Are engineers the minions of quantum physicists?
Pau Dietz Romero
Doctoral Researcher | Cryogenic CMOS for Quantum Computing | Co-Simulation | Systems Engineering | ex eleQtron
In a recent interview, Professor Tommaso Calarco of Forschungszentrum Jülich , Germany, highlighted a critical need in the field of quantum computing: more engineers. He also criticized the old-fashioned thinking of some physicists.
? Breaking Old Barriers
He criticizes the old way of thinking: "there is the ... old fashioned physicist’s way of looking at things: There are those engineers ... to be evangelized about the holy world of the quantum"
Calarco argues that this perspective is wrong: "No, what we need is really a two-way education." Instead, he advocates for an exchange where physicists and engineers learn from each other.
Interdisciplinary collaboration is key to transition from experiments and concepts to reliable, scalable quantum devices. It requires:
No, engineers are not minions. Physicists and engineers need to think interdisciplinary today if we are to achieve large-scale quantum computing in 10 to 20 years.
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?? Engineers: Don’t Be Intimidated
Calarco also addresses the responsibility of the engineers: "They should not be intimidated by the … difficulty of quantum computing. Actually, within a few weeks, with reading, for example, just a few chapters of the book of Nielsen and Chuang, you can get to know enough about quantum mechanics to start working."
?? You find the full interview here: Quantum Technologies and AI -- Interview with Tommaso Calarco
Having worked as an engineer in quantum computing in the past three years, I totally agree with his message. ?? Along my journey, I have encountered a few old-fashioned physicists who seem to believe that physicists are just engineers with a deeper understanding of physics.
But I am especially grateful for all the great physicists I had the opportunity to work with who did not have this old-fashioned attitude. ??
?? Check out the Integrated Computing Architectures - ICA , where I currently work. Here we research and develop scalable qubit control electronics.
Prolific internet troll and demotivational speaker
5 个月The article seems to imply that some engineers aren't interested in quantum because they're intimidated by the material. However, I would argue that the lack of engineers in quantum computing has less to do with engineers being intimidated by the material and more to do with a lack of engineers in general. I can't speak to the situation in Germany, but here in the US, when the largest segment of the millennial cohort was going to university, there were many prospects interested in engineering. In fact, there were more aspiring engineers than spots available for them in engineering programs. But instead of expanding their engineering programs to accomodate this influx, many universities instead decided to gatekeep admission for prestige purposes. So many perfectly capable students were sent into other fields, there's now a shortage of engineers in highly specialized areas like this, and the Zoomer generation isn't coming in to backfill that need because tuition is prohibitively expensive for many of them. They say that I'm a dreamer, but it would be cool if we sought out and nurtured talent wherever we could find it instead of perpetuating elitist pedigree nonsense. I'm hoping the situation is better outside the US.
Lecturer at the University of Heilbronn, M.A. TESOL from the University of Portsmouth
5 个月Super Pau. Waiting for your next article??????
In Ausbildung/Studium: Hochschule Heilbronn - Hochschule für Technik, Wirtschaft und Informatik
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5 个月An exceptionally thought-provoking reflection! Your contribution deftly highlights the intricate relationship between theory and application, reminding us of the necessity for both innovation and deep conceptual understanding in today’s complex landscape.
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5 个月I look forward to get more informations about the development of these systems. ????