School Visit to IQST: Inspir­ing the Next Gener­a­tion of Quantum Scientists

Twenty-four engaged and curious students from Mädchen­gym­nas­ium St. Agnes in Stutt­gart visited IQST to discover the world of quantum commu­nic­a­tion, quantum comput­ing, and current research in quantum techno­lo­gies at the Univer­sity of Stutt­gart. The visit offered the students a first-hand look at the science and people shaping emerging quantum techno­lo­gies, while provid­ing an oppor­tun­ity to encour­age young women to explore careers in science, techno­logy, and research. 

The programme combined talks and hands-on insights into quantum research. Prof. Dr. Stefanie Barz, Director of IQST, intro­duced quantum concepts and applic­a­tions with her lecture “Light & Quantum: From Secure Commu­nic­a­tion to the Quantum Computer”, followed by an inter­act­ive intro­duc­tion to quantum comput­ing by Dr. Julian Berberich and insights into theor­et­ical physics from Prof. Dr. Maria Daghofer. During the labor­at­ory tours, research­ers from the Barz Group presen­ted “A Quantum Network in Stutt­gart” and “Photonic Chips for the Quantum Revolu­tion”, while Dr. Susanne Baumann intro­duced her research on “Atoms and Beyond”. The visit concluded with a Q&A and lunch with the researchers. 

By opening its labor­at­or­ies to young people, IQST aims to make quantum science access­ible beyond the classroom and inspire the next gener­a­tion of research­ers and innovators—particularly young women consid­er­ing careers in science and technology. 

Photo credits: Bettina Noll, IQST