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Quantum anniversary in Ilmenau: Free lectures about superconductors and more!
The TU Ilmenau is celebrating the anniversary of quantum mechanics with the lecture series “Quants in Ilmenau”. Start: May 6th. Admission free.
Quantum anniversary in Ilmenau: Free lectures about superconductors and more!
On April 30, 2025, the Ilmenau University of Technology announced a series of lectures commemorating the centenary of quantum mechanics. The next lecture entitled “Quants in Ilmenau” will take place on Tuesday, May 6th at 5:15 p.m. Prof. Hannes Töpfer, head of the theoretical electrical engineering department at the TU Ilmenau, will give a lecture on “Energy-efficient microelectronics with superconductors”. This technology uses quantum effects to conduct electricity without loss, underscoring its importance in modern electronics.
The lecture will take place in the lecture hall of the Faraday Building at Weimarer Straße 32 and admission is free. Quantum mechanics, formulated by Werner Heisenberg in 1925, is the basis of many innovative technologies such as solar cells and computer chips. Superconductors are playing an increasingly important role in various applications, including medical devices, instrumentation and microelectronic circuits.
Lecture series “Quants in Ilmenau”
The lecture series includes a total of six events until July 2025. The topics and speakers of the upcoming lectures are:
- 27. Mai: Prof. Jörg Kröger – „Materiewellen – von ,alter‘ Quantenmechanik zu modernen Quantensimulationen“
- 10. Juni: Prof. Thomas Hannappel – „Solarenergie“
- 24. Juni: Prof. Siegfried Stapf – „Kernspinresonanz“
- 8. Juli: Prof. Stefan Krischok – „Photoeffekt“
All events are free and offer those interested an excellent opportunity to get to know developments in quantum science better.
International Year of Quantum Science
At the same time, the UN General Conference proclaimed the year 2025 as the International Year of Quantum Science and Technology. This initiative is supported by 57 countries and various professional societies, including the German Physical Society (DPG), the American Physical Society and the International Society for Optics and Photonics. The aim is to recognize the significant contributions of quantum science over the last 100 years and to promote global awareness of its importance in terms of sustainable development.
A central motto of the quantum year is: “Quantum2025 – 100 years are just the beginning…” DPG President Klaus Richter highlights the practical applicability of quantum mechanics in modern technologies such as MRI, lasers and solar cells. The activities of the Quantum Year in Germany will be coordinated by the DPG, and a comprehensive program is planned in five thematic areas: research, education, art, professional world and historical development.
Planned events as part of this program include, among other things, a card game for students, lectures, artistic representations and exhibitions. The official opening of the quantum year will take place on January 14, 2025 in Berlin.
Latest advances in superconductivity research
The new hybrid components combine stable superconductors with topological insulators that conduct electricity on their surface. This allows for better control by magnets. An exotic state in which superconductivity and magnetism coexist has been discovered in a Josephson junction. This novel “control superconductor” has the potential to stabilize quantum bits needed for quantum computers and could therefore enable the next generation of quantum computing technologies.
The research group, led by Professor Laurens W. Molenkamp, works with well-known theoretical experts and is supported by various institutions. Their results were recently published in Nature Physics.
A deeper understanding of quantum physics, particularly as it relates to superconductors, is crucial for the future development of technologies that could revolutionize our daily lives. The combination of these social, academic and technological forces promises to significantly unlock the potential of quantum science in the coming years.