“The MQV ecosystem is one of the most unique setups in the world“
Coding and coordinating a quantum future
Testing the algorithms he developed experimentally and seeing that they run successfully on the hardware will always be one of Amit Devras favorite parts of his research. That different hardware platforms and the corresponding expertise are available to him within Munich Quantum Valley is something he considers a big benefit. It his new role as Scientific Program Lead Quantum Computing at the MQV gGmbH, he gains an even bigger understanding of the whole quantum computing stack and loves to become familiar with many different perspectives.
By Veronika Früh
"I always wanted to do something different", says Amit Devra when asked how he became a quantum scientist. “I wanted to do some technical stuff but not engineering because there were already too many engineers.” Growing up in India, he loved watching shows on Discovery Channel and National Geographic – “always fascinated about the scientific stories”. How things are working at the core is what intrigued him. Being fairly good in most subjects in school, he chose to focus on physics mostly through a process of elimination. “Math was too abstract for me, chemistry and biology were a little too far, and physics was the thing that I could comprehend fully,” he recalls with a laugh.
In the later years of his integrated Bachelor-Master program in physics at the Indian Institute of Science Education Research Mohali, Amit started to get more and more into quantum mechanics. “Because it was recommended by one of my professors, I started reading this book by Griffiths about quantum mechanics,” – the Introduction to Quantum Mechanics, a classic in the field – “and it explains nicely what the problems are that you cannot solve with classical mechanics.” For Amit, the question of how to solve these problems, marked a change in philosophy and drew his interest more towards quantum mechanics. During his master’s he worked with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) quantum computing, which is one of the earliest quantum computing demonstrators, as the physicist explains, and developed a quantum control algorithm for implementing three-qubit gates. This is also what ultimately brought Amit to Germany and the TU Munich in particular. “One of the pioneers of this method of numerical optimization is Steffen Glaser. I was following his work and when he was invited to a conference in India, I met him there,” Amit tells, recalling his first contact with the TUM professor who would later become his Ph.D. supervisor. “I told him about my work, and that is how it started. I decided to move to Germany and I think that was a very good decision in hindsight.”
During his Ph.D., Amit worked on the theoretical side of quantum computing, developing quantum algorithms as well as on their experimental implementation on quantum computers. What helped him to grasp quantum mechanics, which is often seen as a rather counterintuitive topic, is his approach to understanding problems through coding. “I always try to code whatever I see in the equations,” the physicist explains, because writing out the code line by line helps him to break down the problem. “Of course, visualizing it is on the next level,” he adds, emphasizing how visualization techniques are crucial for understanding quantum mechanics and, as a next step, quantum technologies such as quantum computing. In his research, Amit worked with the DROPS (discrete representation of operators for spin systems) representation, which directly visualizes multi-qubit systems and quantum operators with three-dimensional spherical drop-like objects. “What my Ph.D. was mostly about was the question of whether one can map this abstract visualization technique into something experimentally measurable,” the physicist explains, so that one could see if it was just an abstract concept or something that could be experimentally reproduced. “We developed some algorithms to go beyond the existing fundamental studies and also did some experiments for a proof of concept on IBM systems,” he says. During his PhD and Postdoc, Amit also focused on quantum control. “That means how do you control the qubits in a quantum system to realize specific operations with very high fidelity, which is key for doing useful quantum computing,” the physicist explains. What stayed the same was the excitement of experimentally testing his algorithms.
It is these moments, where he can see that the algorithms he developed are really working in demonstration experiments on the hardware, that Amit cherishes most. “That always gives you a sigh of relief,” he says, “when whatever you are developing is not just core theory or simulations, but you can really measure it experimentally.” Doing research within Munich Quantum Valley, he also got the chance to do his experiments on different hardware platforms, working on the control of superconducting qubits as well as neutral atom qubits. “It’s really good that within MQV we have a very good expertise from two hardware sides,” the scientist says.
Amit Devra, 31
Position
Scientific Program Lead Quantum Computing
Institute
MQV gGmbH
Degree
Physics
In his research, Amit develops and implements quantum algorithms, mapping abstract visualization techniques into something experimentally reproducible. As Scientific Program Lead Quantum Computing in the MQV gGmbH, he coordinates the research of the entire quantum computing stack of Munich Quantum Valley, gaining a deep knowledge of all the scientific work done within MQV.
Coordinating MQV
During his Ph.D., in addition to his research, Amit stepped into the role of coordinator of the Hardware Adapted Theory (HAT) consortium of Munich Quantum Valley. When his PhD supervisor, Steffen Glaser, asked him in the third year of his Ph.D. if he wanted to take on this new task, Amit didn’t hesitate. “For me, this was very interesting,” he says, “because as a coordinator you’re not just looking specifically into your topic but you’re getting a chance to look at the broader spectrum in this consortium.” Now, with his Postdoc coming to an end, he stepped down from his position as HAT coordinator and took on an even bigger coordinating role as Scientific Program Lead, Quantum Computing in the MQV gGmbH. This comes with the need to not only gain an overview of the work done within one of the research consortia, but of all the scientific work done within MQV. “This is really not a very easy thing to do,” Amit admits. “As a Scientific Program Lead, having the knowledge of different layers of the quantum computing stack is very important. Coming from a specific background, I have the understanding of that, and of course I have a general overview of different topics,” the physicist explains. “but now I have to get deep into it, to really see what is important, what needs to be done, and how we should build a strategy around it.” In short, it is an ongoing process, and he is gaining a lot of knowledge, as he puts it. A process, he very much enjoys. “It is exciting, looking at the entire quantum stack of Munich Quantum Valley,” he emphasizes. He likes to get to know all the different perspectives, talking to all the different people involved in MQV. “I think it is really interesting to see, what topics are being worked on, how we are placed internationally and to consider what things should be done within MQV in the future and how we should plan the next phase accordingly.”
The wider MQV community is something Amit considers very special. “I think it’s one of the most unique setups in the world,” the Program Lead says, “because you have the expertise for different hardware, superconducting as well as neutral atoms, and you don’t have to look far to get trapped ions as well. And of course, the software and the theoretical groups, which are also very strong in Munich and are placed at top positions internationally.” Together with some big names in the community and close connections to companies in the field, the growing ecosystem is very vibrant, as Amit says. “Whenever you meet all these experts under one roof at different events, it is very exciting to see where the entire field is going,” he says. “The quantum community in Munich and around the world continues to grow.”
Finding your place in a vast field
For young researchers who are trying to find their own place in the expanding field, Amit recommends trying to find a topic that really fits their interests, and not just do something because it sounds cool. “Quantum science and technology is a very vast field,” he explains, “and I think the best place to start is doing your master’s, where you learn about different topics, and then you can choose your niche. There are so many things to learn and it’s important that you focus on what you want to do.” Looking back on his own Ph.D., Amit also emphasizes that doing the research is challenging – but that is exactly what it is supposed to be. “Doing your Ph.D. is not only about publishing papers. If you are doing that, that’s perfect. But I think it is more about learning how to do research,” he carries on. “You will fail at some points in time. But being persistent is the key there; you just try to find another solution.” Taking a step back, out of the “mental bubble of solving that particular problem”, as he puts it, and trying to tackle the problem from another perspective is what always helped Amit in these situations.
A strategy that is also useful in his current role that is “very dynamic and not at all boring”, as Amit sums it up. “You have new challenges every day that you have to tackle,” he says. “And it’s helping me to grow as a person. And as a manager. Also, as a researcher.” Even though doing research himself is not his main focus at the moment, he hopes to stay involved with that. He likes working on code, learning new things, reading papers, and figuring them out in detail: “Let’s see what time permits, but if I can still manage to do some research, I think that would be really wonderful.”
Published 31 July 2026; Interview 18 June 2026