A week full of quantum

From 8 to 14 April, Braunschweig and the region will be focusing on the fascinating quantum world - from a scientific symposium to a captivating Science Watch Party. The colourful supporting programme Quantum Week(https://www.ptb.de/quantum-week) around World Quantum Day on 14 April will take place at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, the Haus der Wissenschaft in Braunschweig and the phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg, among others.

At the smallest level, our world behaves completely differently than we expect based on our everyday experiences – and then quantum physics almost seems like magic. The Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), the QuantumFrontiers Cluster of Excellence, Quantum Valley Lower Saxony(https://qvls.de/) and the phaeno Science Centre(https://www.phaeno.de/) are jointly inviting you to experience this magic for a week.

The icebreaker events

We are offering three family-friendly events for all those interested, young and old, to join in and try their hand at.

• On 9 April from 19:00, PTB scientists Fabian Wolf and Daniel Stuhlmacher will be giving an introduction to their favourite topic: ion traps. Why do you have to trap ions? What do you do with the ions? And what does this have to do with quantum computers, atomic clocks and Einstein's theory of relativity? After Fabian Wolf's lecture "Who catches the ions in Braunschweig" in the Braunschweig co-working space TrafoHub(https://trafohub.de/), you can slip into the role of a researcher yourself and experiment on the Paul trap or explore the PTB's ion trap laboratory with VR glasses.

• On 14 April, World Quantum Day, the Science Watch Party "Physics in Hollywood" of the Cluster of Excellence QuantumFrontiers will take place at TU Braunschweig from 18:00. Anyone who has ever seen a YouTube video with a title like "Physicist explains famous movie scenes" will be familiar with the format: at this entertaining event for children from Year 5 upwards, physicist Sascha Vogel from the science birds and PTB scientist Teresa Tschirner discuss famous film sequences with the audience. But don't worry – this is not about formulae and natural constants, but about having fun with science.

• On 14 April, it is also worth taking a trip to the phaeno Science Center in Wolfsburg for World Quantum Day (World Quantum Day - phaeno). To celebrate the day, visitors can explore new exhibits in the quantum exhibition: The interactive artwork Quantum Jungle offers the opportunity to playfully experience the properties of the quantum world. In addition, a variable nitrogen and dye laser will be presented as an exhibit for the first time. The Meet the Scientist event starts at 11 a.m.: PTB scientists Daniel Stuhlmacher and Alexandros Metavitsiadis will give visitors to the exhibition the opportunity to experience a virtual tour of a quantum technology laboratory using VR glasses.

Further event highlights

• The "Women in Quantum Technologies" exchange evening organised by Quantum Valley Lower Saxony on 11 April at 5 p.m. in the Haus der Wissenschaft is aimed specifically at female students and budding quantum researchers. In a relaxed round of talks, women working with quantum technologies will talk about their careers and their own experiences. The panellists include female researchers from start-ups, research institutes and research coordination.

• Quantum technology on a long journey: Just in time for World Quantum Day, a quantum emitter is also going on a big QuanTour through Europe. The QuanTour kick-off event of the German Physical Societies will take place on 14 April from 4 pm at PTB Berlin and will be broadcast via livestream. During the QuanTour, a custom-built quantum light source will be sent across Europe: Within twelve months, it will be a guest in twelve laboratories in twelve different cities.

• At the symposium of PTB's Quantum Technology Competence Centre on 8 April, PTB researchers and invited guests will discuss the topic of "Metrology for the emerging quantum communication industry"

Opening ceremony of the new quantum high-tech incubator

This week, we are also celebrating the opening of Lower Saxony's new location for quantum technologies: On 10 April 2024, the HighTech Incubator of Quantum Valley Lower Saxony (QVLS-HTI) will take off in the former Rolleiwerke Braunschweig. On around 500 square metres of office and laboratory space, eleven start-ups, excellent research institutions and, in future, established companies will come together to exchange ideas. The QVLS-HTI builds on a long industrial tradition in the former Rollei factories: Where world-famous cameras rolled off the production line almost 100 years ago, young talents such as the Braunschweig spin-off QUDORA are now working on the chip of the Lower Saxony quantum computer.

Further information

Have we piqued your interest? Then feel free to browse through our programme: www.ptb.de/quantum-week

Contact:

Rebecca Husemann, Quantum Technology Competence Centre (QTZ) at PTB, e-mail: rebecca.husemann@ptb.de, phone: (0531) 592-9455