Pint of Science: Future Technology Shifts Take the Stage
For the fifth year running, the popular series of talks, Pint of Science, featured young researchers from Cologne in three city pubs. As always, the three fully booked events last week were full of laughs, insights, and great discussions.
On the final night, the theme was “Back to the Future: New Technologies for the World of Tomorrow.” Doctoral students from ML4Q and the German Aerospace Center (DLR) delved into groundbreaking research fields, including quantum computers and artificial intelligence in aerospace security.
Luc Janssen from ML4Q opened the evening at the Tankstelle bar with a talk titled “How Do You Measure a Single Quantum of Energy?” The talk aimed to explain the quantum states he measures in his lab.
Luc built up the idea of a Transmon. He first introduced experiments displaying the non-intuitive nature of the quantum world, where the line between particles and waves blurs and disappears at quantum scales. Then, he demonstrated how this phenomenon gives rise to quantized states that can be harnessed to build a quantum computer. Lastly, he explained how to read a Transmon qubit, a type of superconducting charge qubit and a promising platform for large-scale quantum computers.
As a Ph.D. student in the Yoichi Ando Lab, Luc explores the possibility of detecting Majorana bound states, which are exotic quantum states that could revolutionize computing. His research combines superconductors and topological insulators, both materials with unique properties at the quantum scale. Reflecting on his experience Luc says:
“I really liked doing the talk, as I always like talking about my work to interested people. I got a lot of questions right after the talk and later in the evening, and it was really interesting to see which parts of the talk different attendants picked up on. For me it was especially interesting to do the talk in German. It was my first time ever doing a scientific talk in German, and I figured that this event would be a good time to practice because I would be using more everyday language than normal.”
Pint of Science is an international (non-profit) organization dedicated to hosting festivals that bridge the gap between local researchers and the general public. Through local pubs, bars, cafes, and public spaces, the organization fosters a unique environment where researchers can share and discuss their findings with the community.
Previous events
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