Apply now for a scholarship for the Quantum Technology Master Track @ RWTH Aachen!
The application deadline for the RWTH Quantum Technology Scholarship for the academic year 2023-25 is the 15th of February, 2023.
Having a Quantum Technology (QT) track at RWTH made perfect sense considering the current advancement in this field.
The winter semester of 2019 started with a broad overview of different topics. From the lectures on Condensed Matter Physics to the perfectly organized Hardware Platforms for Quantum Technology, I gained a solid background in the field. Quantum Optics lecture stole the show for the elective courses. I also attended lectures that were not specific to QT, however, they were still interesting.
As was promised, more activities were yet to come starting with the two weeks Matter and Light for Quantum Computing (ML4Q)-cluster course. Due to the corona pandemic situation, we expected some technical hiccups with the sudden online learning format. Nevertheless, learning about five research areas was indeed insightful.
The summer semester 2020 introduced new QT-specific courses like Quantum Measurement and Quantum Error Correction (QEC), alongside the already established ones. The QEC was a distance learning course organized in collaboration with TU Delft, the Netherlands. Thanks to the video-on-demand format, I could attend it from the comfort of my home. The Quantum Information course helped me understand the importance of the physicality of the information and the benefits of the quantum computer. Unfortunately, the Lab course Quantum Technology was held online. I could not benefit as much as I would have liked to do. The poorly organized data made me lose too much time on the otherwise engaging experiments.
With the introduction of the courses like the Modeling of Superconducting Devices (TU Delft) and Quantum Computing (Chalmers University) courses in the winter semester of 2020, I am impressed by the level the RWTH is aiming. Along with the collaborations (Köln, Bonn, TU-Delft, Chalmers, etc.) and in-house research facilities like the Research Center at Jülich, I hope to benefit from every chance RWTH Aachen is offering me. Hopefully, someday I can contribute back with my research.
About the Quantum Technology Master Track
The Department of Physics of RWTH Aachen University in collaboration with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of RWTH Aachen University and Forschungzentrum Jülich present a new Master Study Track (M.Sc.) in Physics and a corresponding curriculum within the Micro- and Nanoelectronics track (M.Sc.) in Electrical Engineering in Quantum Technology starting from winter semester 2019/2020. The curriculum includes theoretical and experimental courses alike, and a new, dedicated lab course where to put theory into practice. Students will be also offered cutting-edge research projects and an industrial tie-up for internships.
The study track is also one of the strategic measures of the Cluster of Excellence ML4Q in the field of teaching, and it greatly profit from the close collaborations with experts from Jülich Research Center, Cologne and Bonn Universities.
Application details
To apply, please send your application as SINGLE PDF (use the format Lastname_RWTHQTScholarship_2023.pdf) with the following documents to Lisa Otten (l.otten@physik.rwth-aachen.de):
Note: apart from sending the documents below, you should also make a formal application to the Master of Science in Physics program at RWTH Aachen University. The RWTH Quantum Technology Scholarship application is independent of the Master of Science in Physics application.
- RWTH Quantum Technology Scholarship Application Form.
- Curriculum Vitae.
- A single page “Letter of Motivation” for joining the Master study track.
- Two letters of recommendation.
- Certified copy of the school leaving certificate (or an equivalent degree of qualification for access to universities). Examples include “High-School Passing Certificate”, “High School Diploma”.
- Certified copies of each university degree and/or a statement about degrees you plan to complete before joining the RWTH Aachen University.
- Certified copy of your transcript of record.
- Proof of English language proficiency. Please provide any one of the following: TOEFL (90 points, internet-based), IELTS (score 5.5), Cambridge Test – Certificate in Advanced English (CAE), First Certificate in English (FCE) with a grade of at least B, Certificate on English proficiency at the level B2 of the “Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR)”. RWTH Aachen students can submit results of Placement-Test of the language center of RWTH Aachen with a level of B2 (MK 7).
The deadline for the RWTH Quantum Technology Scholarship application is 15.02.2023. This will be followed by sending out the “interview invitation” to all the selected participants where you’ll be asked for suitable interview dates in March 2023. Please note that for the interview you should prepare a 15 minute presentation based on your Bachelor thesis or topic of interest in Quantum Technology. Finally, you’ll be notified of your successful application by the end of March 2023 or early April 2023.
If you have any questions, please send an email to Lisa Otten (l.otten(at)physik.rwth-aachen.de).
When I joined the RWTH Aachen in 2016, the Quantum Technology (QT) Master study track was not offered as one of the main study tracks.
I went for Quantum Field theories and Gauge theories that were both challenging and exciting. I took all the courses that one could take in the quantum direction, e.g., quantum optics, quantum information, and computational physics, to name a few.
Now, since the QT study track is offered as the main track, I believe this would benefit students who wish to concentrate only on quantum.
For all others, who would like to have more interdisciplinary courses and want to combine courses offered in the QT track with other tracks, I offer myself as an example that it is possible.
After my Master’s, I went ahead to pursue a Ph.D. in quantum computing at Jülich.
I wish the next generation, who have the opportunity to attend the well-organized QT track, all the very best. I would like to remind them of the words of Dr. Szent-Gyorgyi that scientific discovery is not so much in seeing what nobody has seen but seeing what every one has seen yet thinking what nobody has thought.