On the way to the quantum internet: Prof. Dr. Tobias Heindel joins the Department of Quantum Technology

We welcome Prof. Dr. Tobias Heindel as a new professor at the Department of Quantum Technology. A profile in wissen|leben presents his research on building blocks for the quantum internet and quantum communication.

Prof. Dr. Tobias Heindel is the new professor of “Photonic Quantum Networks” at the Department of Quantum Technology and heads the working group of the same name. He conducts research on building blocks for the quantum internet and quantum communication, whose security is based on the laws of quantum physics – including quantum light sources and individual photons (“light particles”).

He is testing these future technologies in laboratory experiments and field trials; his team is currently working on a quantum communication test track between Jena and Erfurt, among other things. For Münster, he is planning a quantum network together with other working groups, which will extend from the Center for Nanotechnology (CeNTech) to the Center for Soft Nanoscience (SoN) and the future IG 1 physics building, in order to test the basic functions of a future quantum internet in a realistic test environment.

With this focus, Tobias Heindel is directly linking up with the orientation of the Department for Quantumtechnology, founded in 2021, whose research, teaching, and transfer activities address topics of quantum information processing, quantum communication, and quantum sensor technology, drawing on modern laboratory infrastructures (including CeNTech and SoN) as well as nanostructuring and characterization capabilities at the Münster Nanofabrication Facility.

Prof. Tobias Heindel erhält den IOP Award „Lise Meitner Medaille und Preis 2025“ für das Wissenschaftskommunikationsprojekt QuanTour

Prof. Tobias Heindel, recently appointed professor at the Department for Quantum Technology at the University of Münster, was awarded the 2025 Institute of Physics Lise Meitner Medal and Prize for the science communication project QuanTour.

According to the jury, the QuanTour project, which Heindel organizes together with his colleague Prof. Dr. Doris Reiter (TU Dortmund), “has made a transformative contribution to the public understanding of quantum science, particularly in the UK and Ireland.”.

In the outreach and OpenScience project QuanTour, a single-photon source travels like an Olympic torch from country to country and is accompanied by new experiments and outreach activities at each site. The journey started in April 2024 and, after its European tour, also made stops in Turkey and Canada. Heindel initiated and organized QuanTour together with his colleague Prof. Dr. Doris Reiter from TU Dortmund with the support of the German Physical Society.

For all those who want to know more: On 15.11.2025, QuanTour and the quantum emitter itself will come to Münster for the first time for the event Quantum100 - the closing event of the quantum year 2025.

CMTC Symposium 2025: Quantum Computing for Multiscale Theory

On Tuesday, November 4th, 2025, the 15th CMTC Symposium will take place at the Center for Soft Nanoscience (SoN) in Münster. Under the theme Quantum Computing for Multiscale Theory, the event will bring together international experts from academia and industry to discuss current developments in quantum computing and its applications in chemistry, materials science, and drug discovery. The symposium is supported by CRC 1459 Intelligent Matter and includes talks from researchers at TU Darmstadt, VU Amsterdam, University of Copenhagen, DTU, IBM, and Boehringer-Ingelheim. Registration and full programme here!

Breaking the Guinness World Record for the Smallest QR Code!

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Congratulations to Prof. Dr. Carsten Schuck, David Lemli, Tim Buskasper and Lukas Schulte for breaking the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the Smallest QR Code! The tiny QR code, spanning only 5.38 square micrometres, is seven times smaller than a human red blood cell and about 20 times smaller than the previous world record. It was fabricated to promote the cleanroom lab course Foundations of Nanofabrication, part of our teaching program, and aims to inspire interest in nanofabrication among physics students.

This impressive achievement was made possible through the efforts of our research group, in partnership with the Münster Nanofabrication Facility (MNF), which, as part of the University of Münster, provides students with access to cutting-edge nanotechnology.

We would like to thank Hitachi High-Tech Europe GmbH in Krefeld, for serving as an independent surveyor to ensure unbiased measurement of the QR code following GWR guidelines.

The media coverage of the Guinness World Record for the smallest QR code has been extraordinary, with widespread attention from various outlets. Highlights include articles and features by Tagesschau, ARD Mediathek - Lokalzeit Münsterland, BILD, Computer Bild, Antenne Münster, Stern, Westfälische Nachrichten, Münstersche Zeitung, and the University of Münster Press Office.

QU-PIC 1st Consortium Meeting

Representing the Schuck group, David showcased his advancements in integrating SNSPDs on Al2O3 waveguides at the Qu-PIC consortium meeting in Berlin, held on 11-12 September 2024. This two-day event at Technische Universität Berlin brought together key academic and industry partners to advance photonic integrated circuits for quantum technologies in Europe. The consortium aims to establish a robust European supply chain for future quantum systems.

Academic partners:
University of Twente, Ghent University, University of Münster, Chalmers University of Technology, Technische Universität Berlin, Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)

Industry partners:
QuiX Quantum, Tematys, TOPTICA Photonics, TOPTICA EAGLEYARD, ALUVIA, VLC Photonics (Hitachi Group)