Lower Saxony in a quantum frenzy: TU Braunschweig is revolutionizing technology!

Lower Saxony in a quantum frenzy: TU Braunschweig is revolutionizing technology!

April 1, 2025 will be declared the International Year of Quantum Physics and Technologies by UNESCO. This important event is being actively organized by the Technical University of Braunschweig (TU Braunschweig) and several other institutions in Germany. The TU Braunschweig is a founding member of the Lower Saxony quantum alliance Quantum Valley Lower Saxony (QVLS) and plays a crucial role in the country's rapidly developing quantum technology industry.

As part of the World Quantum Day celebrations on April 14th, there was an impressive presentation by the TU Braunschweig, which introduced the Lower Saxony quantum computer. A central element of this innovation is the chip for the ion trap quantum computer developed by the TU. This chip is groundbreaking because quantum computers require extremely low temperatures to work efficiently. Researchers at TU Braunschweig are currently in the process of making quantum computers more compact and more temperature-stable.

Technological innovations

Professor Vadim Issakov's team recently achieved amazing things by miniaturizing the electronics of supercomputers onto compact circuit boards. Particularly noteworthy is a newly developed chip that reduces the control electronics for the transport of trapped ions by a factor of 250. This chip also works at extreme cryogenic temperatures of around four degrees Kelvin and has the potential to significantly increase the efficiency of future quantum computing systems.

Another significant advance is the development of a world's first functional trapped ion microwave controller, which was presented at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC). These technologies form the basis for a promising future in quantum computing and its applications in various areas.

Collaboration and future developments

In parallel to the developments in Braunschweig, the Leibniz Computing Center (LRZ) together with the Munich Quantum Valley (MQV) procured a quantum computer based on trapped ions. This system, which includes 20 qubits, comes from the start-up Alpine Quantum Technologies (AQT) from Innsbruck and is supported by the Bavarian state ministries with financing of around 9.8 million euros.

The quantum computer will primarily serve the research activities of the seven member organizations of the MQV, in particular for the implementation of system software and programming environments. An important goal is to integrate the system into the LRZ's high-performance computers. The aim is to accelerate scientific simulations and develop efficient workflows for supercomputing.

The AQT system uses electrically charged atoms (ions) that are held captive in traps and controlled by laser beams. It is impressive that this system can operate at room temperature and only requires around two kilowatts of electrical power. In addition, access to this quantum computer is organized via a cloud connection for the MQV and LRZ partner organizations, which ensures broad accessibility.

The MQV's Q-DESSI research programs and other projects at the LRZ continue to support the development of quantum computing resources. The partners concerned emphasize the crucial importance of these technologies for research and expanding the possibilities in quantum computing, which could also have a significant impact on future applications in industry.

Overall, it can be seen that developments in the field of quantum physics and technologies open up promising perspectives in both Lower Saxony and Bavaria. The combination of research and practical applications will play a decisive role in shaping the future of quantum technology.

You can find more information at TU Braunschweig, Munich Quantum Valley.