15 September 2021

"It’s so great to see the passion, the verve, with which the work is done here“

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder are delighted by their impressions into research and networks at MPQ and express their further support.

Quantum research could be the spring of the next big technological revolution and a seed for wealth. A good reason for German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder to visit the Max-Planck-Institute of Quantum Optics in Garching near Munich, one of the top places in quantum research in the world, to see the current state of science and its prospects for the future. The State of Bavaria has recently funded the new Munich Quantum Valley initiative with 300 million euros, while the German Federal State provides 2 billion for quantum research as part of its economic stimulus package. The MPQ plays a central role in this development due to its world-renowned expertise and excellent international networks.

"It’s great to see the passion, the verve with which work is done here. I am deeply impressed by what is already being done," said the Chancellor in her closing statement. During their tour, Chancellor Merkel and Prime Minister Söder got the chance to see a quantum simulator, which is a special form of a quantum computer based on thousands of individual atoms. The setup at MPQ in Immanuel Bloch’s group of Quantum Many-Body Systems is one of the world's leading systems in which the most complex quantum calculations to date on material science questions were carried out.

In a second laboratory, scientists from Gerhard Rempe’s department of Quantum Dynamics showed them a quantum node with memory properties, one that is unique in the world. This is a central resource for quantum communication and interface for future quantum networks. One of the long-term goals of this research field is to create a quantum internet in which data can be transmitted tap-proof and quantum processors can be networked to form a larger quantum computer.

Praise and interest from the Chancellor and the Prime Minister

"The Chancellor and the Prime Minister were highly interested in our institute's research and posed a lot of questions, even extending their visit beyond the time that was originally planned. “For us it was an exciting and extraordinary visit, which took a lot of effort to organise. I want to thank everyone who contributed to the success of this event, “ says Immanuel Bloch, currently the Managing Director and host of the event.

Angela Merkel was also particularly pleased with the institute’s promotion of young researchers. Next to doctoral training and an interdisciplinary Master’s training with LMU and TU München, this also includes a student lab, the “Photonlab” at MPQ, where, in pre-pandemic times, over 2000 school children a year can come visit the institute and learn about the fundamentals of light and quantum research at MPQ with the help of around 20 miniature experiments. During the pandemic, the student lab has designed a comprehensive and rich digital program, which school classes can use as an alternative to an on-site visit.

Source: MPQ Website

Contact

Katharina Jarrah
Presse- und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit
Max-Planck-Institut für Quantenoptik