Summer School Speakers
Prof. Martin Weides, University of Glasgow
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Martin Weides is Professor of Quantum Technology at the University of Glasgow and Director of the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (since 2024). His research focuses on superconducting quantum circuits, quantum device fabrication, and scalable quantum technologies. Prior to joining Glasgow, he held a professorship at the University of Mainz (2014–2017) and led a research group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (2012–2020). Earlier in his career, he worked as a research affiliate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder and as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Forschungszentrum Jülich, where he also completed his PhD. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of Applied Physics Letters.
Title: Escaping the Millikelvin Bottleneck: Superconducting qubits based on Niobium
Abstract: Superconducting quantum processors currently rely on aluminum-based Josephson junctions operating at millikelvin temperatures, where the limited cooling power of dilution refrigerators constrains system scalability and integration of control electronics. In this work, we explore an alternative approach based on niobium superconducting qubits. Owing to its larger superconducting gap and higher critical temperature, niobium offers the prospect of qubit operation at elevated temperatures and improved resilience to quasiparticle generation. We present the development of an all-niobium qubit platform based on a trilayer junction process, enabling improved interface quality, reproducible junction fabrication, and compatibility with scalable nanofabrication techniques. Initial device implementations demonstrate coherent qubit operation while opening a pathway toward higher-frequency devices and operation beyond the traditional millikelvin regime. This approach aims to alleviate the cryogenic cooling bottleneck and support more scalable quantum computing architectures.
Dr. Ioanna Kriekouki, Viqthor
- Ioanna Kriekouki received her M.Sc. in Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies from Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), France, in 2017. She pursued an industrial Ph.D. jointly at UGA and Université de Sherbrooke (Canada), supported by a CIFRE fellowship in collaboration with STMicroelectronics, France. Her doctoral research focused on the design, modeling, and characterization of silicon nanostructures and quantum devices fabricated using industry-standard techniques for quantum computing applications. She later worked as a Senior Quantum Engineer at Equal1 Laboratories, where she contributed to the development of scalable silicon-based qubit devices. In 2025, she joined Viqthor as CQO, leading efforts to meet client needs in solid-state qubit measurement solutions.
Oscar Bettermann, Zurich Instruments
- Oscar Bettermann is an Application Scientist in Quantum Technologies at Zurich Instruments, based in Zurich. He has a background in experimental physics, specializing in the quantum simulation of many-body physics using ultracold atoms trapped in optical lattices. At Zurich Instruments, he enjoys engaging in technical discussions with researchers and managing collaborative projects with key partners in the field.
Title: High gate fidelities and advanced experimental control with Zurich Instruments
Abstract: Room-temperature electronics designed to precisely control and read out the state of physical qubits play an essential role in every quantum computing experiment. Lowering qubit error rates and increasing the number of qubits in quantum processors currently represent two major challenges on the path to practical quantum computing. In this talk, we will tackle these challenges by exploring the pioneering QCCS and ZQCS Quantum Control Systems from Zurich Instruments. We will review the requirements for high gate fidelities, stable synchronization, fast feedback for quantum error correction and more, backed by detailed technical explanations and multiple scientific success stories.
Dr. Alessandro Rossi, University of Strathclyde
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Dr Alessandro Rossi is a Reader and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Strathclyde where he leads the Semiconductor Quantum Electronics Lab (SEQUEL). He is jointly appointed at the UK National Physical Laboratory where he holds a Measurement Fellowship. Alessandro carried out his doctoral studies in Physics at the University of Cambridge (UK) and his undergraduate in Electronic Engineering at the University of Naples (Italy). Before joining Strathclyde, Alessandro has held research appointments across academia and industry at the University of New South Wales (Australia), Hitachi Research Labs (UK), and TUDelft (The Netherlands).
Title: Cryogenic Chips for Quantum Control: Scalable Testing Approaches and Emerging Material Platforms
Abstract: The scaling of quantum processors from laboratory prototypes to large-scale systems places increasing demands on the classical electronics used for qubit control and readout. In silicon-based quantum technologies, cryogenic integrated circuits offer a promising route to reduce wiring complexity and enable more scalable control architectures. However, designing electronics that operate reliably at cryogenic temperatures introduces new challenges, including changes in device behaviour, strict power dissipation constraints, and the need for accurate models for circuit design. In this lecture I will briefly introduce the emerging field of cryogenic electronics for quantum technologies and discuss the role of CMOS-based control hardware operating at low temperatures. I will then present research aimed at enabling this vision through scalable testing approaches that allow the efficient characterisation of large numbers of integrated devices—such as transistors, resistors, and superconducting interconnects—directly on silicon test chips. These measurements provide the statistical insight required to support reliable cryogenic design frameworks. Finally, I will discuss exploratory work on emerging semiconductor platforms, including silicon carbide, to assess their potential for future quantum electronic systems.
Grayson Noah, Quantum Motion
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Grayson Noah is a Principal IC Validation Engineer @ Quantum motion
Piotr Kot, Qblox
- Piotr is a Quantum Application Scientist at Qblox, a Netherlands-based leader in quantum control electronics. He specializes in experimental quantum physics, with a focus on electron spin resonance scanning tunneling microscopy (ESR-STM). Before joining Qblox, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in South Korea, where he researched on-surface single atoms as potential spin qubits.
Title: Modular control electronics for salable and high-fidelity qubit control.
Abstract: The path to practical quantum computing requires control electronics that can scale without sacrificing high-fidelity performance. Here, we introduce the Qblox Cluster, a modular control system designed for flexibility across various qubit modalities. By utilizing proprietary SYNQ and LINQ technologies, we achieve seamless synchronization and real-time communication between hardware modules. Furthermore, we will discuss the technical advantages of our Q1 sequencers, which provide the backbone for high-quality analog performance and autonomous pulse execution. We conclude with a showcase of diverse applications and highlight success stories where these control solutions have accelerated state-of-the-art research.
Isabelle Sprave, Quantum Motion
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Isabelle Sprave is a PhD researcher in experimental quantum physics at the JARA-FIT Institute for Quantum Information. Her work focuses on one of the key challenges in building large-scale quantum computers: overcoming the wiring bottleneck and protecting sensitive quantum states from heat. After studying physics at RWTH Aachen University, she joined Prof. Hendrik Bluhm’s group. In close collaboration with electrical engineers at Forschungszentrum Jülich (ICA, PGI-4), she works on integrating control electronics with semiconductor spin qubits and developing thermal solutions for cryogenic quantum devices. Her research particularly explores how interfaces can be engineered to manage heat and enable scalable quantum hardware.
Title: Scaling Up Quantum Computers: Spin Qubits, Cryogenic Control, and the Challenge of Heat
Abstract: Semiconductor spin qubits are a promising platform for building large-scale quantum computers. While small systems already achieve high-fidelity control, scaling them up to millions of qubits introduces new challenges that go far beyond individual devices. One key challenge is how to control many qubits efficiently at cryogenic temperatures. Bringing control electronics closer to the qubits can reduce wiring complexity, but it also introduces heat that threatens qubit performance. This creates a central tension in quantum hardware design: improving integration while maintaining a sufficiently cold and stable environment. In this talk, I will give an overview of current approaches to this challenge, with a particular focus on thermal engineering for cryogenic quantum systems. I will discuss emerging strategies for managing heat and designing interfaces between different components, including approaches to thermal isolation and interconnect design for cryogenic environments, as well as recent developments in integrating control hardware with spin qubits. Selected experimental results will illustrate how these ideas are being explored in practice. The aim of this talk is to provide a broader perspective on how thermal management and system integration shape the path toward scalable quantum processors, and to highlight open challenges and research directions in this rapidly evolving field.