Summer School Speakers
Prof. Martin Weides, University of Glasgow
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Martin Weides is Professor of Quantum Technology at the University of Glasgow and Director of the James Watt Nanofabrication Centre (since 2024). His research focuses on superconducting quantum circuits, quantum device fabrication, and scalable quantum technologies. Prior to joining Glasgow, he held a professorship at the University of Mainz (2014–2017) and led a research group at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (2012–2020). Earlier in his career, he worked as a research affiliate at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder and as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Forschungszentrum Jülich, where he also completed his PhD. He currently serves on the Editorial Board of Applied Physics Letters.
Title: Escaping the Millikelvin Bottleneck: Superconducting qubits based on Niobium
Abstract: Superconducting quantum processors currently rely on aluminum-based Josephson junctions operating at millikelvin temperatures, where the limited cooling power of dilution refrigerators constrains system scalability and integration of control electronics. In this work, we explore an alternative approach based on niobium superconducting qubits. Owing to its larger superconducting gap and higher critical temperature, niobium offers the prospect of qubit operation at elevated temperatures and improved resilience to quasiparticle generation. We present the development of an all-niobium qubit platform based on a trilayer junction process, enabling improved interface quality, reproducible junction fabrication, and compatibility with scalable nanofabrication techniques. Initial device implementations demonstrate coherent qubit operation while opening a pathway toward higher-frequency devices and operation beyond the traditional millikelvin regime. This approach aims to alleviate the cryogenic cooling bottleneck and support more scalable quantum computing architectures.
Dr. Ioanna Kriekouki, Viqthor
- Ioanna Kriekouki received her M.Sc. in Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies from Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), France, in 2017. She pursued an industrial Ph.D. jointly at UGA and Université de Sherbrooke (Canada), supported by a CIFRE fellowship in collaboration with STMicroelectronics, France. Her doctoral research focused on the design, modeling, and characterization of silicon nanostructures and quantum devices fabricated using industry-standard techniques for quantum computing applications. She later worked as a Senior Quantum Engineer at Equal1 Laboratories, where she contributed to the development of scalable silicon-based qubit devices. In 2025, she joined Viqthor as CQO, leading efforts to meet client needs in solid-state qubit measurement solutions.
Oscar Bettermann
- Oscar Bettermann is an Application Scientist in Quantum Technologies at Zurich Instruments, based in Zurich. He has a background in experimental physics, specializing in the quantum simulation of many-body physics using ultracold atoms trapped in optical lattices. At Zurich Instruments, he enjoys engaging in technical discussions with researchers and managing collaborative projects with key partners in the field.
Title: High gate fidelities and advanced experimental control with Zurich Instruments
Abstract: Room-temperature electronics designed to precisely control and read out the state of physical qubits play an essential role in every quantum computing experiment. Lowering qubit error rates and increasing the number of qubits in quantum processors currently represent two major challenges on the path to practical quantum computing. In this talk, we will tackle these challenges by exploring the pioneering QCCS and ZQCS Quantum Control Systems from Zurich Instruments. We will review the requirements for high gate fidelities, stable synchronization, fast feedback for quantum error correction and more, backed by detailed technical explanations and multiple scientific success stories.
Dr. Alessandro Rossi
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Dr Alessandro Rossi is a Reader and a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in the Department of Physics at the University of Strathclyde where he leads the Semiconductor Quantum Electronics Lab (SEQUEL). He is jointly appointed at the UK National Physical Laboratory where he holds a Measurement Fellowship. Alessandro carried out his doctoral studies in Physics at the University of Cambridge (UK) and his undergraduate in Electronic Engineering at the University of Naples (Italy). Before joining Strathclyde, Alessandro has held research appointments across academia and industry at the University of New South Wales (Australia), Hitachi Research Labs (UK), and TUDelft (The Netherlands).
Title: Cryogenic Chips for Quantum Control: Scalable Testing Approaches and Emerging Material Platforms
Abstract: The scaling of quantum processors from laboratory prototypes to large-scale systems places increasing demands on the classical electronics used for qubit control and readout. In silicon-based quantum technologies, cryogenic integrated circuits offer a promising route to reduce wiring complexity and enable more scalable control architectures. However, designing electronics that operate reliably at cryogenic temperatures introduces new challenges, including changes in device behaviour, strict power dissipation constraints, and the need for accurate models for circuit design. In this lecture I will briefly introduce the emerging field of cryogenic electronics for quantum technologies and discuss the role of CMOS-based control hardware operating at low temperatures. I will then present research aimed at enabling this vision through scalable testing approaches that allow the efficient characterisation of large numbers of integrated devices—such as transistors, resistors, and superconducting interconnects—directly on silicon test chips. These measurements provide the statistical insight required to support reliable cryogenic design frameworks. Finally, I will discuss exploratory work on emerging semiconductor platforms, including silicon carbide, to assess their potential for future quantum electronic systems.
Grayson Noah, Quantum Motion
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Grayson Noah is a Principal IC Validation Engineer @ Quantum motion
