Curriculum Vitae


I am a PhD student at The University of Queensland working on quantum information and quantum simulation. I have some experience in tutoring at university level, and I am also a fully-qualified medical practitioner, registered in the UK.




- Simulation of quantum systems using tensor network algorithms
- The de Broglie–Bohm pilot wave model of quantum mechanics
- The search for quantum gravity
- Unification of forces
- History of physics
- The nature of consciousness



PhD (Physics) in Quantum Information at The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.



Entanglement Renormalization, Scale Invariance, and Quantum Criticality. RNC Pfeifer, G Evenbly, and G Vidal. Physical Review A, 79(4); 040301(R) (2009). Republished in Virtual Journal of Quantum Information 9(4) (2009) and Virtual Journal of Nanoscale Science & Technology 19(16) (2009). Preprint here.

Constraining Validity of the Minkowski Energy–Momentum Tensor. RNC Pfeifer, TA Nieminen, NR Heckenberg, and H Rubinsztein-Dunlop. Physical Review A, 79(2); 023813 (2009). Preprint here.

Colloquium: Momentum of an electromagnetic wave in dielectric media. RNC Pfeifer, TA Nieminen, NR Heckenberg, and H Rubinsztein-Dunlop. Reviews of Modern Physics, 79(4); 1197-1216 (2007). (E) 81(1); 443 (2009). Preprint here.

Visualisation of Cherenkov radiation and the fields of a moving charge. RNC Pfeifer and TA Nieminen. European Journal of Physics, 27(3); 521-529 (2006). (E) 28(5); 1043 (2007). Preprint here.

Failure of normal glycaemic regulation in a patient with severe hypothermia. Pfeifer, RNC. Resuscitation, 68(1); 139-142 (2006). (E) in press (2009). Preprint here.
Entanglement Renormalisation, Scale Invariance, and Quantum Criticality (Poster). RNC Pfeifer, G Evenbly, and G Vidal. Quantum Frontiers Symposium, The University of Queensland, 2009.

Can We Entangle Gravity Waves? RNC Pfeifer. Presented at the second Relativistic Quantum Information Workshop (RQI2), The University of Queensland, 2008.

Optical Torques in Dielectric Media. RNC Pfeifer. Presented at the Rank Prize Mini-Symposium "The Push or Pull of Optical Momentum?", 2008.

Electromagnetic Momentum in Dielectrics — Abraham–Minkowski and All That. RNC Pfeifer and TA Nieminen. Presented at the Progress In Electromagnetic Research Symposium (PIERS), 2007.

Angular momentum density and the AbrahamMinkowski controversy. RNC Pfeifer, TA Nieminen, NR Heckenberg, and H Rubinsztein-Dunlop. Presented at the congress of the Australian Institute of Physics, 2006.

Two controversies in classical electromagnetism. RNC Pfeifer, TA Nieminen, NR Heckenberg, and H Rubinsztein-Dunlop. Proceedings of the SPIE, 6326; 63260H (2006). Preprint here.

Can gravitational shielding explain galactic rotation curves? RNC Pfeifer. Presented to the conference of the Astronomical Society of Australia, 2005.
Factors affecting womens' fear of Caesarean sections, their beliefs regarding their prevalence, and a comparison of post-partum physical and psychological states. Dissertation for BMedSci(Hons), 1999. Presented at audit meeting of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK.
Tutor, PHYS1001 (Mechanical and Thermal Physics I), The University of Queensland. Semester 1, 2009.

Laboratory Demonstrator, 1st year physics,
The University of Western Australia. Semester 1, 2007.

Physics Tutor, Duchesne College, The University of Queensland. Semester 1, 2006.

Public lecture: The Structure of the Universe. Presented to Soka Gakkai International, Brisbane.
Master of Science (Physics) - GPA 7.00 (max possible: 7.00)

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery

Bachelor of Medical Sciences with Honours - II.1
Australian Postgraduate Award, The University of Queensland, 2008

Alumni Friends Postgraduate Bursary, The University of Queensland, 2008

Endeavour International Postgraduate Research Scholarship,

University Postgraduate Award for International Students,

Supplementary Scholarship from the Department of Physics,

Dean’s commendation for high achievement (x4),


Silver medal, 1996 International Chemistry OlympiadMoscow State University (one of a team of four representing Great Britain)

Crest Gold award for Science and Technology, 1995

British Physics Challenge 1994 Bronze II award

Oswestry School 1994 Special Excellence award
- PADI Master SCUBA Diver certification, 2005
- Advanced Life Support Service Provider, 2002
- British Fencing Association grades 1-3 with foil, 1999-2000
- Nottingham Outlaws American Football Team member, 1998-1999
- Nottingham University Rifle-Shooting 'B' Team, 1997-1998
- Programming experience in C++, Mathematica, Matlab and BASIC.
rpfeifer dot public, gmail dot com

Robert N. C. Pfeifer
School of Physical Sciences
The University of Queensland
Brisbane
QLD 4072
Australia

+61 (0) 7 3346 7347

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Contact:  rpfeifer dot public, gmail dot com  +61 (0) 7 3346 7347