Claude Crépeau

Claude Crépeau is a Canadian computer scientist born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1962. He is widely recognised for his work in cryptography, quantum cryptography, and the foundations of quantum information science. He is currently a Professor at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) in Montreal, a position he has held since January 2025. Alongside this role, he maintains strong academic links with leading research institutions in Canada and Europe.

Claude Crépeau completed his Master of Science in Computer Science at the Université de Montréal in 1986. He then earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1990, where he worked under Professor Silvio Micali and collaborated closely with Gilles Brassard. His doctoral research focused on cryptography, a field that would remain central to his career. After completing his doctorate, he spent time studying at the University of Orsay and worked as a researcher at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. From 1991 to 1995, he was a researcher with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS).

Between 1995 and 1998, Claude Crépeau served as an Associate Professor at the Université de Montréal. In 1998, he joined McGill University, where he spent more than 26 years as a faculty member and played an important role in research and graduate supervision. He is also a member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), contributing to its Quantum Computing programme.

Claude Crépeau is known for major contributions to zero-knowledge proofs, multiparty computation, and quantum cryptography. One of his most important achievements came in 1993, when he co-authored a landmark paper with Charles H. Bennett, Gilles Brassard, Richard Jozsa, Asher Peres, and William Wootters. This work introduced the concept of quantum teleportation, which has since been experimentally verified and is a core element of future quantum communication and quantum internet systems.

He has served as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Cryptology and as Associate Editor for Complexity and Cryptography at the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory. In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the International Association for Cryptologic Research. In 2023, he received the E.H. Dijkstra Prize in Distributed Computing. In 2024, he was appointed an INRIA International Chair for the period 2024 to 2028. His recent research includes practical zero-knowledge proof systems whose security relies on principles of special relativity.

Claude Crépeau is a Canadian computer scientist born in 1962 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He is known for his long-standing work in cryptography, quantum cryptography, and the theoretical foundations of quantum information. His research has played an important role in shaping modern secure communication and quantum protocols, particularly in areas where physics and computer science meet.

He completed his Master of Science in Computer Science at the Université de Montréal in 1986. He then moved to the United States to pursue doctoral studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned his Ph.D. in Computer Science in 1990. During his doctoral work, he studied cryptography under Professor Silvio Micali and worked closely with Gilles Brassard. This period strongly influenced his later research direction, especially his interest in secure protocols and their mathematical and physical foundations.

After completing his doctorate, Claude Crépeau continued his academic training in Europe. He spent time at the University of Orsay and later became a researcher with the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. He held this research position from 1991 to 1995, where he worked on cryptographic protocols and began exploring new models based on physical assumptions, including noisy and quantum channels.

In 1995, he returned to Canada and was appointed Associate Professor at the Université de Montréal, a role he held until 1998. That same year, he joined McGill University, where he served as a faculty member for more than 26 years. At McGill, he contributed to teaching, research, and graduate supervision, and he played a central role in advancing research in cryptography and quantum information. He supervised graduate students and thesis work, including research on non-local correlations, zero-knowledge disclosure, and quantum identification protocols.

Claude Crépeau is a member of the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), where he contributes to the Quantum Computing programme. His research has focused on the design of cryptographic protocols, including zero-knowledge proofs and multiparty computation. One of his main contributions has been the development of alternative security assumptions, showing how cryptographic protocols can be made secure using noisy channels, quantum channels, and constraints derived from physics.

In 1993, Claude Crépeau co-authored a paper with Charles H. Bennett, Gilles Brassard, Richard Jozsa, Asher Peres, and William Wootters that introduced the concept of quantum teleportation. This work described how an unknown quantum state could be transferred using classical communication and quantum entanglement. The idea was later confirmed through experimental work and is now a foundational concept for quantum communication and the future development of the quantum internet.

Alongside his research contributions, Claude Crépeau has taken on important editorial and professional service roles. From 1991 to 1995, he served as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Cryptology. From 1995 to 1997, he was Associate Editor for Complexity and Cryptography at the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory. His work has been recognised by the research community through several honours. In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the International Association for Cryptologic Research. In 2023, he received the E.H. Dijkstra Prize for Distributed Computing, recognising the long-term impact of his research contributions.

His more recent research has focused on practical implementations of zero-knowledge proofs where security is guaranteed by principles of special relativity. This work explores how physical limits on information transfer can be used to strengthen cryptographic guarantees. In 2024, he was appointed an INRIA International Chair for the period 2024 to 2028, further reflecting his international research standing.

In January 2025, Claude Crépeau became a Professor at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) in Montreal, where he continues his academic and research work. Over his career, he has combined theory, mathematics, and physics to address core problems in secure communication. He has an Erd?s number of 2, reflecting his collaboration with Carl Pomerance. His work continues to influence cryptography, quantum communication, and the study of secure systems grounded in both computation and physical law.

Claude Crépeau’s vision is to build secure communication systems that remain trustworthy even in the presence of powerful adversaries and future technologies. He believes that security should not rely only on mathematical assumptions, but also on physical laws such as quantum mechanics and special relativity. His work aims to design cryptographic protocols that are practical, verifiable, and resilient to both classical and quantum attacks. An important part of his vision is to bridge computer science and physics to create long-term security foundations. He also values teaching and mentoring, seeing education as essential to advancing cryptography and quantum information for future generations.

Claude Crépeau has received several important recognitions for his contributions to cryptography and quantum information. He served as an Associate Editor of the Journal of Cryptology from 1991 to 1995 and as Associate Editor for Complexity and Cryptography at the IEEE Transactions on Information Theory from 1995 to 1997, reflecting the trust placed in his expertise. In 2013, he was elected a Fellow of the International Association for Cryptologic Research, recognising his long-term impact on the field. In 2023, he received the E.H. Dijkstra Prize in Distributed Computing. In 2024, he was appointed an INRIA International Chair for the period 2024 to 2028.