Dr. Zakaria Mzaouali, Assistant Professor in the Quantum Systems of Informatics Group (ZKSI)  has been awarded the prestigious Helmholtz Visiting Researcher Grant for a three-month research visit to the group of Prof. Kristel Michielsen at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Germany. This notable achievement offers Dr. Mzaouali the opportunity to conduct a research project titled "Energetical Advantage of Quantum Computation" at the Helmholtz Association's center, Forschungszentrum Jülich, renowned for their cutting-edge research and innovation.
The project aims to explore the energetic consumption of quantum computers, a critical factor in determining their viability for large-scale use. The objective is to assess the thermodynamic and computational efficiency of D-Wave quantum annealers, particularly under the reverse-annealing protocol, which allows them to function akin to a quantum thermal machine. Dr. Mzaouali aspires to demonstrate that quantum computation not only offers a computational speedup but also presents an energetical advantage over traditional computing paradigms. The project could potentially pave the way for more sustainable and efficient quantum computing technologies in the future.