NCCR QSIT (2011–2022)

Home institutions: ETH Zurich; University of Basel

Research of the NCCR

The NCCR “QSIT – Quantum Science and Technology” conducted important research uniting the fields of quantum physics and information theory by combining concepts from physics, chemistry, engineering and the computer sciences. The results shaped areas of scientific investigation and technology development in the private sector, particularly applications in quantum computing and quantum measurement. The latter mainly concerned new paradigms in basic physical research, such as inquiries into quantum materials, quantum transport experiments, quantum optics experiments and quantum theory aimed at coherently manipulating and engineering quantum states.

Scientific impact

NCCR QSIT was one of the first national initiatives in the field of quantum technologies. The multidisciplinary collaboration led to findings particularly in the area of semiconductor quantum dots, which are physical systems on the threshold between the classically describable macroscopic world and the microcosm, which obeys the laws of quantum mechanics. Semiconductor quantum dots are essential for technologies such as quantum imaging and quantum information processing, all central to questions of computation. Furthermore, the NCCR organised its research in four pillars, "quantum sensing", "quantum computing", "quantum communication" and "quantum simulation”. This re-structuring of the research fields in subdisciplines was internationally recognised and implemented in the EU programme the Quantum Flagship.

Legacy

The established multidisciplinary collaborations were effectively leveraged to take a pioneering role in education by establishing the highly successful “Master in Quantum Engineering” programme at ETH Zurich. Another major achievement in this area lasting far beyond the NCCR’s lifetime was the launching of “Quantum Industry Day in Switzerland” (QIDiS), an annual get-together of the main actors in this still young industry, which quickly succeeded in providing a much-needed platform for the exchange between science and industry.