Imaging of Matter
State secretary visits Hamburg specialists for quantum computers
17 August 2022
How does a quantum computer work? What could be its advantages? Dr. Eva Gümbel visited the Center for Optical Quantum Technologies at Universität Hamburg to find out more about the highly topical research in quantum technologies and its significance for Hamburg and internationally.
The focus of the State Secretary from the Hamburg Ministry of Science, Research and Equality and Districts (BWFGB) was on the developments on Campus Bahrenfeld, specificly on the quantum computer project "Rymax-One". Since December 2021, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has been funding the future-oriented project. Quantum computers are expected to surpass the performance of conventional computers many times over because they function completely differently. As part of the funding measure "Quantum Computer Demonstration Setups", approximately €25 million are available for the project, spread over five years.
Quantum technology stands on four pillars
Prof. Dr. Henning Moritz and Prof. Dr. Klaus Sengstock, who are the project leaders together with Prof. Dr. Peter Schmelcher, placed "Rymax-One" in the overarching research field. Today, quantum technology stands on four pillars: quantum simulation, which involves the development of new materials, quantum sensor technology, which enables highly sensitive measurements, quantum communication with tap-proof information transmission via quantum bits, and quantum information, i.e. quantum computers.
Together with other partners, the Hamburg project leaders now want to develop a quantum computer that can calculate real problems faster than current computer systems. This would have an impact on many sectors of the economy, such as logistics or cell phone and energy supply networks.
Insights into the concrete implementation
In the laboratories at the Institute of Laser Physics, Dr. Gümbel was given an insight into the concrete implementation of the concepts and their links to research in the Cluster of Excellence "CUI: Advanced Imaging of Matter". The program therefore also included a short visit to the physics school lab "Light & Schools", which makes cluster research accessible to schoolchildren - for example, with the experiments on optical tweezers, in which particles are trapped using laser light, or in the "flagship laboratory" on magneto-optical trapping, which was co-financed by the Joachim Herz Foundation. Young people gain their first insights into future technologies here at an early stage.
"Rymax-One" is managed by Universität Hamburg and is carried out together with the Technical University of Kaiserslautern, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Mathematics ITWM and ten high-tech companies. The Hamburg companies OTTO group and Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA) are also involved.
More information:
Researchers at Universität Hamburg will build the quantum computer