START Fellowship Interview Day

START Fellowship candidates are invited to present their research proposals and for interviews. This also gives them the opportunity to discover the research environment in Munich and to get to know the MCQST community.

As first part of the program, the candidates will introduce themselves, present their previous work as well as their research proposal for their START projects. In the afternoon, the program continues with interviews in closed sessions.

All talks are open to the entire MCQST community.

Program

09:00 | Welcome words

09:10 | Pascal Weckesser from MPI of Quantum Optics - "From Ising Models to Gauge Theories: Exploring Confinement with Cold Atoms"
Confining gauge theories are crucial for understanding fundamental processes in high-energy physics, such as meson collisions and string breaking. Analog quantum simulators, particularly the one-dimensional transverse field Ising model, offer a simplified yet powerful platform for studying these phenomena in a controlled environment. In this talk, I will show how my previous work on Rydberg-dressed Ising interactions, combined with proposed upgrades — tweezer-based lattice resorting and spin-selective imaging — lays a strong foundation for constructing and probing confined gauge theories and pushes the frontiers of lattice-based analog quantum simulators.

09:35 | Georgios Styliaris from MPI of Quantum Optics - "Efficient Preparation of Many-Body Quantum States"
As first envisioned by Feynman, the simulation of many-body quantum systems remains one of the most promising applications of near-term quantum devices. A crucial step for the success of this effort is the efficient preparation of physically relevant quantum states. In this talk, I will discuss how leveraging the power of quantum measurements can significantly accelerate state-preparation algorithms, opening up new possibilities for near-term quantum devices

10:00 | Benjamin Lienhard from WMI - "Interfacing with Quantum Information Processors"
Achieving practical quantum information processing requires an efficient and reliable quantum-classical interface. In this presentation, I will discuss our machine-learning-assisted quantum processor readout protocols and our approach to inherent and engineered noise robustness. I will then outline my vision for achieving stable and efficient operation of quantum information processors, along with the fundamental studies planned to realize this goal. Advancing quantum processor interfacing is essential for scaling up error correction and enabling meaningful quantum computation.

10:25 | Coffee Break

10:40 | Kilian Sandholzer from MPI of Quantum Optics - "Photonic quantum simulation of interacting topological lattice models"
Understanding the interplay of symmetry, topology, and interactions for many-body systems promises new insights into quantum phases of matter. Photonic quantum simulation is a powerful experimental approach toward this objective. Based on the recent results using erbium dopants integrated to nanophotonic silicon devices, we explore the implementation of matter-mediated photon-photon interactions in combination with Floquet-engineered lattice models.

11:05 | Linyan Nie from TU Munich - "Next-generation scanning probe microscopy with quantum sensors in boron nitride nanotubes"
Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) has proven to be a powerful tool for directly detecting various signals with atomic and nanoscale resolution, offering insights into a wide range of applications, including structural, electronic, vibrational, optical, magnetic, (bio)chemical, and mechanical properties; yet existing methods face limitations in sensitivity, orientation dependence, and probe performance. In this talk, I will introduce a next-generation scanning microscopy technique utilizing spin defects in boron nitride nanotubes (BNNTs). This approach enhances sensitivity, enables orientation-independent sensing, and improves performance in complex environments, addressing key challenges in current SPM techniques.

Online via Zoom

Meeting-ID: 666 3962 4354, Password: 799781

We look forward to the talks and we wish all candidates the best of luck for their applications!