Project QUIP: Discover Quantum Technologies at Fraunhofer ITWM

They are each completing a three-month internship as part of QUIP. The aim of the program is to train and further educate experts in the field of quantum research through a broad research program, to network them, and to bring them to Rhineland-Palatinate. The young researchers are supervised by Ali Moghiseh and Alexander Geng in the Image Processing department. They speak English with each other. 

»What I like best about the internship at Fraunhofer ITWM is that every week is different,« says Ana-Maria. »I came here because I always wanted to be a scientist and wanted to learn more about everyday life in applied research.« She was very curious about the still young field of quantum technology, but had no previous experience with it. »The logic behind quantum science is completely different from what we are used to applying. One thing that I've learned is that solving problems in practice is what really deepens your knowledge, more than just theory alone.«

Dimitar agrees with her on this point and adds: »The approach in quantum computing has little in common with classic hardware. Gaining experience here was very valuable for my future career.« He was pleasantly surprised by how much he was able to learn in such a short time and how diverse the work of a scientist is.

For Yassine, working in the »Image Processing« department was a decisive factor in his application: »As a physicist, I wanted to learn more about what quantum technologies are capable of and how they work. The image processing aspect fits well to the teaching at my faculty.« He draws other lessons from his internship: »At university, we are used to being given tasks to solve, but here I learned above all how important it is to present these solutions convincingly.«

The students wanted to gain international experience through their internship in Kaiserslautern. Dimitar has already completed a study visit to Romania, and Ana-Maria took part in an exchange program in Italy. For Yassine, this is his first international assignment – he is very pleased by the diversity of people he met here. All three feel at home in Kaiserslautern and have a positive opinion of the city.

Their conclusion about the internship: »We had a lot of freedom in how we organized our daily work and what we worked on. We were able to collaborate on papers, solve specific tasks, and present them. If you are motivated and curious, you will find the ideal conditions here to learn a lot. And don't be afraid of the challenge – everything is doable, and your questions will always be answered!«