Workforce for the quantum future

Caterina Taballione calls in from Rome. This is certainly fitting, given the borderless nature of research being done in the field of quantum technology. QuiX Quantum, the Enschede-based company Caterina has been associated with since its inception, works with several partners including Saxion. It is a collaborative journey that started with the opening of the Applied Quantum Photonics Lab in October 2023. “I started at QuiX Quantum as a quantum systems engineer," says Caterina. “As the company grew, I moved more towards the commercial side of the work. I’m currently responsible for our commercial activities and partnerships. I’m in charge of a small team of five. Our main focus is bringing quantum computing and its applications onto the market.”

The commercialisation of quantum computing is still a work in progress. It is certainly a challenge, for instance, keeping the loss of quantum information to an absolute minimum. Caterina explains: “At QuiX Quantum, we use a silicon nitride platform that enables highly complex and powerful photonic integrated circuits. The platform we use is called TriPleX^TM. It enables us to ensure a very large processing of quantum information with at the same time very low loss. This is important when you are dealing with tiny particles of light that transmit information. If you lose even a single photon, you have a problem.”

Workforce of the future

While talking to Caterina online, it is easy to forget that we are still ‘just’ in Enschede. Or rather, that we’re actually sitting in a very special place. Dmytro Polishchuk, Senior Researcher in Applied Quantum Technologies, has invited us to visit the Quantum Talent & Learning Centre in Connect-U. “Ten years ago, I got my PhD in physics," he says. “I have been working in the Applied Nanotechnology Research Group for over a year now. I am a member of Saxion’s Quantum Technology Research Group. We are setting up a research lab here that we call the Applied Quantum Photonics Lab. This location is also used as a Talent & Learning Centre (TLC), funded by Quantum Delta.”

Something Dmytro is constantly working on is making connections between ‘his’ research group and professional partners outside Saxion. “We conduct research in collaboration with companies and other academic research groups,” he says. “But our main focus is the applied research aspect. We often use a proof of principle technology as a starting point. We then investigate how far we can get with that. Whether we can reach a higher Technology Readiness Level. The Twente TLC was set up by Quantum Della NL. It is one of four hubs in the Netherlands and is a link between partner institutions and companies; a meeting place for different disciplines. It is the place where education can learn what the demand is from industry. At the same time, companies can also influence educational curricula through the questions they pose. The workforce, that's what it's all ultimately about. We are educating the quantum engineers of the future here.”

The perfect combination

The greatest challenge facing many technology companies is not simply finding enough people, but finding people with the right combination of knowledge and skills. “Yes indeed,” confirms Caterina, “that is one of the major problems. Especially in the quantum field, specifically for quantum computing companies. It is the result of a combination of requirements. First of all, you need a degree in physics. But you also need knowledge of electrical and electronic engineering, computer science etc. You can spend a lifetime doing that, but for the industry, that combination of knowledge and skill is crucial in order to continue.

The search for that crucial combination, is the raison d'être for the Quantum Talent & Learning Centre. “The academic world is also taking part in the search," Caterina says. “Both researchers and educational institutions. They also realise that it is absolutely essential to master all these skills simultaneously. This requires reforming curricula. You want to be able to offer specific topics and skills for the future workforce in one place. Sometimes it feels like waiting for all the planets to align. Something that rarely happens, but we really need it.”

Good chip, bad chip

An additional complicating factor: developments in quantum technology are moving fast. How can you keep up with all of this as an educational institution? "That is an ongoing process," says Dmytro. "Fortunately, we can still change course, if need be. In the coming semester, a master's programme in Applied Quantum Technologies will be offered jointly by four universities of applied sciences: Saxion in Enschede, The Hague University of Applied Sciences in Delft, Fontys in Eindhoven and the AUAS in Amsterdam. Our researchers are also closely involved. They can give feedback, to help have the right things included in the programme. The companies involved will help students find out what is expected of them in the quantum industry after completing their education. In addition, we have started a line of research that also contributes to the TLC. This line of research will help us develop the necessary practical knowledge."

What specifically happens at the TLC? What do researchers and students work on together, and why is that interesting for a company like QuiX Quantum? "Things like integrated circuits," says Caterina. "These are necessary for quantum computing. There are all manner of challenges concerning these circuits. However, for starters, you could use a chip to help train students. To make them understand what on earth is going on at the quantum level. You could set up a couple of experiments to show them. Something like that is also useful for us, as we want to know what are good and bad chips. For example, for follow-up research, or to find manufacturing defects."

The experiments Caterina is referring to are already being carried out at the quantum lab in Enschede. "We have a photonic processor from them," says Dmytro, pointing to Caterina on the screen. "Thank you very much! Such a processor helps us come up with assignments for our students. For example, we get them to integrate a chip into a system. In this way, we gain a lot of knowledge about the current state of technology through the students. About what is on the market, or what is in the pipeline. When Caterina's colleagues came to visit us, we discussed the skills that the quantum engineers of the future need. Those were exactly what our students subsequently learned. And then if you look at such a system integration, for example, it is not just about theoretical knowledge; they have really gained practical knowledge."

Bigger idea

When the quantum engineers of the future start working, what will we notice of that, as a society? And above all: what kind of impact will the technology have that they are working on? "Quantum computers will significantly increase the computing capacity we have now," says Caterina. "Although they will not literally intrude upon our daily lives, they will remain crucial devices for us. For example, look at the pharmaceutical industry. Algorithms for quantum chemistry allow you to simulate how different molecules bind and evolve, which is necessary in the development of new medicines. The R&D process of pharmaceutical companies can easily take more than five years. So you could shorten such a process dramatically with quantum technology."

Dmytro also points to the increasing demand for better batteries and – more broadly – for better and new functional materials. In this context, quantum technology could help develop a more efficient battery. This can be done, for example, by simulating the use of different materials. Although the TLC’s focus is currently on working with hardware, Dmytro always keeps possible practical applications in mind. Students also find these applications interesting. "It inspires and motivates them," says Dmytro, "because they know that what you're doing contributes to a bigger idea. The idea of having a universal quantum computer, for solving the major problems of our time. Something that remains physically impossible today, even with the best supercomputers."

Photography: Thomas Busschers (with the exception of the portrait of Caterina)