5 December 2024

Julia Draeger Awarded at the 2024 Quantum Future Awards

The annual Quantum Future Awards is a program of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung) which honors innovative scientific work in the field of application-oriented quantum technologies. Early career researchers were able to apply with their theses in the Master's and PhD categories. The ten best applicants were invited to the BMBF in Berlin on November 29 to present their work in three-minute pitches. Among the ten finalists, the work of three scientists from the MCQST cluster was recognized.

In the Masters category, Julia Draeger, who completed her research at the Technical University of Munich - Department of Chemistry in the group of Dominik Bucher, won second prize with her thesis on "MRI Microscopy with Quantum Sensors".

Julia's thesis focuses on NMR Microscopy with quantum sensors in diamond to develop innovative methods for detecting and imaging nanoscale magnetic fields in biological and chemical systems. By utilizing nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond, she aimed to achieve high spatial resolution and sensitivity in detecting small AC magnetic fields. This interdisciplinary research integrates physical chemistry, quantum sensing, and biomedical science, offering the potential to advance non-invasive, high-resolution optical microscopy with the precision of magnetic resonance techniques.

"This award is deeply meaningful, as it not only acknowledges the significance of my research but also highlights the quality of my thesis in such a competitive field. It is particularly rewarding given my background in chemistry, where I completed my thesis in just eight months—compared to the typical one-year duration in physics."

Presenting her work in Berlin was a major milestone, and both receiving second place from the jury and wining the public voting was a great honor for Julia. “This achievement would not have been possible without the incredible support of my colleagues, mentors, and the broader community,” says Julia. She plans to use the €4,000 prize to further her research, especially to establish new collaborations and explore opportunities in inter-disciplinary research with, for example, the soon-to-launch Q-Biomed Research Hub in the UK.

Two other MCQST scientists were finalists in the competition, Jacopo De Santis from the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics with his thesis on "Optical Resonator for Cavity Enhanced Readout in Neutral Atom Quantum Computers" in the Master's category and Andreas Gritsch, from the Technical University of Munich and the Max Planck Institute of Quantum Optics with his thesis on "Erbium Dopants in Nanophotonic Silicon Waveguides and Cavities".

MCQST wishes heartfelt congratulations to all finalists and winners of the Quantum Futur Awards!

The award ceremony was broadcast live and you can follow the recording on YouTube.