'It’s an honour to take on this role,' says Tavakoli. “PRL holds a unique position in the physics community, and I’m excited to contribute to shaping the journal’s future.”
Responding to rapid growth in quantum science
PRL is widely respected for publishing breakthrough research across all areas of physics. Traditionally managed by full-time editors, the journal has now adapted to the explosive growth in quantum information science and technology by appointing two part-time editors with active research experience. Tavakoli is one of them.
A global shift in quantum research
Tavakoli has worked in quantum information theory for over a decade, focusing on quantum correlations, entanglement and measurements. He has followed the field’s dramatic development closely.
'I started working in quantum information science around 2012. The field really took off toward the second half of that decade when large global actors began to invest in it. It was paired with an international surge in interest,' he explains.
Today, quantum research is expanding rapidly across the globe, with new research environments and collaborations emerging at a fast pace.
A role with a global perspective
As associate editor, Tavakoli’s main responsibility is to assess new manuscript submissions. His role is to identify the most promising papers and send them out for peer review – a process that usually takes several months.
'It’s a big responsibility. I see it as a forward-looking role where I try to spot research that can shape the future of the field,' he says.
The position also involves evaluating work in areas beyond his own immediate expertise.
'That’s part of the challenge of being a good journal editor, but also what makes it rewarding. It gives me a broader view of what’s happening at the research frontier, not just in my research niche but across quantum science and technology and ultimately in physics as a whole. All this high-level science is a source of great excitement and inspiration,' Tavakoli concludes.
Armin Tavakoli's profile in the Lund University research portal.
The Physical Review Letters website (external website).