Frank Wilhelm-Mauch
The physicist is developing quantum computers with superconducting qubits as well as coordinating German and European projects involved in building such computers.
Sought-after team leader
One aspect of Prof. Frank Wilhelm-Mauch’s work involves building a European quantum computer with superconducting qubits in the EU project OpenSuperQ, together with partners from five countries. He also acts as the project coordinator. The computer will be located at Forschungszentrum Jülich.
The Jülich expert is also coordinating the development of a German quantum computer in the QSolid project, which aims to create computers with superconducting qubits that have a low error rate. Qubits’ susceptibility to errors is considered a major hurdle in the development of quantum computers.
Under his leadership, Jülich researchers are also working with partners from the automotive industry to develop applications for artificial intelligence that will run on quantum computers. The planned applications of the Q(AI)2 project include flexible production planning and autonomous driving.
„As a theoretical physicist, I grappled with some astounding concepts. But I don’t just want to explain the world, I also want to build something. Quantum computing is the ideal field for this.”
Frank Wilhelm-Mauch
Bringing hardware and software together
Wilhelm-Mauch’s working group designs customized hardware for quantum computers with superconducting qubits. As well as developing protocols for controlling and analysing the hardware, they also develop software that uses the hardware in an optimal way. Particular attention is paid to modelling errors in qubits and improving the quality of qubits.
Wilhelm-Mauch has received several awards for his work, including a Google Research Award and an Outstanding Referee Award from the American Physical Society (APS).
Selected projects
- DAQC
Construction of a digital-analogue quantum computer to be coupled with supercomputers as a computation accelerator - Exzellenzcluster ML4Q
New technologies for quantum communication and quantum computing - OpenSuperQ
Construction of a European quantum computer with superconducting qubits - QSolid
Construction of quantum demonstrators (made in Germany) with superconducting qubits that have a low error rate - Q(AI)2
In cooperation with the automotive industry: Testing artificial intelligence and machine [A.1] learning applications to run on quantum computers
