ML4Q&A - from the lives of quantum physicists

Michaela Eichinger, Product Solutions Physicist at Quantum Machines and quantum content creator, joins Mira and Chris on ML4Q&A to discuss her journey from academic research to working in a deep-tech startup. She is representative of a generation of PhD students and postdocs from labs working on qubit technologies that join the emerging quantum industry. Her PhD work focused on gatemons and stencil-based nanofabrication of superconducting qubits at the Niels Bohr Institute. Now she works at Quantum Machines, a company developing control electronics for quantum computers that aims to provide hardware capable of meeting the demands of fault-tolerant quantum architectures.

In...

Jens Eisert joins ML4Q as a member for the next funding period which was granted around the time Chris and Mira recorded this Episode with him. So naturally, they discuss the German Excellence Initiative and how joining ML4Q was a natural step for Jens, given he has many previous and ongoing collaborations with other ML4Q members.

Jens shares his insights on various aspects of quantum information processing such as benchmarking and no-go theorems, his recent white paper on AI and quantum computing, quantum error correction, complexity and pseudo chaos. Ultimately Jens makes a convincing case that quantum computers remain fascinating...

In this episode of ML4Q&A, host Mira Sharma, an associated member of the Matter and Light for Quantum Computing (ML4Q) Cluster, chats with one of the leading voices in experimental quantum optics - Professor Christine Silberhorn from the University of Paderborn.

Christine’s groundbreaking work in integrated quantum optical systems has earned her numerous prestigious awards. She’s also a member of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of North Rhine-Westphalia and was appointed to the German Science Council in 2023. Her research focuses on making photonic quantum computing scalable and practical - using light particles, or "flying qubits," to push the...

In this episode of ML4Q&A, Chris and Mira talk with Alex Altland, theoretical physicist and ML4Q member, about the tension between deep scientific thinking and the administrative reality of coordinating the renewal proposal of ML4Q.

As one of the designated spokespersons for ML4Q’s next funding phase, Alex shares behind-the-scenes insights into managing this large-scale effort — just days before the final decision in May 2025.

We also explore his enduring fascination with foundational concepts in physics, spanning quantum field theory, quantum chaos, and topological matter. Alongside his research, Alex reflects on the importance of conceptual clarity in teaching, textbook writing,...