Master's Award
Recognizing Excellent Early-Career Research
The MCQST Master's Award annually honors outstanding Master's theses (theory and experiment) from the MCQST community. The prize highlights master research projects that demonstrate original thought, a unique approach to the chosen topic or field of study, significant personal contribution, and creativity.
A big thank you to last year's sponsor, Zurich Instruments, for providing €1,000 in prize money to each of the 2025 awardees!
Eligibility
MCQST considers exceptional theses in Quantum Science and Technology that meet the following criteria:
- written in a research group associated with MCQST
- submitted between 1 January and 30 September 2026
- graded 1.0
- supported by a letter of recommendation from the supervisor
Award ceremony
The prizes will be presented at the MCQST General Assembly in January 2027 (details will follow).
The winners are invited to give a brief overview of their work to the MCQST community.
How to apply
Please submit your application here.
Required documents (all PDF):
- CV
- Transcript of records
- Thesis full text
In addition, we require a letter of recommendation by your supervisor. The letter must be sent directly to thesis-award[at]mcqst.de before the deadline expires.
Have any questions?
Please feel free to contact thesis-award[at]mcqst.de at any time.
© J. Greune / MCQST Awardees
Alessandro Palermo
MCQST Master's Award 2025:Towards Single Photon Detection with Atomically Flat Materials
- Affiliation: TUM
- Supervisor: Kai Müller
Read more on the MCQST news section.
Philipp Westhoff
MCQST Master's Award 2025:A method to investigate many-body Liouvillian spectra beyond the steady state
- Affiliation: LMU München
- Supervisor: Ulrich Schollwöck
Read more on the MCQST news section.
Jacopo De Santis
MCQST Master's Award 2024:
Design and Characterization of a High-finesse Optical Resonator for Cavity-assisted Readout of Atomic Arrays
Affiliation: MPQ
Supervisor: Johannes Zeiher
Read more on the MCQST news section.
Anka Van de Walle
MCQST Master's Award 2024:
Solving the Time-dependent Schrödinger Equation with Neural Quantum States
Affiliation: LMU
Supervisor: Annabelle Bohrdt
Read more on the MCQST news section.
Julian Bösl
MCQST Master's Award 2023:
Excitations in higher moment conserving systems
TUM & LMU
Supervisor: Prof. Michael Knap
Jan Kochanowski
MCQST Master's Award 2023:
Static and Dynamic properties of quantum spin systems at non-zero T
TUM & LMU
Supervisor: Prof. Ignacio Cirac
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Wun Kwan Yam
MCQST Master's Award 2022:
Microwave Quantum Teleportation Over a Thermal Channel
TUM & WMI
Advisor: Rudolf Gross
David Gröters
MCQST Master's Award 2022:
Diffraction-limited Imaging and Trapping of Ultracold Ytterbium Atoms in Optical Tweezer Arrays
LMU München
Advisor: Monika Aidelsburger