Question about potential research topic

A quantum computing researcher with hardware expertise is pivoting to software-focused work, targeting the Variational Quantum Eigensolver (VQE) algorithm and photonic quantum computing as key areas for their next project. The proposed research compares standard qubit-based VQE performance against dual-rail photonic implementations, aiming to assess efficiency, scalability, or error resilience in hybrid quantum-classical systems. Publication potential is a primary concern, with targets including high-impact journals like APS, Optica, and IEEE, suggesting the work seeks validation in both quantum computing and photonics communities. The researcher’s hardware background may offer unique insights into software-hardware co-design challenges, particularly in photonic systems where dual-rail encoding is a common but understudied approach for VQE. Feedback from the quantum computing community is being sought to gauge the topic’s novelty, impact, and feasibility, indicating early-stage exploration before formal proposal development.