Swiss Quantum Initiative: federal government to promote quantum research projects in Basel
The Swiss federal government is launching a national initiative to consolidate Switzerland’s leading position in quantum science. This initiative will also benefit the internationally recognized quantum research at the University of Basel: two projects have been approved.
11 September 2024
The “Swiss Quantum Initiative,” adopted by the Federal Council in 2022, aims to further strengthen Switzerland’s leadership in quantum technologies. Competitive calls for proposals, such as the “Swiss Quantum Call 2024,” launched last fall, are key tools to achieve this goal.
The federal government is making a total of CHF 16 million available to finance the projects. In addition to CHF 6 million from the Swiss Quantum Initiative, CHF 10 million come from transitional measures approved due to Switzerland’s non-association with the EU’s Horizon Europe research framework program.
Of the 36 applications received in response to the call for proposals, a board of experts from Switzerland and abroad recommended 13 projects for funding, covering the areas of quantum computers, quantum sensors and metrology, quantum communication and quantum simulation.
Two quantum sensor projects
Two projects in the field of quantum sensors have been approved at the University of Basel, each with a duration of four years. The federal government is supporting them with a total of around CHF 1.6 million.
Professor Patrick Maletinsky’s project aims to optimize the nanofabrication of existing quantum sensors in order to make them accessible to a broader group of users in research and industry. The team also wants to further improve the performance of quantum sensors in terms of spatial resolution, sensitivity and functionality.
Professor Philipp Treutlein’s project investigates how quantum processes can be controlled using a coherent feedback loop. Feedback loops, as they are known from heating thermostats, usually require measurement, followed by adjustment of the system. In quantum systems, however, every measurement is also a disruptive factor that changes the quantum state. Treutlein’s researchers want to use a coherent feedback loop to circumvent the measurement and open up new applications in quantum technology.
“The support these two projects are receiving is a gratifying and well-deserved honor for quantum sciences in Basel. The University of Basel is prominent in the field of quantum sciences and quantum sensor technology in particular. The field is very strong in research and an international figurehead,” says Professor Primo Schär, Vice President for research at the University of Basel.
“Quantum technology is also gaining importance in the Basel region with the National Center of Competence in Research (NCCR) SPIN, the Basel Quantum Center, commercial initiatives, start-ups and the growing interest of globally active companies. Strong basic research is a key prerequisite for further consolidating the University of Basel’s position at the forefront of global competition in quantum technologies, particularly in quantum metrology and sensor technology.”
