This week, IQST participated in the second edition of the Quantum Effects exhibition and conference in Stuttgart — a platform for visitors from diverse backgrounds to discover and explore application-oriented quantum technologies.
IQST was present at the joint stand of QuantumBW, an innovation initiative that pools quantum technology expertise across Baden-Württemberg. Several IQST Fellows and researchers from their groups presented activities within the IQST network. They brought with them a wide range of demonstrators — from goggles for virtual-reality lab tours to a micrometre-scale representation of a Kandinsky painting. These tools helped to make quantum concepts more concrete, tangible and understandable, thereby providing bridges to applications such as quantum computing and quantum sensing.
These efforts have been well rewarded. We were delighted by the great interest and positive feedback we have received. The Minister for Science, Research and the Arts of Baden-Württemberg, Petra Olschowski, visited us, as did other high-ranking delegations and several school groups of different ages. We immensely enjoyed the discussions with our visitors and the opportunity to share our passion for ‘all things quantum’.
We are grateful to the Quantum Effects organisers for creating this unique platform to showcase the rapid progress in quantum technologies to such a wide range of interested people, from children to industry leaders and policy makers.
We would also like to thank everyone within IQST who helped at the fair or behind the scenes. The driving force was our Director Stefanie Barz, working closely with Christine Heuschmid and Nicole Metzler in the IQST office. Helping to set up and organise the event were PhD representatives Miriam Resch, Lukas Rückle and Mirko Rossini, together with early-stage researchers from across the IQST family who helped with operations and demonstrations.
The IQST family continues to grow. In recent months, eight new IQST Fellows and two Associate Fellows have joined the network, from institutions across Baden-Württemberg and in fields ranging from tests of macroscopic quantum physics to ensuring the reliability of quantum computing — reflecting our mission to promote all aspects of the ever-expanding field of quantum science and technology.
Our cordial welcome to the new IQST Fellows:
• Prof. Dr. Christian Groß (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen) – Quantum simulation with ultracold atoms
• Prof. Dr. Andreas Köhn (Universität Stuttgart) – Theoretical chemistry, molecules with non-trivial electronic structure
• Prof. Dr. Igor Lesanovsky (Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen) – Theoretical atomic physics and synthetic quantum systems
• Prof. Dr. Bettina Lotsch (Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, Germany) – Rational materials synthesis at the interface between solid-state chemistry, materials chemistry and nanochemistry
• Prof. Dr. Benjamin Stickler (Universität Ulm) – Theoretical physics, testing and exploiting macroscopic quantum physics
• Dr. Lorenzo Tesi (Universität Stuttgart) – Terahertz magnetic resonance of molecular spin qubits on surfaces
• Prof. Dr. Max von Delius (Universität Ulm) – Supramolecular chemistry, complex dynamic networks, functional organic materials
• PD Dr. Sabine Wölk (Universität Ulm) – Quantum technologies, quantum information, quantum communication
Prof. Dr. Christian Groß
Prof. Dr. Andreas Köhn
Prof. Dr. Igor Lesanovsky
Prof. Dr. Bettina Lotsch
Prof. Dr. Benjamin Stickler
Dr. Lorenzo Tesi
Prof. Dr. Max von Delius
PD Dr. Sabine Wölk
and the new Associated IQST Fellows:
• Prof. Dr. Michael Pradel (Universität Stuttgart) – Automated testing of quantum-computing platforms
New IQST Sparking programme and Postdoc programme
Sparking programme:
The IQST sparking programme brings excellent Master students in touch with quantum
research in IQST and funds scholarships for MSc projects in one of the IQST groups.
The mission of the IQST sparking programme is also to support diversity, equality, and
internationalisation at IQST. We especially encourage Master students from groups
underrepresented in quantum science and technology to apply.
IQST is inviting applications for its Postdoctoral Fellowships. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work in an interdisciplinary research environment at IQST.
We encourage applications that are focused on collaborative and cross-disciplinary research including collaboration with several IQST groups. The programme is focused on attracting applicants from places other than the IQST Fellows institutions.
First the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, then quantum research in Stuttgart
After attending this year’s Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting, 18 young scientists took the opportunity to visit IQST. The visit of the young scientists from Brazil, France, the UK, India, Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa, the Czech Republic and the USA was organized by Baden-Württemberg International (BW_i) as a follow-up program to the 2024 edition of the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings.
IQST Director Prof. Stefanie Barz welcomed the guests and gave an overview of quantum research at IQST. The members of the delegation then had the opportunity to experience cutting-edge quantum research at the University of Stuttgart up close during three laboratory tours — through the labs of Prof. Joerg Wrachtrup, Prof. Sebastian Loth and Prof. Barz — and to look over the shoulders of young researchers from Stuttgart.
During the guided tours of the laboratories, there were lively discussions and many interested questions. The guests were also impressed by the pioneering research infrastructure in Stuttgart, in particular the ZAQuant Center for Applied Quantum Technology, which opened in 2021 and offers excellently equipped laboratories for research into quantum sensor materials and for precision measurements on quantum sensors.
After their visit to Stuttgart, the group will move on to Ulm, with further stops planned during the week throughout Baden-Württemberg.
This week, the 73rd Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings took place — with a focus on physics — bringing together 37 Nobel Laureates with almost 650 young scientists from all over the world. It was our distinct pleasure and privilege to actively contribute to the programme of this unique event.
On the final day, participants were taken by boat to the closing ceremony on the picturesque island of Mainau, famous for its flowers and park landscape. The event was hosted by the state of Baden-Württemberg, and during the boat trip the passengers had the opportunity to get to know the IQST. Shreya Kumar, a PhD student at the University of Stuttgart, gave a brief introduction and, together with postdoctoral researcher Vadim Vorobyov, welcomed guests to the IQST stand, where visitors could take a virtual tour of the lab and get a taste of what quantum research is like ‘from the inside’. Many people stopped by, including Nobel Laureate Klaus von Klitzing and numerous young scientists, with whom we had inspiring discussions.
Many thanks again to all the visitors and to the organisers of this event for giving us the opportunity to contribute.
New call: IQST graduate programme funded by QuantumBW
Note: The deadline for proposal submission has been extended to September 15th, 2024.
IQST is happy to announce a new graduate programme funded through QuantumBW.
The new graduate programme will offer education and training, networking events, and IP/start-up consulting and is open to all early-career researchers in quantum science and technology in Baden-Württemberg. The programme will be starting in October.
In addition, we are welcoming applications for
10 PhD projects
that are funded through the programme. The focus of these positions is on closing the gap between basic research and technology development, i.e. projects with high technological potential which are still at an early stage.
You are very welcome to apply for a PhD project as a tandem of an academic and an industrial partner. The academic supervision by a professor from a university in Baden-Württemberg is complemented by mentor from a local company.
More information can be found by clicking on the links below. For further questions, please contact us at gradschool-application@iqst.org
With a bit of a delay, we look back on our recent IQST retreat for early-career researchers. Held at the picturesque Reisensburg castle near Ulm, the event once again combined excellent science, soft-skills training and plenty of opportunities for discussion and networking, to inspire and foster collaboration across groups and institutions.
It was a particular pleasure and privilege that also this year so many leading international researchers came to share their enthusiasm and insights into an excitingly broad range of scientific topics:
Dr. Sieglinde Pfaendler (IBM) on future perspectives for quantum technologies
Prof. Urbasi Sinha (Raman Research Institute) on secure quantum communication
Dr. Gerard McCaul (Tulane University) on quantum dynamical emulation
Prof. Friedemann Reinhard (Universität Rostock) on challenges for quantum sensing
Dr. Laetitia Farinacci (University of Stuttgart) on ESR, pump–probe spectroscopy and STM
Prof. Markus Münzenberg (Universität Greifswald) on ultrafast spintronics
Prof. Markus Gräfe (Technische Universität Darmstadt) on quantum imaging
Dr. Philipp Preiss (Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics) on quantum simulation using ultracold atoms
In addition to such enlightening scientific discourse, the retreat is also a platform for acquiring valuable transferable skills, this year with career coach Dr. Iris Köhler providing advice and guidance on assessing one’s own competencies.
An equally important part of the retreat is the presentation of participants’ own results in poster sessions. These provided a lively forum for sharing insights and ideas — with a touch of competition, as two posters were to be awarded prizes. The prize eventually went to two deserving winners, Dr. Manisha Samanta (Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, Germany) and Jonathan Körber (University of Stuttgart). The discussions continued over coffee breaks and dinners, and during the highlight of the social activities — an exciting canoe trip.
Once again, our cordial thanks go to everyone who made this retreat a success, first and foremost our esteemed speakers, and the PhD Representatives Niklas Gaiser, Maneesha Ismail, Takuya Kitamura, Shreya Kumar, Rouven Maier, Jose Manuel Monterrosas Romero and Mirko Rossini as well as IQST Science and Communication Manager Dimitra Kanta who organized this inspiring event.
Art and science are famously intertwined, with concepts such as symmetry, abstraction and challenging your own perception having important roles in both. On Tuesday this week, IQST Director Prof. Stefanie Barz had the pleasure and privilege of visiting Petra Olschowski, the Minister of Science, Research and Arts for the State of Baden-Württemberg (Ministerium für Wissenschaft, Forschung und Kunst Baden-Württemberg) for a meeting that was centred on both, art and science.
Professor Barz travelled to the ministry in the centre of the state capital Stuttgart to present Minister Olschowski with a copy of a graphic that was commissioned for IQST’s tenth anniversary, which we celebrated earlier this year. To mark the occasion, artist Andreas Tesch created the graphic “Yes and no.”, which captures both plain elegance and latent ambiguity.
The silkscreen-on-paper graphic was printed in an edition of 50 copies. We are delighted that one of them now adorns the offices of Minister Olschowski, who was a lecturer in art history — among various other roles in the Arts — before becoming Minister of Science, Research and Arts.
Head (m/f/d) administration and financial controlling
We are looking for a new colleague to manage the finances of the IQST — Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology as well as administrative matters, to coordinate the communication with IQST Fellows, the IQST community and external shareholders, and to organise, plan and implement events, workshops and conferences.
For more information, please see the advertisement below. We look forward to receiving your application.
The annual retreat of the IQST community will take place in 2024 again! This year’s retreat will be at the Schloss Reisensburg, close to Ulm, from 22nd to 24th of May.
What you can expect:
Diverse Scientific Talks from Leading International Researchers
Social Activities
Networking with fellow PhD Students and Professors
Soft-Skill Seminars
Poster Sessions
…
You can find below the preliminary schedule of the retreat. The number of spaces is limited, so if you are interested in taking part, please contact us at hello@iqst.org.
