And who better to convey to young people a fascination for the almost magical world of quantum physics than quantum researcher Christine Silberhorn, who in 2011 became the youngest recipient of the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize for her work in the field of experimental quantum optics? Today, Prof. Silberhorn holds the Chair of Integrated Quantum Optics at the Paderborn University. She is not only a career role model for young researchers, but also a "rock star of the current quantum scene," as Photonics Day presenter Anna-Katharina Grimm introduced the physicist.
In her keynote speech, Prof. Silberhorn highlighted the potential of photonic quantum technologies in particular. "We are developing the foundations for future quantum technologies using the quantum properties of light," she explained, focusing on the challenges that arise when experimental setups from the laboratory have to be scaled up for broad application to larger systems. Silberhorn emphasized that significant progress has already been made in some fields of research, such as quantum communication. In a presentation preceding her keynote, Prof. Dr. Fabian Steinlechner, researcher at Fraunhofer IOF and professor of experimental quantum information technology at Friedrich Schiller University in Jena, had already presented current technologies for quantum communication, which are a relevant research focus at Fraunhofer IOF and are already experiencing initial commercialization on the market, for example through young quantum start-ups.
However, groundbreaking progress is also being made in other fields of research, such as quantum computing. Christine Silberhorn, for example, presented the PhoQuant project, which is being implemented jointly by Paderborn University, Fraunhofer IOF, and other partners. Its goal is to develop a photonic quantum computer. The key feature here is that a quantum computer based on optical technologies does not require the complex cooling systems needed for other quantum computers. As part of the project, the first demonstrators for relevant key components of a photonic quantum computer have already been built in both Paderborn and Jena. The further development of innovative materials such as thin-film lithium niobate is contributing significantly to the scaling of the systems, as Silberhorn explained.