Two IQST Fellows among the 2025 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Laureates
Congratulations to IQST Fellows Prof. Bettina Lotsch (Max-Planck Institute for Solid State Research, Stuttgart, Germany) and Prof. Wolfram Pernice (Universität Heidelberg) on being awarded Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prizes for their outstanding achievements in the fields of solid state and materials chemistry, and experimental physics, respectively.
The Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) — German Research Foundation was established in 1985 and is the most prestigious research award in Germany. The Leibniz Programme honours outstanding scientists and academics, extends their research opportunities and helps them to recruit highly qualified young researchers. Up to ten prizes are awarded each year, with a maximum of €2.5 million per award.
Scientific Coordinator for the Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST)
We are looking for a new colleague to support the initiation and implementation of IQST coordinated projects, carry out and control IQST programmes as well as represent the IQST at international conferences, workshops and trade fairs.
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology joins IQST as a new partner.
We are delighted to announce the Karlsruher Institut für Technologie (KIT) as a new partner of the IQST.
The mission of IQST is to further our understanding of nature and develop innovative technologies based on quantum science by leveraging synergies between the natural sciences, engineering, and life sciences. “Many KIT scientists already successfully support IQST with their expertise as Fellows. All the more I am pleased that the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is now joining our interdisciplinary centre as an institution”, says IQST Director Prof. Stefanie Barz. “This will strengthen networking within the academic quantum community in Baden-Württemberg,” emphasizes Barz, an expert in quantum information and quantum technology from the Institute for Functional Matter and Quantum Technologies (FMQ) at the University of Stuttgart.
IQST scientists collaborate on innovative research in quantum science and explore applications that will benefit society. “Although quantum technologies still require significant basic research, the focus on applications is becoming increasingly important,” explains physicist Prof. Fedor Jelezko, IQST Director and Head of the Institute of Quantum Optics at the University of Ulm. “KIT joining IQST decisively strengthens this centre of excellence in quantum science in Baden-Württemberg,” Jelezko continues. Among other things, quantum technologies will make sensors for manufacturing and medical technology more precise and efficient, ensure secure communication channels, and enhance high-performance computing. Promising areas of application are already emerging, particularly in sensor technology and communications.
“By joining the network, KIT scientists will become part of an established research network in quantum technologies in Baden-Württemberg,” explains chemist Prof. Mario Ruben from the Institute of Quantum Materials and Technologies (IQMT) at KIT. KIT’s profile in the field of quantum technologies, in particular with its focus on molecular and superconducting quantum bits, fits in very well with the activities developed by IQST over the last ten years.
For the past ten years, the IQST has been at the forefront of interdisciplinary research in quantum science and technology, with an ever-expanding focus on potential applications and their benefits for society. We are all the more delighted that KIT, a further supra-regional institution has now joined the IQST — marking an important step towards a statewide network for the scientific quantum community in Baden-Württemberg.
Graduate School Manager (f/m/d) of the Center for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology (IQST)
We are looking for a new colleague to manage the graduate school of the IQST, to coordinate the communication with funding organisations, to organise, plan and implement events, workshops and outreach activities as well as support the hiring and onboarding of graduate students.
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
