Francesco Petruccione
Francesco Petruccione is a physicist whose research includes quantum machine learning, an emerging field of study. He studied physics at the University of Freiburg, where he completed a doctorate in 1988 and a habilitation in 1994. In 2014 he and two co-authors submitted an overview of quantum machine learning to arXiv, and in 2018 he and Maria Schuld published the monograph Supervised Learning with Quantum Computers. He moved to Stellenbosch University in 2022 and was appointed permanent director of the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS) in May 2024. As of October 2026, he is professor of quantum computing at Stellenbosch University and director of NITheCS.
- Now at
- Stellenbosch University and National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences
- Works
- 462
- Citations
- 21,834
- h-index
- 51
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.
Timeline
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1988–1994
A physics doctorate in Freiburg
He studies physics at the University of Freiburg and completes a doctorate there in 1988. He completes a habilitation there in 1994.
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2004–2007
A professorship in KwaZulu-Natal
He becomes professor of theoretical physics at the University of KwaZulu-Natal in 2004. He takes up the South African Research Chair for Quantum Information Processing and Communication Technology in 2007.
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2014
A primer on quantum machine learning
He co-writes 'An introduction to quantum machine learning' with Maria Schuld and Ilya Sinayskiy. The paper gives a systematic overview of the emerging field, and it is submitted to arXiv in 2014.
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2018
Supervised learning with quantum computers
He and Maria Schuld publish the monograph 'Supervised Learning with Quantum Computers' in 2018.
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2020–2024
Setting up NITheCS
In 2020 he is tasked to set up the National Institute for Theoretical and Computational Sciences (NITheCS) and serves as its interim director. He is appointed its permanent director in May 2024.
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2022
A move to Stellenbosch
He moves to Stellenbosch University in 2022 as professor of physics.
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2023
Order of the Star of Italy
In 2023 he is honoured with the title of Cavaliere della Stella d’Italia at a function at the Italian Embassy in Cape Town.
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As of October 2026
Professor and NITheCS director
He is a physicist, professor of quantum computing at Stellenbosch University, and director of NITheCS.
Sources and credits
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