Project Objective

ML4Q has been funded since 2019 as part of the Excellence Strategy and was approved for a second funding phase in 2025. The cluster brings together expertise in solid-state physics, quantum optics, and quantum information. It conducts research on four complementary platforms of quantum information technology and works on high-performance qubits, modular architectures, and the interface between quantum hardware and software. The project is led by the University of Cologne as the coordinating institution (Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Alexander Altland), along with the University of Bonn, RWTH Aachen University, and the Jülich Research Center.

Our Mission

Since 2026, the University of Siegen has been a new member of the cluster, along with the University of Paderborn and the Free University of Berlin. Prof. Dr. Christof Wunderlich’s Experimental Quantum Optics research group contributes its research on quantum information processing using individually controllable, trapped ions. By controlling ion qubits using microwaves—a method that integrates well with electronic circuits—Siegen expands the cluster’s research platforms and aligns with the new phase’s focus on more closely integrating hardware and software. Following “Color meets Flavor,” ML4Q is the second Cluster of Excellence involving Siegen’s physics department.