25 September 2025
Today, scientist David DiVincenzo is being honoured for his research in the field of quantum computing - a century after quantum mechanics was first formulated mathematically. The Citation Laureate award is given to scientists whose publications in high-ranking journals are cited particularly frequently. DiVincenzo was Director of the Jülich Institute for Theoretical Nanoelectronics until July 2025. He receives the award together with Swiss scientist Daniel Loss in the physics category.
The idea of the quantum computer emerged in several places simultaneously in the early 1980s. Researchers had previously discovered that it is fundamentally impossible to simulate quantum phenomena on classical computers. Yuri Manin and Paul Benioff therefore independently came up with the idea of using the laws of quantum mechanics to calculate quantum systems. However, the concept was made famous by Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman. He proposed simulating quantum mechanical systems with a computer based on the principles of quantum mechanics: a quantum computer.
DiVincenzo became aware of this new field of research in the early 1990s. In the following years, he developed the DiVincenzo criteria, which are named after him. These criteria consist of five statements summarising the physical requirements that a quantum computer must meet. This work was pioneering at the time. "I had to unlearn some of the prejudices or narrow points of view that were offered in those times in solid state physics and open myself up to a new and more truthful way of thinking about it, which I immediately turned back and started thinking about in solid state problems," explains DiVincenzo.
The five "DiVincenzo criteria" for a quantum computer
- The system consists of a scalable system of well-characterized, i.e., understood qubits.
- It must be possible to set the qubits to a defined initial state.
- A universal set of elementary quantum gates, i.e., computational operations, can be executed.
- Individual qubits (at least one) can be measured.
- The coherence time of the system is significantly longer than the operation time of a gate, i.e., a computational operation.
The connection between quantum information and solid-state physics is also evident in the work for which he is being honoured. Together with Daniel Loss, he developed the idea of using electron spins in quantum dots as qubits. Qubits are the computing units of a quantum computer and can be realised in different ways. One approach is to trap electrons in semiconductor structures to restrict their freedom of movement. Trapped in these so-called quantum dots, the electrons can be controlled and measured very precisely. The spin of such electrons - a type of quantum mechanical angular momentum - can then be used to carry information. Although the concept may seem abstract, it can be transferred to existing technologies. This makes it a promising platform for scalable quantum computers.
In the years that followed, DiVincenzo continued to conduct research at the IBM Watson Research Centre before being awarded the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Professorship in 2011. He used the prize money from this science award to establish a new research group in Germany. Until the summer of 2025, the American-born scientist did research at Forschungszentrum Jülich and RWTH Aachen University, working on topics such as optimising spin qubit and superconducting qubit systems. He is a member of the US National Academy of Sciences and a fellow of the American Physical Society. And what about his plans for the future? "I do hope to continue being active as a scientist so that I won't, in my own timeline, end after these 46 years but continue a bit longer."
Text: Irina Heese
