Miguel Ángel Martín-Delgado

Also known as Miguel Ángel Martín-Delgado Alcántara, Miguel A. Martín-Delgado

Miguel Ángel Martín-Delgado is a theoretical physicist in Madrid who works on quantum error correction, quantum algorithms and quantum learning agents. He earned his doctorate at the Complutense University of Madrid in 1991 and was a Visiting Research Scholar at Princeton from 1991 to 1993. In 2014, he coauthored "Quantum speedup for active learning agents", which introduced quantum learning agents with a quadratic boost in active learning efficiency, and his research group proposed the topological code behind an Innsbruck experiment published in Science. The Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain elected him a full member in 2025. He is a professor of theoretical physics at Complutense and an ELLIS Fellow.

Now at: Complutense University of Madrid
Works: 214
Citations: 8,668
h-index: 49
Badges: Bridge
Loyal

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026.

Timeline

1986–1993

Physics doctorate and Princeton

He earns a licenciate degree in 1986 and a doctorate in physical sciences in 1991 at the Complutense University of Madrid, where Juan José Ramírez Mittelbrun advises his dissertation on collision amplitudes in string theories. From 1991 to 1993, he is a Visiting Research Scholar at Princeton University.
2004–2010

Leading GICC and QUITEMAD

In 2004, he begins to lead the first quantum information and computation group at Complutense, the GICC, and creates the university's master's in quantum computing, a pioneer in Spain. In 2010, he becomes general coordinator of the QUITEMAD consortium, Quantum Information Technologies Madrid.
2006

Topological quantum distillation

In 2006, he and H. Bombin construct a class of topological quantum codes for entanglement distillation that implement the whole Clifford group of unitary operations in a fully topological manner. Among the topological error-correcting codes he introduces are the topological color codes, which offer advantages over conventional codes and inspire more advanced ones.
2014

Quantum speedup for learning agents

In 2014, he coauthors "Quantum speedup for active learning agents" with Giuseppe Davide Paparo, Vedran Dunjko, Adi Makmal and Hans J. Briegel. The paper introduces a large class of quantum learning agents with a quadratic boost in active learning efficiency over their classical analogues. His quantum algorithms include a quantum version of PageRank, and he develops the first quantum robot architecture to improve on its classical counterparts.
2014

A topologically encoded qubit

In 2014, he works with Markus Müller and the Innsbruck physicists on an experiment published in Science, in which seven calcium atoms in an ion trap encode one logical qubit and, for the first time, carry out simple computations on it. The topological code used in the experiment comes from his research group in Madrid.
June 2022

ELLIS Unit Madrid

In June 2022, ELLIS adds Unit Madrid to its network, an alliance of the six public universities of the Community of Madrid. Complutense takes part through its Quantum Information and Computation Group, which he directs, and he is an ELLIS Fellow.
2025–2026

Seat in the Royal Academy

The Royal Academy of Sciences of Spain elects him a full member in February 2025, to medal 37. He takes possession in February 2026 with the discourse "Dando color a la computación cuántica topológica", and Ignacio Cirac gives the reply on behalf of the Academy.
As of October 2026

Professor and ELLIS Fellow

He holds the chair of theoretical physics at the Complutense University of Madrid, a post he has held since 2011. He is an ELLIS Fellow, listed with ELLIS Unit Madrid and its Quantum and Physics Based Machine Learning area.

Career

Since 2004Complutense University of MadridGroup Director, Professor of Theoretical Physics
2017–2026Technical University of Madrid
From 2010Quantum Information Technologies MadridGeneral Coordinator
1991–1993Princeton UniversityVisiting Research Scholar