“MQV-Einblicke” at the Walther Meißner Institute: Inspiring scientists and enthusiastic guests

Quantum 2025MQV-EinblickeNewsPublicWMI

As part of the event series “MQV-Einblicke – 100 Jahre Quantenwissenschaften und woran wir heute forschen”, the Walther Meißner Institute of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humantities opened its doors on 6 October 2025, giving the many visitors insights into research on quantum systems at the lowest temperatures.

The foreground shows the inner workings of a cryostat for superconducting quantum computing. In the background, a woman and a girl listen to a scientist explaining the cryostat.

On Monday evening, 47 visitors crowd into the seminar room at the Walther Meißner Institute (WMI). They want to learn more about the quantum research being conducted at this institute for low-temperature physics. Professor Peter Rabl, one of the directors of the WMI, welcomes the diverse audience. After briefly introducing the history of the institute, he goes into more detail about the concept of low-temperature research: “What do we mean by that?” Most of us would consider a winter night with a temperature of minus ten degrees Celsius to be very cold. However, from the perspective of a low-temperature researcher, this is still very warm, Rabl begins his explanation and then works his way down the temperature scale to the boiling point of nitrogen, and further down to the temperature at which helium becomes liquid (approximately -269 °C). Only below that, at less than four degrees Celsius above absolute zero, does one enter the realm of low-temperature research. At a few hundredths of a degree above absolute zero, macroscopic quantum effects finally occur, which are being researched here at the WMI and used to develop new technologies.

During an extensive laboratory tour, the guests learn about specific technologies involved. Divided into four groups, they visit four different laboratories and work areas at the WMI.

From the quantum internet...

In the basement, guests are shown an experimental setup spanning three rooms, each containing a cryostat. These cryostats contain quantum systems. Doctoral students Wun Kwan Yam and Maria Handschuh explain how quantum information can be transferred from one cryostat to another. In the long term, the experiment should contribute to the development of quantum computer networks, that is, ultimately to the development of a quantum internet. Already after Mr. Rabl's presentation, there was not enough time to answer all the questions from the interested visitors and also in the laboratories the guides have to gently stop the eager guests – whose questions range from basic concepts, such as quantum teleportation, to engineering-specific topics – in order to deliver their group to the next station on time.

...to spintronics...

A scientist and several visitors look with interest at the inner workings of a cryostat for superconducting quantum computing. They discuss the various components of the cryostat.
Christian Schneider, researcher at the Walther Meißner Institute, explains the various components of a cryostat for superconducting quantum computing to visitors.

In one of the laboratories on the upper floor, research group leader Matthias Althammer and doctoral students Patricia Oehrl and Matthias Grammer are ready to give an overview of their research on magnetism and spintronics. Althammer explains that the cryostat in their laboratory contains a superconducting coil that generates very strong magnetic fields. These are used to study the behavior of spins in magnetic materials. In the field of spintronics, much of the work at the WMI revolves around spin currents, which could be used to develop more efficient storage and information processing technologies. The guests also learn that the WMI supplies the entire Garching research campus with helium and how this can be collected and recycled in order to use the valuable gas as sparingly as possible.

...and quantum computing...

The visitors now head back downstairs. On the ground floor, postdoctoral researcher Christian Schneider welcomes the group to one of the WMI's quantum computer labs. Here, guests get to see the sparkling inner workings of a cryostat for superconducting quantum computing up close. Some are already familiar with the site from the media. However, many are surprised to learn that this technology is largely cooling technology. "Actually, it's just a refrigerator," Schneider jokes. He continues, explaining that the central element is the processor with the superconducting qubits. He hands his guests a small chip developed at the WMI on which 17 superconducting qubits can be seen. The chip is passed from guest to guest and examined closely. After a brief digression on how the cooling technology used in this laboratory, which enables cooling to a few millikelvin at the touch of a button, was developed here at the WMI, and after answering the many questions from the visitors about the various elements of the cryostat on display, Schneider turns to the research questions, they address in the lab, that is, scaling and alternative qubit designs. “That's a very good question!” Schneider exclaims when a girl asks for more details about the number of qubits, clearly delighted by his guests' keen interest. Before continuing, one women takes the opportunity to take some photos: “This is truly spectacular!” 

...to optimization in nanofabrication

A young scientist gives a presentation and points to an element of an image showing a superconducting qubit. People sit in the foreground listening to him.
Ph.D. student Julius Feigl explains to his guests the tiny structures that can be seen on the 17-qubit chip developed at WMI.

At the last stop, doctoral student Julius Feigl awaits to provide the guests with insights into nanofabrication at WMI and to take them on a “journey to the heart of the quantum computer,” as he describes it. During the presentation, visitors first see a photo of the 17-qubit chip they just held in their hands. Feigl then explains the structures on the chip in more detail, zooming in closer and closer: to the aluminum wires, which are about as “thick” as a hair, or to the tiny bridges that they manufacture to allow signals to cross on the chip. But Feigl emphasizes that all of this is still relatively large and then shows a microscope image of a structure that is not be visible to the naked eye: a so-called Josephson junction, a nanostructure that forms the heart of a superconducting qubit. The doctoral student points to a bright spot next to the Josephson contact: “A single speck of dust.” If the speck of dust were to land on the Josephson junction, it would cause a problem, he explains to the guests, making it clear why these structures must be manufactured in a clean room.

After the tour, visitors are invited to the WMI's small library, where they can ask any final questions in a relaxed atmosphere over cookies and drinks. As they leave, one visitor expresses his gratitude once again and says, “It's heartening to see the energy and enthusiasm with which research is conducted here!”

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