Research Phase and Master’s Thesis in the M.Sc. Quantum Science & Technology

During the last year of the Master's program Quantum Science & Technology, you will have the opportunity to work on exciting research topics in the unique research of the Munich Center for Quantum Science and Technology. During this so-called research phase, you can choose from an extensive number of research groups and current projects.

Young researchers at Max-Planck-Institute for Quantum Optics (MPQ). Photo: MCQST.

Research Phase

The structure of the research phase

The one-year research phase (60 ECTS) involves three modules. The first module, called Master’s seminar, is devoted to gathering the specialized knowledge needed for a cutting-edge line of research through a detailed study of the relevant research literature. The second module, called Master’s work experience, focuses on acquiring the technical skills, experimental and/or theoretical, needed for conducting the research project of the Master’s thesis. The first two modules form an intrinsic unit and together account for 30 ECTS. The Master’s thesis forms the third module and accounts for 30 ECTS. It involves completing an independent research project, submitting a written Master’s thesis, and orally defending it in a Master’s colloquium.

During the research phase, the completion of an independent scientific project also involves the acquisition of additional skills such as project management, team-work, and the presentation of scientific results.

Module	Description	Credits (CP)	PL/SL*
Master’s seminar	Literature research and specialization	15	S
Master’s work experience	Methodology and project planning	15	S
Master’s thesis		30	P
Sum		60

*: P="Prüfungsleistung", graded exam,
S="Studienleistung", non-graded exam (pass/fail)

Finding a topic

For this program, the Examination Board has created a list of possible thesis supervisors; they are listed below. To find a topic, please contact the possible thesis supervisors yourself.

The thesis supervisors have the possibility to advertise topics (supervisors see "Access for supervisors" on the right). However, not all possible topics are advertised here, so it is advisable to ask the thesis supervisors directly

Furthermore, it is advisable to start searching for a suitable topic early, about one semester in advance. In a personal interview, you can quickly see whether a topic appeals to you and whether you feel comfortable in the group. We discourage you from simple e-mail exchange, as it is usually not successful.

Who can be my supervisor?

Filtering in the offers for possible theses

You can search through the offers of Master’s thesis topics in our database.

Search for:

Offers of Master’s thesis topics

	Topic	Supervisor
	A finite temperature quantum algorithm for the Hubbard model	Knap
	Research group Collective Quantum Dynamics Description The goal of the thesis is to develop an analyze finite temperature algorithms for quantum computers. The field is quickly evolving. Please contact me to discuss a concrete project.
	Emergent (non-linear) hydrodynamics in ultracold quantum gases	Knap
	Research group Collective Quantum Dynamics Description Isolated quantum matter can thermalize locally because the surrounding system can act as a path. We will study how hydrodynamics can emerge at late times in such systems. The field of quantum dynamics is quickly evolving. Please contact me directly to discuss a concrete project.
	Fabrication of a superconducting coplanar transmission line for efficient coupling to rare earth spin ensembles	Gross
	Research group Technical Physics Description The rare earth spin ensembles are well established by now in the optical domain where the microwave states are used as an intermediate state to extend the storage time [1]. Number of purely microwave manipulations by spin ensembles is very limited and is bound to coupling of spin ensembles to microwave resonating structures [2], which allows amplifying the microwave signal and enhancing the interaction between the ions and the microwave field. The main disadvantage of using these resonating structures is their fixed frequencies and very small tuning range. Typically fabricated in a coplanar design, the superconducting resonators create strongly inhomogeneous distribution of the field within the spin ensemble, which results into largely detuned Rabi frequencies experienced by the spins. Aim of this project is to fabricate novel design of microwave transmission line, which will allow for homogeneous distribution of the microwave field within the excited rare-earth spin ensemble, and at the same time, will not be bound to a specific frequency. This will allow realizing various spin manipulation schemes, which involve more than two energy levels (beyond Hahn-echo) and thus deploy complex spin-manipulation techniques. We are looking for a highly motivated master student joining this project. Within the project, you will gain hands-on experience on design and fabrication of superconducting microwave structures. You will design and fabricate superconducting transmission line, which will then be tested at cryogenic conditions when coupled to rare earth spins ensembles. [1] Kinos, A. et al. Roadmap for Rare-earth Quantum Computing. arXiv 2103.15743 (2021). [2] Ranjan, V. et al. Multimode Storage of Quantum Microwave Fields in Electron Spins over 100 ms. https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.210505 (2021). Contact person Nadezhda Kukharchyk
	Fabrication of a superconducting transmission line resonator in a bad-cavity limit	Gross
	Research group Technical Physics Description The rare earth spin ensembles are well established by now in the optical domain where the microwave states are used as an intermediate state to extend the storage time [1]. Number of purely microwave manipulations by spin ensembles is very limited and is bound to coupling of spin ensembles to microwave resonating structures [2], which allows amplifying the microwave signal and enhancing the interaction between the ions and the microwave field. The main disadvantage of using these resonating structures is their fixed frequencies and very small tuning range. Typically fabricated in a coplanar design, the superconducting resonators create strongly inhomogeneous distribution of the field within the spin ensemble, which results into largely detuned Rabi frequencies experienced by the spins. Aim of this project is to fabricate novel design of microwave transmission line resonator, which would work in a bad-cavity regime and will thus allow to couple to rare-earth spins at a larger badwidth. This will allow realizing various spin manipulation schemes, which involve more than two energy levels (beyond Hahn-echo) and thus deploy complex spin-manipulation techniques. We are looking for a highly motivated master student joining this project. Within the project, you will gain hands-on experience on design and fabrication of superconducting microwave structures. You will design and fabricate superconducting resonating structure, which will then be tested at cryogenic conditions when coupled to rare earth spins ensembles. [1] Kinos, A. et al. Roadmap for Rare-earth Quantum Computing. arXiv 2103.15743 (2021). [2] Ranjan, V. et al. Multimode Storage of Quantum Microwave Fields in Electron Spins over 100 ms. https://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.125.210505 (2021). Contact person Nadezhda Kukharchyk
	Fabrication of low-loss Josephson parametric devices	Gross
	Research group Technical Physics Description Superconducting Josephson devices represent one of the leading hardware platforms of modern quantum information processing. In particular, these devices often employ nonlinear parametric effects for tunable coupling schemes or quantum-limited amplification. Such effects can be also used in a multitude of quantum communication & sensing protocols. In this context, a particular challenge arises due to the fundamental requirement for minimizing losses in superconducting systems in order to preserve the fragile quantum nature of related microwave states. To this end, one needs to develop advanced routines for fabrication of low-loss Josephson parametric amplifiers & parametric couplers by exploring various surface treatment approaches or studying novel superconducting materials. The low-loss Josephson devices are to be used in our ongoing experiments towards experimental investigation of particular novel concepts, such as the quantum radar or remote entanglement distribution protocols. This master thesis will involve designing superconducting parametric circuits, cleanroom fabrication, and characterization measurements of fabricated devices with an aim to employ these in microwave quantum communication & sensing experiments. Contact person Kirill Fedorov
	Fractonic quantum matter at low temperatures	Knap
	Research group Collective Quantum Dynamics Description Fractonic quantum matter possesses excitations with constrained mobility. In two dimensions, excitations can for example only move on one dimensional lines. The goal of this thesis is to study either with numerical or field theoretical techniques their ground state and dynamical properties. The field of fractions is quickly evolving. Please contact me directly to discuss a concrete project.
	Generating small magnetic fields inside an open-end magnetic shielding with a superconducting solenoid magnet (topic is not available any more)	Gross
	Research group Technical Physics Description Coherence times of hyperfine transitions of rare earth spin ensembles reach seconds and hours. Particularly, this is possible due to cooling these ensembles down to ultra-low temperatures and taking advantage of Zero First-Oder Zeeman shift transition (ZEFOZ). These ZEFOZ transitions require very precise adjustment of magnetic field, in order to reach the very extremum point with the longest coherence time. Moreover, employing ZEFOZ transition allows working at near-zero magnetic fields [1], which paves the way towards the quantum memory for the superconducting qubits. To have a precise control of the magnetic field at near zero field range, it is necessary to remove or strongly reduce any external background magnetic fields. Alternative way would be to confine the magnetic field and align them along a single axis. Controllably applying another external magnetic field along the same axis, would allow accessing a desired operational point with lowest coherence in a highly controllable way. The goal of this master project is to build such a semi-shielded solenoid magnet with a sample space, which will allow for reaching a desired ZEFOZ point at near-zero magnetic field. We are looking for a highly motivated master student joining this project. Within the project, you will learn about practical realization of magnetic shielding and superconducting magnets. You will design an experimental magnetically controlled sample space for spin-ensemble quantum memories. [1] Y.-H. Chen et al. „Coupling erbium spins to a three-dimensional superconducting cavity at zero magnetic field”, Phys. Rev. B, vol. 94, p. 075117, Aug 2016 Contact person Nadezhda Kukharchyk
	Hybrid quantum teleportation	Gross
	Research group Technical Physics Description Microwave quantum communication is a novel field of science and technology, where one exploits quantum properties of propagating microwave signals to achieve quantum advantage in various communication scenarios. Here, a particularly important protocol is quantum teleportation, where one bypasses fundamental limitations on fidelity of transferred quantum states by exploiting shared entanglement. In this context, an open challenge is teleportation of the most exotic, non-Gaussian, quantum states, such as Fock or Schrödinger cat states, with the help of Gaussian entangled states. In theory, this problem can be addressed by using non-deterministic approaches or incorporating non-Gaussian operations in the teleportation protocol. This master thesis will focus on a theory analysis & numerical simulation of quantum microwave teleportation of non-Gaussian quantum states. Later stages of this master project may include experimental investigation of proof-of-principle hybrid quantum teleportation protocols based on superconducting quantum circuits in the cryogenic environment.
	Microwave cryptography with propagating quantum tokens	Gross
	Research group Technical Physics Description Quantum cryptography based on continuous-variables is a rapidly growing field of fundamental and applied research. It deals with various topics regarding fundamental limits on data communication & security. In particular, the microwave branch of quantum cryptography demonstrates a large potential for near term applications due to its natural frequency compatibility with the upcoming 5G and future 6G networks. In this context, we plan to investigate microwave photonic states, quantum tokens, which can be used for unconditionally secure storage and transfer of classical information. This security properties are provided by a peculiar combination of the quantum no-cloning theorem and vacuum squeezing phenomenon. The latter effect can be routinely achieved in the microwave regime with superconducting Josephson parametric amplifiers, which we plan to use for experimental generation & investigation of quantum token states. This master thesis will focus on developing numerical & experimental tools for the ongoing microwave quantum cryptography experiments. This includes programming various elements of FPGA data processing routines, performing cryogenic measurements with propagating microwaves, and analyzing measurement data for quantifying quantum correlations & unconditional security in propagating quantum token states. Contact person Kirill Fedorov
	Optomechanics with Single Photons	Poot
	Research group Quantum Technologies Description In optomechanics, light is used to measure and alter the dynamics of mechanical resonators. It is by far the most sensitive method to observe the tiny vibrations that nanomechanical devices perform: in one second one can determine their position with femtometer precision! Using light to measure the mechanics is not the only aspect of optomechanics. The same light can also be used to change the dynamics of the mechanical device through a process called cavity backaction. The photons exert a force on the resonator, the so-called radiation pressure. In this project we want to explore the ultimate limits to this force. The goal is to measure the force originating from a single photon! For this it is required that the photon interacts with the mechanical resonator as strongly as possible. For this we need to the design and make very low loss optical cavities, such as microring resonators. Also, the mechanical device should have a quality factor as high as possible. You will make both the optical and mechanical components from chips with highly-stressed silicon nitride using state-of-the-art nanofabrication in the cleanroom. Then the devices are placed in a vacuum chamber for their measurement. In our highly-automated setup you can very quickly characterize many of the devices on your chip. Then, with the perfect device parameters you can start to explore the more advanced measurements. Initially we can measure the devices in with pulsed light, but by using single photons we want to explore the ultimate limits to optomechanical forces. See http://www.groups.ph.tum.de/en/qtech/openings/ for a detailed description of this project.
	Quantum Optics on a Chip	Poot
	Research group Quantum Technologies Description Quantum optics is an extremely powerful approach towards quantum communication, quantum sensing, and quantum computing. In particular, quantum information stored in photons has very low decoherence and can be transmitted over large distances through optical fibers. To date, most experiments in quantum optics use optical tables full with mirrors and beam splitters that all have to be carefully aligned and stabilized. This may be good enough for initial demonstrations, but in order to bring quantum science into the realm of quantum technology, a more scalable approach is required. With our expertise in making photonic chips using advanced nanofabrication, we are making putting these exciting quantum optics experiments on chips. Here, light is routed via optical waveguides. Furthermore, by bending a waveguide, one gets the equivalent of a free-space mirror; a beam splitter cube becomes a directional coupler and so on. By combining these elements, we can make the building block for e.g. an optical quantum computer. With that, the possibilities are almost unlimited. For such large-scale optical quantum circuits we also want to incorporate single-photon sources, superconducting single-photon detectors, and optomechanical phase shifters. This all happens on a single chip. Making and characterizing the components is the first step and from there on, you are making more and more complex quantum chips. You will be doing the nanofabrication in the cleanroom, and then use our optical measurement setups to see how each device is performing. Depending on your preference, it may also be possible to add a modelling component to the project. See http://www.groups.ph.tum.de/en/qtech/openings/ for a detailed description of this project.
	Remote entanglement of superconducting qubits	Gross
	Research group Technical Physics Description Quantum computing represents a promising information processing paradigm exploiting quantum properties, such as superposition and entanglement. The latter entity is crucial for achieving quantum advantage in scalable quantum information processing with distributed quantum computers, including those built with superconducting qubits. Here, an important task is to study how quantum entanglement can be distributed between remote superconducting qubits. To this end, we plan to exploit propagating two-mode squeezed states as a carrier of quantum entanglement. We intend to analyze their interactions with remote superconducting quantum bits in theory & verify our findings in experiments. This master thesis will first focus on theory & numerical simulations of remote entanglement of superconducting qubits with propagating squeezed light. Later project stages may also include cryogenic experiments with superconducting transmon qubits & Josephson parametric amplifiers towards verifying novel concepts of remote entanglement. Contact person Kirill Fedorov
	Strong electrostatic effects in optomechanical devices	Poot
	Research group Quantum Technologies Description Optomechanics provides extremely sensitive methods to measure the displacement of mechanical resonators. However, the forces are much smaller in optomechanics compared to those in nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS). The goal of the project is to make, and measure opto-electromechanical devices which have strong electrostatic interactions. This includes the electrostatic spring effect where the resonance frequency depends strongly on the applied voltage. The next step is trying to measure the potential by measuring the ringdown of different mechanical modes. The devices will be made using advanced nanofabrication techniques such as electron beam lithography and reactive ion etching. See http://www.groups.ph.tum.de/en/qtech/openings/ for a detailed description of this project.
	Theoretical Solid State Physics	von Delft
	Research group LMU Munich Description Our group deals with a broad range of topics, including: • quantum transport through mesoscopic and nanostructured systems • strong electron correlations • nonequilibrium phenomena • spintronics • physical implementations of quantum computation and decoherence Please find open master's thesis positions here: https://www.theorie.physik.uni-muenchen.de/lsvondelft/theses_and_job_openings/master_theses/index.html

Registration for the research phase

Registration for all three modules of the research phase is done simultaneously in the Dean's Office (Dekanat) of TUM Physics, usually at the beginning of the third Master’s semester. Registration requires a signed certificate of mentor counseling. After agreeing on a topic with the future supervisor, students can print out the registration form from the student access website.

After six months the Master’s thesis should begin. Passing the Master's seminar and the Master's training will be recorded in TUMonline and you are officially alowed to start the thesis.

Submitting the thesis, obtaining a grade

Before handing in the Master's thesis, you need to update the final titel of the thesis in the database (student access) and upload an electronic copy (PDF-file). Afterwards, you have to hand in two printed versions in the Dean's Office (Dekanat) at TUM Physics Department. Alternatively you may hand in the rpinted copies via postal mail – use the submission letter you may generate on the status page after uploading the thesis PDF for this. The submission letter (as well as the submission form at the Dean’s Office) especially contains the required statement according to §18 paragraph 9 APSO.

You have to hand in the thesis at the latest on the deadline, please keep this on mind. The thesis is not handed in until the two paper copies and the signed submission form (or the signed submission letter for postal submission) physically arrived at the Dean’s Office! If the two copies and the submission letter are given into the mail without any delay we can interpret the date of uploading the PDF file as submission date retroactively.

Extension of the deadline is only possible for good reasons. See FAQ on Thesis extension.

The Master's thesis will be evaluated by the supervisor and a second examiner. The second examiner is appointed by the examination board on suggestion of the supervisor (after the official registration of the Master’s thesis).

The supervisor and the second examiner will also attend and assign a grade for the Master’s colloquium, which completes the research phase.

Re-enrollment during the research phase

To participate in any examination, you have to be enrolled as a student of TUM. Therefore, if you submit your Master’s thesis or give your Master’s colloquium after the end of the fourth semester, you have to re-enroll for one more semester.

For example, if the due date for your thesis or the scheduled date for your colloquium is in October, you should not forget to re-enroll for the winter semester. The regular deadline for re-enrollment in WS is August 15.

The Master’s colloquium

The advisor for the research project organizes the Master’s colloquium and grades it together with the second examiner. The Master’s colloquium takes approximately 60 minutes, consisting of an oral presentation and an examination of 30 minutes each. Naturally, the Master’s colloquium may be conducted in the context of a group seminar.

Completing your Master’s studies

At the end of the semester in which you reached the required 120 ECTS in your QST Master’s program and passed all required exams, you will be exmatriculated (according to §13(1) enrolment rules of TUM). In most cases, the Master’s colloquium will be the last exam to be completed to reach this point.

Taking further exams and final documents

In principle, you may take further exams after reaching the 120 ECTS, i. e., to improve your grades with different elective courses. For this reason, the final documents can generally not be generated before the date of your exmatriculation. In case you do need the final documents (or even preliminary documents) earlier, you have to request them explicitly. See the Remarks on end of studies and final documents for further information.

Computation of the final grade

The final grade is the ECTS-weighted average of all graded exams.

Module	CP	~%
PH1009 QST Theory	10	12,5
PH1010 QST Experiment	10	12,5
Fokus area	30	37,5
Master’s Thesis	30	37,5
Summe	80	100