Quantum Technology Training for policymakers

The monthly series will consist of seven dedicated online sessions, each 40 minutes long with a 20-minute presentation from experts and a 20-minute Q&A session. The sessions will be recorded and be made available on this page.

The topics will cover:

• European QT Ecosystem and Roadmap (June 2023)
• Efforts and investments in QT beyond the EU (July 2023)
• Use cases: Quantum Sensing (September 2023)
• Use cases: Quantum Metrology (October 2023)
• Use cases: Quantum Communication (November 2023)
• Use cases: Quantum Computing (December 2023)
• QT state-of-the-art and future use cases (January 2024)

Contacts persons:

Oxana Mishina (CNR-INO) oxana.mishina@ino.cnr.it
Costanza Toninelli (CNR-INO) costanza.toninelli@ino.cnr.it 

1st session: European Quantum Technology Ecosystem and Roadmap

with Tommaso Calarco
moderated by Lydia Sanmartí-Vila

1 June 2023
11:30 CET - 12 :10 CET

About the speaker:

Prof. Dr. Tommaso Calarco has pioneered the application of quantum optimal control methods to quantum computation and to many-body quantum systems. Currently the Director of the Institute for Quantum Control of the Peter Grünberg Institute at Forschungszentrum Jülich and Professor of Quantum Information at the Institute of Theoretical Physics of the University of Cologne, Tommaso received his PhD at the University of Ferrara and started to work as a postdoc in the group of P. Zoller at the University of Innsbruck. He was appointed as a Senior Researcher at the BEC Centre in Trento in 2004 and as a Professor for Physics at the University of Ulm in 2007, where he then became Director of the Institute for Complex Quantum Systems and of the Centre for Integrated Quantum Science and Technology. He has authored in 2016 the Quantum Manifesto, which initiated the European Commission’s Quantum Flagship initiative, and is currently the Chairman of one of the Flagship’s Governing Bodies: The Quantum Community Network (QCN). In 2020, together with the QCN, he has launched an initiative towards the creation of a consortium of European quantum industries, which has been legally established in 2021 under the name of European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC).

She leads the science and art program at ICFO and is active in activities around equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), chairing the Quantum Flagship’s working group as well as the Thematic Committee of the Quantum Coordination Board. Lydia has a degree in biochemistry from the Autonomous University of Barcelona and a doctorate in neurobiology from the Otto von Guericke University in Germany, and has extensive international experience.

2nd session: Efforts and investments beyond the EU

with Prof. Gretchen Campbell, Deputy Director, National Quantum Coordination Office, US
and Prof. Kenji Ohmori, Chair of the committee for Quantum Science and Technology Policy, MEXT, Japan

moderated by Caroline Sevin, Project assistant in charge of international cooperation (InCoQFlag project), CEA, France

6 July 2023
14:00 CET - 14 :45 CET

About the speakers:

Prof. Gretchen Campbell is indeed a renowned experimental physicist known for her groundbreaking contributions to the field of atomic and optical physics. She currently holds the position of Deputy Director for the National Quantum Coordination Office at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. In this role, she plays a crucial part in coordinating Quantum Information Science (QIS) programs across the Federal Government.

Dr. Campbell began her academic journey by obtaining a B.A. in Physics from Wellesley College in 2001. She then pursued her Ph.D. at MIT, which she completed in 2007. To further enhance her skills and knowledge, she undertook an NRC postdoctoral fellowship at JILA and NIST in Boulder, Colorado from 2007 to 2009.

Currently, Professor Campbell holds a position on detail from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and serves as the co-director of the Joint Quantum Institute, which is a collaborative institute between NIST and the University of Maryland. In addition to these roles, she is the Group Leader for the Laser Cooling and Trapping group in the Quantum Measurement Division at NIST. Her expertise also extends to serving as an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Maryland.

Prof. Kenji Ohmori is a Chair Professor at the Institute for Molecular Science (IMS), National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Japan. After receiving his Ph.D. from The University of Tokyo in 1992, he was a Research Associate and an Associate Professor at Tohoku University. In 2003 he was appointed a Full Professor at IMS.

Professor Ohmori is currently leading large-scale / long-term national projects on the development of ultrafast quantum simulators and quantum computers (2018-2030) generously supported with priority by the MEXT and Cabinet Office of the government of Japan, expected as one of the top runners in quantum technologies.

He has been celebrated with many honors. Highlights include the Japan Academy Medal (2007), Fellow of the American Physical Society (2009), Humboldt Research Award from the government of Germany (2012), and Commendation for Science and Technology by the Minister of MEXT (2018). Most recently, in November 2021, he was awarded a national honor, the Medal with Purple Ribbon, by His Majesty the Emperor of Japan for his achievements on quantum physics. The Medal with Purple Ribbon is awarded for inventions and discoveries in science and technology, and for outstanding achievements in the fields of science, sports, art and culture.

He is currently serving as the Chair of the Committee for Quantum Science and Technology Policy, MEXT, Japan since 2023, after serving as the Vice Chair of the same committee from 2015-2022.

Prior to her current role, Caroline worked at the Ministry of Armed Forces in the Air Force bilateral cooperation office, as well as for a consulting group specialising in the public sector. She holds a master's degree in international relations with a focus on defense and security. During her time in the master's program, she wrote two theses: "Defense according to Narendra Modi, between strategic autonomy and operational needs" and "NATO policy in the Arctic: towards an increased Alliance presence in the region?"

3rd session: Use cases: Quantum Sensing

with Prof. Morgan W. Mitchell, Professor at The Institute of Photonic Sciences ICFO, Spain
and Dr. Thomas Strohm, Vice President at the Governing Board at QuIC, Germany

moderated by Dr. Oxana Mishina, Quantum Physicist  at National Institute of Optics CNR-INO, Italy
and Dr. Thomas Strohm, Vice President at the Governing Board at QuIC

5 September 2023
12:00 CET - 13:30 CET

About the speakers:

Prof. Morgan W. Mitchell received his Ph.D. in Physics from the University of California at Berkeley in 1999 and is an ICREA Professor at ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences, where he leads the Atomic Quantum Optics research group. His research has focused on quantum aspects of light-matter interactions, with a particular interest in how quantum effects can be used to enhance the sensitivity of practical atomic instruments, such as optically pumped atomic magnetometers.

His work on the fundamentals of quantum sensing includes the first generation of three-photon path-entangled "NOON" states and their use for Heisenberg-limited super-resolution in 2004, the first quantum improvements to optical magnetometry using squeezed light in 2010, and using squeezed atomic states in 2012. In 2013, he pioneered the use of entangled photons to achieve ultra-smooth optical measurement. He demonstrated complete avoidance of measurement backlash in a cold-atom atomic magnetometer in 2017, and squeezed-light enhancement of a highly sensitive vapour-phase magnetometer in 2021. In 2022, he showed that a Bose-Einstein condensate magnetometer can surpass the so-called hbar limit on energy resolution (a combined measure of spatial, temporal and field resolution), which no magnetometer of any kind had previously surpassed. Closer to applications, in the Quantum Technologies Flagship project MACQSIMAL,

Prof. Mitchell contributed to the development of miniaturised atomic gyroscopes and led the miniaturised optically pumped magnetometers work package to enable applications in medical imaging, research that continues in the EIC Transition project 'Optically Pumped Magnetometers for Magnetoencephalography' (OPMMEG). He has also contributed to entanglement-enhanced atomic clocks in collaboration with the national metrology institutes SYRTE and INRIM in 2022, and to new applications for atomic sensors such as ultra-low field magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging in 2020-3.

He was awarded an ERC Starting Grant in 2011, two ERC Proof-of-Concept Grants and an ERC Advanced Grant in 2023. In 2017, he co-founded the start-up company Quside Technologies SL, which now employs 35 people in the Barcelona area.

Dr. Thomas Strohm received his PhD in 1999 from the MPI for Solid State Research in Stuttgart, Germany, where he did theoretical work on high-temperature superconductors. Thomas then joined Corporate Research at Robert Bosch GmbH, where he worked for more than 10 years in software engineering research and as a system and software architect. In 2013, he started to build up Bosch's research activities in quantum technologies.

Currently, Thomas is the chief expert for quantum technologies at Bosch. Bosch has R&D activities in quantum computing applications and quantum sensing. Until recently, Thomas contributed to two EU-funded projects, the Quantum Flagship's Coordination and Support Action QFlag and QRANGE, a project on quantum random number generators. In 2020, he was a key figure in the establishment of the European Quantum Industry Consortium (QuIC), where he serves as vice president and working group leader. He also represents QuIC on the Strategic Advisory Board of the Quantum Flagship. Thomas is also a member of the Steering Committee of the German Quantum Technology and Applications Consortium (QUTAC). Thomas contributes technical work to QUTAC's quantum systems working group and to Bosch's quantum magnetometer R&D project.

Oxana works as the Italian National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council CNR-INO within the Coordination and Support Action of the European Quantum Flagship. She contributes to the areas of education and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the European Quantum Technology community by creating and coordinating the QTEdu.eu community (>400 members), coordinating the Equity&Inclusion working group at QTEdu.eu (>100 members) and being a member of the EDI WG since 2018. Oxana is also an experienced science communicator, having been a Quantum Ambassador in schools since 2015 and having organised and participated in numerous outreach events in France, Germany and Italy, such as the Italian Quantum Weeks, which developed 20 Italian cities.

4th session: Use cases: Quantum Metrology

with Dr. Nicolas Spethmann, Coordinator of the Innovation Cluster for Quantum Technology, PTB, Germany
and Dr. Davide Calinico, Head of Division "Quantum Metrology and Nanotech", INRIM, Italy

moderated by Dr. Oxana Mishina, Quantum Physicist  at National Institute of Optics CNR-INO, Italy
and Dr. Nicolas Spethmann, Coordinator of the Innovation Cluster for Quantum Technology, PTB, Germany

9 October 2023
11:00 CET - 12:00 CET

Register now

About the speakers:

Dr. Davide Calonico is a distinguished scientist and researcher at the National Institute for Metrological Research (INRIM) in Italy. With a career spanning several decades, Davide has made significant contributions to the field of precision measurement and metrology.
A leading expert in his field, Davide's work has focused primarily on the development and improvement of optical atomic clocks and frequency standards. His pioneering research has played a key role in improving the accuracy and reliability of timekeeping technology, with far-reaching implications for various scientific disciplines, including global positioning systems, telecommunications and fundamental physics.

Davide Calonico is widely recognised for his exceptional expertise in metrology and precision measurement. His dedication to pushing the boundaries of scientific knowledge and his commitment to mentoring the next generation of researchers make him an invaluable asset to the scientific community and a respected figure at INRIM, Italy and beyond.

Dr. Nicolas Spethmann is a distinguished physicist whose career has been marked by pioneering contributions to the development of quantum technologies, particularly in the areas of quantum metrology and quantum sensing. Dr. Spethmann's work has been instrumental in harnessing the unique properties of quantum systems to create cutting-edge instruments and measurement tools with unparalleled precision.

In his role as coordinator of the Innovation Cluster for Quantum Technology at PTB, Dr. Spethmann leads collaborative efforts that bridge the gap between fundamental quantum research and real-world applications. Under his leadership, the cluster has become a hub of innovation, fostering partnerships between academia and industry to drive the development of quantum technologies that have the potential to revolutionise industries ranging from healthcare to communications.

Dr. Nicolas Spethmann's dedication to advancing the frontiers of quantum technology, coupled with his visionary leadership, has established him as a driving force in the quantum community. His work continues to shape the future of quantum technology, making him a valued and respected figure in the field.

About the moderator:

Dr. Oxana Mishina obtained her PhD in physics from St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. She conducted quantum experiment simulations at both the Niels Bohr Institute and the Kastler-Brossel Laboratory. Her contributions also extend to developing a theory for cooling and squeezing atoms at Saarland University. In her role as a physics education researcher at TU Braunschweig, she engaged in collaborative work with the University of Trieste, focusing on in-service teacher training in the field of quantum physics.

Oxana works as the Italian National Institute of Optics of the National Research Council CNR-INO within the Coordination and Support Action of the European Quantum Flagship. She contributes to the areas of education and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the European Quantum Technology community by creating and coordinating the QTEdu.eu community (>400 members), coordinating the Equity&Inclusion working group at QTEdu.eu (>100 members) and being a member of the EDI WG since 2018. Oxana is also an experienced science communicator, having been a Quantum Ambassador in schools since 2015 and having organised and participated in numerous outreach events in France, Germany and Italy, such as the Italian Quantum Weeks, which developed 20 Italian cities.