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NCCR SPIN Newsletter - May 2024

Approval of Second Phase

The Research Council of the SNSF has approved the continuation of NCCR SPIN into its second phase 2024 - 2028. Additionally, the SNSF has agreed to increase our funding to 120% of phase I. NCCR SPIN would like to congratulate the entire team and thank them for their dedication to excellence in research and team work. The NCCR is growing in the Swiss network to over 30 research groups. We are excited to continue working together to push forward quantum computing with Si and Ge spins to the next level!

IBM Research is focusing its contributions in Phase II on Quantum Computational Science and Software and CryoCMOS qubit control. Ge/SiGe hole spin qubit research contributions from IBM will initially continue under the leadership of Patrick Harvey-Collard and Heike Riel while Andreas Fuhrer, Matthias Mergenthaler and Gian Salis are focusing on new tasks outside of the NCCR in Phase II.

New PIs of NCCR Spin for the second phase

In the second phase, several scientists are becoming new full members of the NCCR SPIN leading their own projects. We are looking forward to collaborating with Dr. Andreas Baumgartner (University of Basel), Prof. Guido Burkard (University of Konstanz), Prof. Giuseppe Carleo (EPFL), Prof. Edoardo Charbon (EPFL), Prof. Eugene Demler (ETH Zürich), Prof. Zoë Holmes (EPFL), Dr. Agnes Meyder (Roche), Prof. Vincenzo Savona (EPFL), Dr. Ivano Tavernelli (IBM Research Zürich), and Prof. Oded Zilberberg (University of Konstanz).

Grants

SPINnovate

In its quest to bolster technological advancements and expedite the transition from groundbreaking research to commercial viability, NCCR SPIN initiated in 2023 a call for proposals offering up to CHF 75,000 in non-dilutive funding per project. This grant opportunity, marking a significant milestone during the 4th year of the NCCR, aimed to empower initiatives within NCCR SPIN institutions, focusing on spin-off endeavors. Eligible activities encompassed personnel recruitment, prototype development, and other spin-off-related ventures.

The call for proposals was exclusively extended to internal applicants of NCCR SPIN who had either established or were on the verge of founding a startup entity.

Several key criteria were outlined to guide the selection process:

Innovative Technology for Quantum Computing: Projects were encouraged to showcase pioneering solutions that challenged the current technological boundaries.
Market Potential: Applicants were tasked with demonstrating how their technology addressed real-world challenges and exhibited the potential for significant societal and industrial impact.
Strong Team: The assembly of a proficient and dedicated team was paramount, showcasing the expertise necessary to realize the envisioned technological transformation.
Founding of Spin-off: If not already established in 2023, the spin-off entity should be founded before the conclusion of the project.

The grant committee was positively impressed with the quality of the applications and the potential of the projects presented in 2023. We are excited to see technological applications already emerging from the research carried out within the NCCR.

Two projects, in particular, distinguished themselves with their approach, technological implementation, robust research and potential market impact, Quamplify spearheaded by Rafael Eggli, Miguel José Carballido and Taras Patlatiuk and cryoProbe led by Andreas Kuhlmann, Richard Warburton and Sascha Martin.

Looking Ahead
NCCR SPIN is currently considering a second call for SPINnovate proposals. This initiative continues to be a cornerstone in our mission to support technological innovation and foster the development of spin-offs that can make a significant impact on the quantum computing industry.
Please let us know if this opportunity would be of interest to you by contacting Dr. Carmen Pietropaolo at carmen.pietropaolo@unibas.ch.

Outreach Canvas Grant

The NCCR SPIN Canvas Grant aims at encouraging young researchers to participate in public engagement events, both within the NCCR SPIN and externally. It is designed for doctoral students and postdocs who are members of NCCR SPIN and wish to participate in public engagement, outreach and science communication programs.

The award provides an incentive of up to 2’000 CHF depending on the program and the involvement of the candidate. In addition, travel costs (economy) for participating in the program are reimbursed. The awards are subject to budget availability.

Events

NCCR SPIN 2024 Winter School

The Winter School for Quantum Computation took place on January 15-17 2024 in the high-altitude village of Kandersteg in the Bernese Oberland region of Switzerland. The event brought together young researchers from the NCCR SPIN Network for an intensive exploration of the latest advancements in the field alongside prominent experts. The program provided a balanced curriculum covering a broad range of topics, from theory to experiment and quantum software. In addition to semiconductor spins, it included an excursion to Rydberg atoms and superconducting qubits, as well as a soft skills session.

Day 1 commenced with David DiVincenzo's presentation on the theory of the g-factor of band electrons in cubic materials, followed by Nico Hendrickx's discussion on Germanium hole spin qubits. Stefano Bosco then delved into the theory of hole spin qubits in Silicon and Germanium. Wenchao Xu explored quantum computation and simulation with Rydberg atom arrays. Expanding the scope beyond the school's topic, Jamie Gloor addressed diversity in scientific communities. The day concluded with a poster session, providing young researchers with the opportunity to showcase the highlights of their work and engage in insightful discussions, receiving feedback from both their peers and field experts.

On Day 2, Bence Hetenyi covered Quantum Error Correction, while Silvano De Franceschi discussed hole spin-orbit qubits. Natalia Ares highlighted the role of machine learning in quantum device control and development. The day ended with an excursion and a sledge race to Oeschinensee, where participants could admire the picturesque surroundings.

The final day featured Sebastian Krinner's insights into Quantum Computing with Superconducting Circuits, and Guido Burkard's discussion on the theory of high-fidelity spin qubits and their coupling to photons.

The Winter School provided participants with a comprehensive overview of quantum computation, blending theoretical knowledge with practical insights and fostering collaboration among young researchers.

The NCCR takes pride in its vibrant community of young researchers who have explored a wide range of topics, including those unfamiliar to them, in their quest for a deeper understanding of quantum computation. This diverse exploration not only advances their research but also exposes them to potentially fruitful paths for future investigations and collaboration.

Comics and Physics: Quantum is fantastic!

You can’t change a winning team! NCCR SPIN and the Lausanne comic festival BDFIL partnered again to bring quantum physics to the public! This time, we prepared an event centered around the two comic books “Mysteries of the Quantum Universe” by Mathieu Burniat, and “Quantix” by Laurent Schafer, and the discussion was joined by Anna Fontcuberta i Morral, professor and head of the Laboratory of semiconductor materials at EPFL. The event took place during BDFIL on the 27^th April 2024, in the Auditorium of the Musée Cantonal des Beaux-Arts.

In his book “Mysteries of the Quantum Universe”, Mathieu Burniat takes his main character on a quest in a quantum world after the death of his dog. Through meeting the most famous physicists of their time, our character wonders if his dog is, in fact truly dead. “Quantix” by Laurent Schafer playfully explains quantum physics and relativity concepts by putting an ordinary family in quantum-like situations.

The first half of the event was centered around discussing key concepts of quantum physics, such as how atoms are represented, superposition, entanglement, and the measurement’s collapse. Anna, Laurent and Mathieu, described those concepts, giving their unique points of view and sharing what they know and have learned. They were illustrated by pages taken from the books of the two authors. The discussion took a philosophical turn at times, questioning our reality and its very existence, particularly reflected in the public’s interrogations.

The second half of the event gave the stage to Mathieu and Laurent, who answered (puzzling) questions in live drawings. From imagining scientists getting in the lab without their morning coffee, to staging a fictious encounter between Picasso and Einstein, no holds were barred! But the two authors skillfully navigated the waters, not failing to make the audience laugh as well.

The event was successful and fun, with great conversations with the public, animated by talented artists and scientists. NCCR SPIN thanks once again Mathieu Burniat, Laurent Schafer and Anna Fontcuberta i Morral for making this event fun and engaging, as well as the festival BDFIL and our outreach officer for organizing it!

Photo: © Alex Troesch / BDFIL 2024, Carmen Pietropaolo

People

Five women Master's students awarded INSPIRE Potentials fellowships

Twice a year, the INSPIRE Potentials Fellowship financially supports women Master's students who would like to pursue their Master's thesis in one of the NCCR SPIN research teams. This year, the jury decided to award five women with outstanding backgrounds: Aditi, Atreyee Basu, Veronika Rečková, Elisa Zaccaria and Yiqi Zhao. Congratulations and welcome to all of them! We wish them a productive and wonderful time at NCCR SPIN!

The next deadline for applications to INSPIRE Potentials fellowships is May 1st, 2024. Consult our webpage for more information on the conditions and application procedure.

Learn more about the INSPIRE Potentials Fellowship

Aditi

Aditi pursues her dual Bachelor-Master’s degree in physics at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Mohali, India. She will work on her Master’s thesis in the Hybrid Quantum Circuits Laboratory led by Prof. Scarlino at EPFL.

Atreyee Basu

Atreyee Basu is enrolled in a Bachelor-Master physics dual degree program at the Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in Mohali, India. For her Master’s thesis, she will be hosted in the Quantum Theory of Condensed Matter and Quantum Computing group of Prof. Jelena Klinovaja at the University of Basel.

Veronika Rečková

Veronika Rečková earned her Bachelor of Science in Solid State Engineering at the Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic. She is now pursuing her Master's degree in Physics at ETH Zurich focused on Solid State Physics. She will complete her Master's thesis in the Nanophysics group of ETH Zurich under the supervision of Prof. Thomas Ihn.

Elisa Zaccaria

Elisa Zaccaria pursues both her Bachelor in Physical Engineering and her Master’s degree in Electronics for Micro- aad Nanosystems at Politecnico di Torino, Italy. She will complete her Master’s thesis in the Science of Quantum and Information Technology Department at IBM Research Zürich, supervised by Dr. Cezar Zota. Her project focuses on cryogenic analog RRAM.

Yiqi Zhao

Yiqi Zhao pursues both her Bachelor and her Master’s degrees at the ETHZ. She is pursuing her Master’s thesis in the Quantum Coherence Lab led by Dominik Zumbühl at the University of Basel, working on quantum hall gyrators.

Upcoming Events

13.05.2024

NCCR SPIN 2024 Quantum Industry Chat

The 2024 edition of the NCCR SPIN Quantum Industry Chat took place at the Hightech Zentrum Aargau in Brugg on May 13th, 2024 from 1 PM to 5:30 PM.

NCCR SPIN welcomed companies interested in quantum computing and its related quantum ecosystem to share new advances in the field, to discuss how to integrate quantum technology into a line of products, to inform about the supply chain of the quantum industry and the market potential of quantum technology developed in the research groups of NCCR SPIN.

A series of presentations were given on those different topics by the researchers of NCCR Spin, followed by an apero to promote further discussions between industry and academia in a friendly atmosphere. The poster session enabled deeper conversation around the topics presented in the talks.

With this edition of the Quantum Industry Chat, NCCR SPIN aimed to establish connections and raising awareness within the industries located in the canton of Aargau.

26.05.2024, 12h30, HEK, Basel
Tech Brunch: Quantum Computing

Chatbots, cybersecurity, quantum computers, NFTs or the rhythmic world of programmed beats - do you want to know what's behind these technologies and how you can use them creatively? Then TechBrunch is just the thing for you! This time, our focus is on quantum computing, with expert insights from the NCCR SPIN.

Unlike regular computers, quantum computers do not operate using just a long list of zeros and ones but instead casually use several of them simultaneously. This ability to use quantum effects sometimes results in an enormous computational speed increase. Such advantage could help solving problems that would otherwise require lifetimes to crack, such as advanced drug design or efficient resources distribution planning notably beneficial for the environment. However, alongside its marvels lie potential risks, such as compromising data security measures.

In this workshop, Pierre Fromholz of University of Basel's Physics department will introduce fundamental quantum physics concepts like superposition and entanglement. We'll then demystify the workings of quantum computers and even experiment with quantum computing ourselves by trying out quantum image blurring with expert guidance from James Wootton of IBM Research Zurich! We’ll see how images can be expressed as quantum circuits: the basic programming language of quantum computing. Then we’ll use quantum interference effects to manipulate the images, using similar techniques to those utilised by HEK’s current exhibiting artist Libby Heaney.

No prior expertise of any kind is required – just bring your curiosity, and we'll equip you with the basics to infuse these concepts into your creative endeavors, refine your existing knowledge, or simply spark inspiration.

Quantum computing takes center stage in the current exhibition at HEK, titled «Libby Heaney: Quantum Soup». Following the workshop, you're invited to join a guided tour of the exhibition at 3:00 PM, enriched by your newfound understanding of quantum concepts.

Info and registrations on the dedicated page.