcher (concurrent)
    Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST)
  • Oct. 2016 – Aug. 2020
    Postdoctoral Researcher (primary)
    Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (OIST)

Education

  • Sep. 2011 – Sep. 2016
    Ph.D.
    Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
  • Sep. 2009 – Sep. 2011
    M.Sc. in Engineering
    Keio University, Japan
  • Sep. 2007 – Sep. 2009
    Engineering Degree
    École Centrale Marseille, France
  • Apr. 2005 – Sep. 2009
    B.Sc. in Applied Physics and Physico-Informatics
    Keio University, Japan

Awards and Honors

  • 2026
    • Women Researcher Encouragement Award (D&I Award), The Japan Society of Applied Physics
  • 2025
    • Best Poster Award, LT30, Bilbao, Spain (A. Jennings, I. Grytsenko, Y. Tian, O. Rybalko, J. Wang, I. J. Barabash, and E. Kawakami)
  • 2024
    • Funai Academic Award
  • 2022
    • Best Poster Award, ULT 2022 (I. Grytsenko, A. Jennings, O. Rybalko, and E. Kawakami)
    • Special Jury Prize, RIKEN Diversity Initiative Award 2022
  • 2019
    • Best Poster Award, QFS2019, Edmonton (E. Kawakami and D. Konstantinov)
  • 2012
    • JASSO Scholarship Loan Exemption for Outstanding Achievement
  • 2011
    • Nakajima Foundation International Exchange Scholarship
  • 2010
    • Fujiwara Scholarship, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Keio University
  • 2008
    • French Government Scholarship

External Research Funds — Principal Investigator

  • 2025–2029
    JST ASPIRE FOR RISING SCIENTISTS
    • Realization of spin qubits using floating electrons on solid neon
    • Total: 68,790,000 JPY
  • 2026–2027
    The Sumitomo Foundation, Grant for Basic Science Research
    • Research on controlled deposition and characterization techniques of solid neon in cryogenic environments
    • Total: 3,000,000 JPY
  • 2025–2026
    The Hattori Hokokai Foundation, Engineering Research Encouragement Grant
    • Strong coupling between microwave photons and plasmons in a pure physical system
    • Total: 1,000,000 JPY
  • 2025–2026
    Murata Science Foundation, Research Grant
    • Demonstration of qubit readout technology using a tunnel diode oscillator
    • Total: 4,720,000 JPY
  • 2021–2027
    JST FOREST
    • Realization of qubits using electrons on the surface of helium
    • Total: 50,000,000 JPY
  • 2022–2025
    Yazaki Memorial Foundation for Science and Technology, General Research Grant
    • Development of cryogenic microwave generators for scaling up qubits
    • Total: 2,000,000 JPY
  • 2018–2021
    JSPS KAKENHI, Early-Career Scientists
    • Establishment of qubit-state readout technology using a tunnel diode
    • Total: 3,640,000 JPY
  • 2017–2020
    JST PRESTO
    • Towards the realization of a universal digital quantum computer using electrons on the surface of helium
    • Total: 40,000,000 JPY

Committee and Advisory Activities

  • 2021–present
    • Member, MEXT Quantum Science and Technology Committee
  • 2026–present
    • Ad hoc reviewer for research proposals, French public research funding agency
  • 2025–present
    • Editor, Scientific Reports
  • 2024–2025
    • Deputy Chair, RIKEN Scientists' Assembly Steering Committee
  • 2024–present
    • Ad hoc reviewer for research proposals, U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
  • 2025
    • Ad hoc reviewer for proposals, Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
    • International Advisory Committee, ULT 2025
  • 2021–2026
    • International Advisory Committee, International Symposium on Quantum Fluids and Solids (QFS)
  • 2024
    • Organizer, Quantum Technologies with Floating Charged Particles Workshop

Teaching Experience

  • Apr. 2022–Dec. 2023
    • Lecturer, Frontiers of Contemporary Science (Nara Women's University, Faculty of Science, part-time)
  • Apr.–Sep. 2019
    • Lecturer, Medical English (University of the Ryukyus, School of Medicine, part-time)
  • Sep. 2013–Mar. 2014
    • Teaching Assistant, Quantum Mechanics (Delft University of Technology, Applied Physics)
  • Sep. 2012–Mar. 2013
    • Teaching Assistant, Statistical Physics (Delft University of Technology, Applied Physics)
  • 2010
    • Teaching Assistant, Condensed Matter Physics (Keio University, Faculty of Science and Technology)

Publications

Underline: FEBQI lab member  |  *: Corresponding author

2026

  1. arXiv
    Strong Coupling Between RF Photons and Plasmons of Electrons on Liquid Helium
    Asher Jennings* , Ivan Grytsenko , Thomas Giovansili , Itay Josef Barabash , Oleksiy Rybalko , Yiran Tian , Jun Wang , Hiroki Ikegami , and Erika Kawakami*
    arXiv:2601.22552 (2026).
  2. Nb-Ti-N nanowire resonators and prospects for spin-photon coupling with electrons on solid neon
    Yiran Tian , Ivan Grytsenko , Asher Jennings , Jun Wang , Hiroki Ikegami , Xianjing Zhou , Shuhei Tamate , Hirotaka Terai , Hiroki Kutsuma , Dafei Jin , Monica Benito , and Erika Kawakami*
    Phys. Rev. Applied 25, 024011 (2026).

2025

  1. PRL
    Probing the Quantum Capacitance of Rydberg Transitions of Surface Electrons on Liquid Helium via Microwave Frequency Modulation
    Asher Jennings* , Ivan Grytsenko , Yiran Tian , Oleksiy Rybalko , Jun Wang , Itay Josef Barabash , and Erika Kawakami*
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 087001 (2025).
    Editors’ Suggestion
  2. JLTP
    Characterization of Tunnel Diode Oscillator for Qubit Readout Applications
    Ivan Grytsenko , Sander van Haagen , Oleksiy Rybalko , Asher Jennings , Rajesh Mohan , Yiran Tian , and Erika Kawakami*
    J. Low Temp. Phys. 219, 282 (2025).

2024

  1. APL
    Quantum computing using floating electrons on cryogenic substrates: Potential and challenges
    Asher Jennings* , Xianjing Zhou , Ivan Grytsenko , and Erika Kawakami*
    Appl. Phys. Lett. 124, 120501 (2024).

2023

  1. Blueprint for quantum computing using electrons on helium
    Erika Kawakami* , Jiabao Chen , Monica Benito , and Denis Konstantinov
    Phys. Rev. Applied 20, 054022 (2023).

2021

  1. PRL
    Relaxation of the Excited Rydberg States of Surface Electrons on Liquid Helium
    Erika Kawakami* , Asem Elarabi , and Denis Konstantinov
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 126, 106802 (2021).
  2. JLTP
    Cryogenic Amplification of Image-Charge Detection for Readout of Quantum States of Electrons on Liquid Helium
    Asem Elarabi , Erika Kawakami , and Denis Konstantinov
    J. Low Temp. Phys. 202, 456 (2021).

2019

  1. PRL
    Image-Charge Detection of the Rydberg States of Surface Electrons on Liquid Helium
    Erika Kawakami* , Asem Elarabi , and Denis Konstantinov
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 123, 086801 (2019).
    Editors’ Suggestion
  2. Impact of Classical Control Electronics on Qubit Fidelity
    Jeroen P. G. van Dijk , Erika Kawakami , Raymond N. Schouten , Menno Veldhorst , Lieven M. K. Vandersypen , Masoud Babaie , Edoardo Charbon , and Fabio Sebastiano
    Phys. Rev. Applied 12, 044054 (2019).

2018

  1. Nature
    A Programmable Two-Qubit Quantum Processor in Silicon
    Thomas F. Watson , Stephen G. J. Philips , Erika Kawakami , Daniel R. Ward , Pasquale Scarlino , Menno Veldhorst , Donald E. Savage , Max G. Lagally , Mark Friesen , Susan N. Coppersmith , Mark A. Eriksson , and Lieven M. K. Vandersypen
    Nature 555, 633 (2018).
  2. npj QI
    Valley Dependent Anisotropic Spin Splitting in Silicon Quantum Dots
    Rifat Ferdous , Erika Kawakami , Pasquale Scarlino , Michał P. Nowak , Daniel R. Ward , Donald E. Savage , Max G. Lagally , Mark Friesen , Susan N. Coppersmith , Mark A. Eriksson , Lieven M. K. Vandersypen , and Rajib Rahman
    npj Quantum Inf. 4, 26 (2018).

2017

  1. PRB
    Dressed Photon-Orbital States in a Quantum Dot: Inter-Valley Spin Resonance
    Pasquale Scarlino , Erika Kawakami , Thibaut Jullien , Daniel R. Ward , Donald E. Savage , Max G. Lagally , Mark Friesen , Susan N. Coppersmith , Mark A. Eriksson , and Lieven M. K. Vandersypen
    Phys. Rev. B 95, 165429 (2017).

2016

  1. PNAS
    Gate Fidelity and Coherence of an Electron Spin in a Si/SiGe Quantum Dot with Micromagnet
    Erika Kawakami , Thibaut Jullien , Pasquale Scarlino , Daniel R. Ward , Donald E. Savage , Max G. Lagally , Viatcheslav Dobrovitski , Mark Friesen , Susan N. Coppersmith , Mark A. Eriksson , and Lieven M. K. Vandersypen
    Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 113, 11738 (2016).

2015

  1. PRL
    Second harmonic coherent driving of a spin qubit in Si/SiGe single quantum dot
    Pasquale Scarlino , Erika Kawakami , Daniel R. Ward , Donald E. Savage , Max G. Lagally , Mark Friesen , Susan N. Coppersmith , Mark A. Eriksson , and Lieven M. K. Vandersypen
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 106802 (2015).

2014

  1. Nat. Nano.
    Electrical Control of a Long-Lived Spin Qubit in a Si/SiGe Quantum Dot
    Erika Kawakami , Pasquale Scarlino , Daniel R. Ward , Floris R. Braakman , Donald E. Savage , Max G. Lagally , Mark Friesen , Susan N. Coppersmith , Mark A. Eriksson , and Lieven M. K. Vandersypen
    Nat. Nanotechnol. 9, 666 (2014).
  2. PRL
    Spin-Relaxation Anisotropy in a GaAs Quantum Dot
    Pasquale Scarlino , Erika Kawakami , Peter Stano , Mohammad Shafiei , Christian Reichl , Werner Wegscheider , and Lieven M. K. Vandersypen
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 256802 (2014).
    Editors’ Suggestion

2013

  1. APL
    Excitation of a Si/SiGe Quantum Dot Using an On-Chip Microwave Antenna
    Erika Kawakami , Pasquale Scarlino , Lars R. Schreiber , Jonathan R. Prance , Donald E. Savage , Max G. Lagally , Mark A. Eriksson , and Lieven M. K. Vandersypen
    Appl. Phys. Lett. 103, 132410 (2013).

2012

  1. PRL
    Coherent Storage of Photoexcited Triplet States Using ^29Si Nuclear Spins in Silicon
    Waseem Akhtar , Vasileia Filidou , Takeharu Sekiguchi , Erika Kawakami , Tatsumasa Itahashi , Leonid Vlasenko , John J. L. Morton , and Kohei M. Itoh
    Phys. Rev. Lett. 108, 097601 (2012).