Simmons, Michelle Yvonne (1967-…) is a British-born Australian physicist. She is known for her breakthroughs in atomic-scale technology, and for her work developing quantum computers . A quantum computer uses quantum physics to calculate information faster then a classical computer can. Quantum physics is a branch of science that explains the nature and behavior of matter and energy on the atomic and subatomic level. Scientists have not yet created a true quantum computer.
Simmons was born on July 14, 1967, in London . She received her Ph.D. in physics from the University of Durham in 1992. In 1999, she moved to Australia, where she was a founding member of the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computer Technology, now called the Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation & Communication Technology (CQC2T). Simmons established a research group dedicated to developing nanotechnology (technology at the scale of molecules and atoms). The group uses scanning tunneling microscopy to make silicon-based nanodevices. A scanning tunneling microscope scans a surface with a sharp point to create an atomic map of that surface. Silicon-based nanodevices are key to the development of quantum computers.
Simmons became an Australian citizen in 2007. In 2012, her group created what was at the time the world’s thinnest electric wire. The nanowire measured one atom high and four atoms wide, which is about 10,000 times thinner than a strand of human hair. The group also produced the first single-atom transistor. A transistor is a device that controls the flow of electric currents in electronic equipment.
Simmons is currently professor of physics at the University of New South Wales in Sydney . She is the director of Silicon Quantum Computing, a company that she established in 2017. She also serves as the director of CQC2T. Simmons was named the 2018 Australian of the Year for her pioneering research. In 2019, she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia . The Order of Australia is Australia’s highest award for service to the country or to humanity.
