The Austrian minister of science, Dr. Johannes Hahn, announced on Feb. 28th 2008, that a number of innovative research infrastructure projects in Austria were selected for funding.

A research team (E. Bertagnolli, J. Burgdörfer, S. Bühler-Paschen, G. Rupprechter, J. Schmiedmayer, W. Schrenk, G. Strasser, U. Schubert, K. Unterrainer, M. Vellekoop, H. Weber) at the TU Wien was able to convince both the scientific referees and the jury to fund their project "Designed Matter and Quantum Technologies (DMQT)"

The common theme: "Designed Matter and Quantum Technologies (DMQT)", combines the efforts of three faculties: Technical Chemistry, Physics, and Electrical Engineering & Information Technology of the TU-Wien. The bridge connecting all three are modern designer materials ranging from molecules to semiconductor, metal, and oxide nano structures, from quantum devices to degenerate quantum matter, with the goal to build a broad and solid technological basis for quantum science.

Besides strengthening the technological infrastructure at the Center for Micro- and Nano Structures (ZMNS) at the TU Wien, DMQT includes a chair on ‘Applied Quantum Science’ which will occupy a central position in bringing quantum science together with novel materials, which have the promise to be the habitat for quantum phenomena to live and survive long enough to be applicable in a quantum technology.

Designed Matter and Quantum Technologies combines material science with fundamental quantum research. The application is located in the Schwerpunkte “Quantenphysikalische und Optische Technologien“ and „Materials Science/industrielle Technologien” of the TU-Wien. The team consisted of E. Bertagnolli, J. Burgdörfer, S. Bühler-Paschen, G. Rupprechter, J. Schmiedmayer, W. Schrenk, G. Strasser, U. Schubert, K. Unterrainer, M. Vellekoop, H. Weber form the faculties: Technical Chemistry, Physics, and Electrical Engineering & Information Technology. The connection of modern materials and quantum physics is one of the strength’s of research at the TU-Wien. A key advantage of the TU-Wien thereby is the infrastructure which allows transferring the results from basic fundamental science to applicable (quantum) technologies. The interfaculty cooperation center Functional Matter (FunMat) was installed to further support this because a strong link between fundamental research and modern materials engineering on the atomic scale will be an important and unique asset for the TU-Wien. This connection between modern material science and quantum technologies is an important internationally recognized landmark in the scientific profile of the TU-Wien and will be strengthened considerably by this proposal. The international competitiveness of the group is demonstrated by the participation in a large number of European projects.

The infrastructure part (molecular beam epitaxy, atomic layer vapour deposition, ICP PECVD, magnetic layer deposition, UHV preparation of multicomponent layers) will strengthen the existing technological basis at the TU-Wien, allowing it to stay competitive in advanced materials synthesis for nanoelectronics, photonics, spintronics, sensing, and nanocatalysis. It will allow designing and building materials with novel electronic, magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties. The requested chair in Applied Quantum Physics will occupy a central position in developing basic (quantum) science – Bringing quantum science together with novel materials, which have the promise to be the habitat for quantum phenomea to live and survive long enough to be applicable in a quantum technology. The connection is therefore both ways. The new designed materials will allow implementing novel concepts in quantum technologies, and the fundamental research will stimulate novel directions for creating such materials, both ways pushing the boundaries of present knowledge and technology. The new infrastructure together with the expertise of the colleagues will make the TU-Wien an outstanding if not a unique scientific working environment. Furthermore will the new infrastructure help to attract excellent female applicants for professorship and senior researcher positions.