Léa Cassé
PhD Candidate — Quantum Machine Learning for Data Streams
University of Waikato (NZ) & École Polytechnique / IP Paris (France)
📍 Christchurch, New Zealand
📧 casse.lea@gmail.com 🌐 github.com/LeaCasse 🔗 LinkedIn
🎯 Professional Summary
I design and analyze variational quantum models for time-series forecasting and decision-making in streaming contexts.
My research focuses on Quantum Re-Uploading Units (QRU) and Quantum Residual Blocks (QRB), combining Fourier analysis, gradient studies, and trainability metrics to characterize expressivity in shallow circuits.
I developed a World Bank GIC-winning QRU prototype for flood-risk forecasting, co-authored a reinforcement-learning study on bus-load regulation, and wrote a preprint on calorimetry optimization using QRU architectures.
My technical work relies on PennyLane, Qiskit, PyTorch, and qBraid for reproducible hybrid quantum-classical experiments.
🧠 Core Skills
Quantum ML & Computing
QRU/QRB architectures · Variational circuits · Parameter encoding · QAOA · Fourier/spectral analysis · QSVT · Coherent amplitude/phase estimation · PennyLane · Qiskit
Machine Learning & Data
PyTorch · scikit-learn · Time-series / streaming learning · Reinforcement Learning (policy & value) · Model evaluation metrics
Engineering & Tools
Python · NumPy/pandas · Experiment tracking · qBraid · Git · Basic HPC/GPU workflows
Languages
French (C2) · English (C1) · Spanish (B1)
🔬 Experience & Research
2024 – 2027 · PhD in Quantum ML for Data Streams
University of Waikato — École Polytechnique (IP Paris / LLR)
Supervisors : Prof. Albert Bifet, Prof. Bernhard Pfahringer, Dr. Frédéric Magniette
- RQ1 – Applications (QRU/QRB) : 1-qubit QRU for calorimetry · hyperparameter optimization · GIC-World Bank winner (QRU flood-risk prototype presented at Quantum World Congress 2025).
- RQ2 – Theory : Fourier / spectral expressivity (QRU > mono-encoded VQC) · gradient & trainability analysis.
- RQ3 – Streaming & Decision : Bus-headway RL for next-station load prediction · QRU→QAOA CVaR pipeline · QLSTM architectures.
2015 – 2023 · Projects & Internships
- Quantum ML for Data Streams — AI Lab, University of Waikato (2023) – streaming QML research with Prof. Albert Bifet.
- NV Centers in Diamond — L2C Montpellier (2022) – experimental quantum optics internship with Dr. Vincent Jacques.
- Bell Inequalities & Quantum Chaos — University of Montpellier (2022) and Paul Sabatier (2020).
- Bell Violations in Quantum Computing — Quantumalta, University of Malta (2021) – Dr. André Xuereb.
📝 Publications & Preprints
- Cassé, L. & Ponnambalam, S. (2025). Quantum Re-Upload Units: A Scalable and Expressive Approach for Time-Series Learning. Presented at IEEE Quantum Week (QCE 2025).
- Cassé, L. et al. (2025). Reinforcement Learning for Bus Traffic: Next-Station Load Prediction and Dispatch Simulation. (in preparation)
- Cassé, L. et al. (2025). Optimizing Hyperparameters for Quantum Data Re-Uploaders in Calorimetric Particle Identification. (in preparation)
👩🏫 Teaching & Outreach
- 2019 – 2025 · Private tutoring (Quantum Physics & Mathematics, Superprof) – ≈ 4 h/week
- 2024 – 2025 · French Teacher, Alliance Française (Hamilton & Christchurch) – ≈ 6 h/week
- 2024 – 2025 · French Teacher, Waikato Montessori Education Centre & Christchurch Rudolf Steiner School – ≈ 1.5 h/week
🎓 Education
- 2021 – 2023 · MSc in Quantum Physics (with Honors) — University of Sciences, Montpellier, France
- 2018 – 2021 · BSc in Advanced Fundamental Physics (with Honors) — University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
- 2015 – 2018 · Scientific Baccalaureate (with Honors) — Lycée Joseph Saverne, L’Isle-Jourdain, France
- 2012 – 2015 · College Certificate (first-class honors) — Collège Edouard Lartet, Gimont, France
🏆 Awards & Achievements
- 2025 · Global Industry Challenge — Winner of the World Bank Track, Connected DMV (QRU Flood-Risk Forecasting Prototype).
- 2025 · UNSW Peter Farrell Cup Program, University of New South Wales.
- 2025 · Aqora — Quantum Pioneer Badge.
- 2024 · IBM Quantum Challenge Achievement, IBM Research.
Full CV (PDF) : Download CV Léa Cassé