People,
prizes & fun
People
“Our collective drive creates a unique and stimulating atmosphere.”
Irene Fernández de Fuentes is a postdoctoral researcher at QuTech and focuses on advancing the development of quantum computers.
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Irene Fernández de Fuentes
“Our collective drive creates a unique and stimulating atmosphere.”
Irene Fernández de Fuentes is postdoctoral researcher at QuTech.
“Originally from Spain, I completed my PhD on donor-based quantum computing at the University of New South Wales and moved all the way from Sydney to join QuTech as a postdoc in Lieven Vandersypen’s group.
My work focuses on leveraging the unique properties of Si/SiGe heterostructures to advance the development of quantum computers and to enable unique platforms for investigating controlled quantum systems. Specifically, my research is dedicated to enhancing the performance and scalability of electron spins in Si/SiGe-based quantum dot architectures, while also exploring their applications for digital quantum simulations. Working within the collaborative and knowledge-rich academic environment at QuTech accelerates the pace of discovery, the development of novel techniques and methodologies that will shape the quantum future.
My favourite part of working at QuTech is to be surrounded by a highly motivated and diverse group of people. I find the different backgrounds, expertise, and perspectives of my colleagues incredibly enriching. Collaboration and knowledge-sharing are at the core of QuTech's culture, fostering an environment where innovative ideas thrive. The collective drive towards a common goal of realizing the quantum future creates a unique and stimulating atmosphere at QuTech that I truly value.”
“Small things can make a huge difference.”
Hasan Aydin is project controller at QuTech and takes care of the financial side of projects so project leaders can focus on quantum research.
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Hasan Aydin
“Small things can make a huge difference.”
Hasan Aydin is project controller at QuTech.
“I’ve been working as a Project Controller at QuTech for 3 years now. My main role is to control the budget and keep an eye on the spendings of projects within QuTech. Together with the project leaders we try to manage the projects financially in a correct way and assist with the financial obligations so that there will not be any surprises in the accounting.
As a financial employee, I take any financial concerns away from the project leaders so they can focus on the quantum research. As in each project, the tasks and responsibilities are distributed, and I play my role on the finance numbers side.
Knowing that we’re working towards a quantum future is what makes me proud to be working for QuTech. Seeing that very small things can make a huge difference and have impact on the world of quantum technology keeps amazing me. The personal development and the international team are what I like most about QuTech.”
“You cannot build a great building on a weak foundation.”
Kanchan Arora is management assistant at QuTech and offers fundamental practical and administrative support to our researchers.
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Kanchan Arora
“You cannot build a great building on a weak foundation.”
Kanchan Arora is management assistant at QuTech.
“I’m management assistant to Stephanie Wehner. My role is to provide complex administrative support. Prioritising and matching pace with her fast-tracked agenda is essential for this role. I also act as a central point for internal and external engagements around her schedule. Furthermore, I organise meetings and events, assist in travel bookings and purchase order management, maintain several web pages, and more.
It is often said that you cannot build a great building on a weak foundation. By aligning calendars of different researchers in a timely and precise manner, I am contributing my ‘bits’ in the future of qubits.
At QuTech, I am part of an exceptional secretarial group where I feel heard and welcome. The secretarial team is a powerhouse and we do so much work in the background. I am happy to be a part of this exceptional group. My favourite thing at QuTech are Tuesday lunches where you can meet different colleagues from several divisions in an informal atmosphere and have healthy non-work conversations.”
Fun
QuTech Uitje
In September, the annual group outing, called 'QuTech Uitje', was a great success once again. The Friday morning consisted of three activities: painting, a treasure hunt, and rowing. Although it looked like the weather would dampen the spirits, it turned out to be a beautiful day. After these activities everyone enjoyed a barbecue and a wonderful performance by our very own Q2 band.
For some, the Uitje ended here, but a big group spent the entire weekend together in Antwerp where they visited a chocolate museum, had an active afternoon playing padel, and indulged in local delicacies (fries and waffles). The weekend ended with a very enjoyable pub quiz.
Summer Party
Blue skies at the annual QuTech Summer Party. Everybody enjoyed a variety of delicious food and drinks, while lots of stories and laughs were shared with new and familiar faces. The evening was concluded by a wonderful performance of our very own Q2 band. They truly rocked the stage and made a lot of people dance and sing along.
Bruggenloop 2023
On Sunday 10 December Rotterdam hosted another edition of the Bruggenloop, where 12,000 enthusiastic runners gathered to take on the iconic 15km route spanning the Erasmusbrug and Van Brienenoordbrug along the Maas river. The event brought together a diverse group of participants, including 24 dedicated people from QuTech, ready to face the challenges that lay ahead.
Five QuTech teams participated and one of them finished in a formidable 17th place. Of all QuTech runners, Luc Enthoven, Lukas Splitthoff and Sander de Snoo came in first. Congratulations to all participants for your fantastic performance!
Christmas Party
For our yearly Christmas party, we met up at Café X where we enjoyed a delicious dinner and had plenty of festive drinks. After dinner it was time for two fantastic performances. Our own Q2 band kicked off and as usual delivered a stellar performance. They were followed by DJ Irene Fernandez de Fuentes, who put down some amazing beats to finish off the evening.
Prizes
NWO Vici grant for Stephanie Wehner
The Dutch Research Council NWO announced that Stephanie Wehner was awarded a Vici grant. The grant is aimed at senior researchers who have successfully demonstrated the ability to develop their own innovative line of research. Wehner was one of twelve researchers in the Science domain who received this grant in 2023.
David DiVincenzo elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences
In 2023, the National Academy of Sciences announced the election of 120 members and 23 international members in recognition of their distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. One of these was QuTech researcher David DiVincenzo. Membership is a mark of excellence in science and is considered an honour for scientists.
Xiao Xue awarded the Steven Hoogendijk Prize 2023
The ‘Bataafsch Genootschap der Proefondervindelijke Wijsbegeerte’ (Batavian Society of Experimental Philosophy) awarded QuTech researcher Xiao Xue the Steven Hoogendijk Prize 2023. The prize is awarded every two years for the best experimental doctoral thesis from the TU Delft. Previously, Norbert Kalb received the prize in 2019 for his thesis work at QuTech.
Nico Hendrickx received the Christiaan Huygens Science Prize for physics
Nico Hendrickx received the Christiaan Huygens Science Prize for physics for his PhD research. The jury, set up by the KNAW, decorated him because: “His thesis has become a standard in the semiconductor quantum technology community.” The award, a bronze statue, and a cash prize of €10,000, was presented at the Oude Kerk in Voorburg.
“Synergy is something we should cherish and exploit.”
Richard Versluis is principal systems engineer at TNO and in his work he likes to take complex pieces of work and break it down into manageable sizes.
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Richard Versluis
“Synergy is something we should cherish and exploit.”
Richard Versluis is principal systems engineer at TNO.
“I am a principal systems engineer at TNO. I have been working at QuTech since the start, as the lead for Quantum Inspire, but also as an engineering lead for the Quantum Computing division, together with Fabio and Monica. Currently, I am also leading CAT1, one of the catalyst programs of the Dutch National Growth Fund project on Quantum Technology.
In my work I try to combine the things that I like most: my drive for results and my passion for complexity. I love to take a complex piece of work (like a quantum computer) apart (not literally) and break it down into manageable pieces of work that all contribute to the end goals. Making a machine as complex as this takes a few decades, so it is worth taking this approach for such projects.
What I like most about working at QuTech is the complementarity between TU Delft and TNO. This pertains to the way of working, the people and the complementary needs and skills. Synergy is something that we should cherish and exploit. I think this can be done in an even greater extent than we currently do, and we should not be afraid of letting some things happen in a way that differs from what we are accustomed to.”
“There are always people ready to take the time to assist me.”
Theo Durant is bachelor student at QuTech and he investigates solid-state spins and their application.
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Theo Durant
“There are always people ready to take the time to assist me.”
Theo Durant is bachelor student at QuTech.
“I am currently doing my bachelor thesis at the Taminiau Lab at QuTech. I was born and raised in Brussels, Belgium. I came to the Netherlands to pursue a bachelor in Applied Physics.
The goal of my project was to build a g(2) autocorrelation measurement setup. The Taminiau Lab focuses on controlling optically active defects in solid-state systems and utilizes these defects as qubits. These qubits are the foundation of quantum computing and the quantum internet. The g2 measurements are essential for optically active qubits as they confirm the presence of single defects, hence indicating the presence of a single qubit that can be controlled.
I really appreciate the cooperative atmosphere at QuTech. Whenever I encounter an issue, whether it's technical or theoretical, there are always people ready to take the time to assist me. Despite my knowledge and experience being relatively limited compared to others at QuTech, my contributions have always been appreciated, and I've consistently felt regarded as an equal. I would really recommend QuTech to any bachelor student looking to do their bachelor thesis.”
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Organisation & operations
