Who are you?

I am Dominique Wanningen. I did my Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics and in Applied Mathematics at the University of Delft. I am currently pursuing my Master’s degree in Quantum Engineering at the ETHZ.

What attracted you to take a (quantum) physics career?

I had always been interested in physics and mathematics, and during my studies at TU Delft, I was introduced to the topic of quantum physics, which was the ideal mix of math and physics for me. Furthermore, it motivated me a lot to learn about up-and-coming technologies in the meantime.

How have you heard about the INSPIRE Potentials Fellowship? In what way did the fellowship help you in your research?

I heard about the fellowship from my fellow female students in the program and through ETH Zürich. The fellowship supported me during my stay in Zürich, and allowed me to focus entirely on my thesis.

What was the topic of your master’s project?

My work is titled “Proximity-induced spin-orbit coupling in bilayer graphene/WSe2 quantum dots”. I worked in the group of Prof. Thomas Ihn and Prof. Klaus Ensslin together with the doctoral student Jonas Gerber.

What was the biggest challenge in your master thesis? What did you enjoy the most?

The biggest challenge I encountered was tuning the quantum dots in order to take good measurements, which could take weeks at a time. However, the feeling of joy after the weeks of tuning the dots yielded the measurement results we were hoping for, was unparalleled.

What did you learn through this experience?

During my thesis, I had the opportunity to learn a lot of things that relate to the spin qubit technologies, ranging from nanofabrication in the cleanroom, designing quantum dots, setting up the cryogenic measurements, taking the measurements and analyzing the data. Because of my excellent supervision, I was able to participate in almost the entire cycle of a BLG quantum dots sample, and this gave me great insights into how it would be to do a PhD in this area. I am very grateful to my supervisors for this experience and I am very happy with my decision to do my thesis on this topic.

How was your experience living abroad? Was it the first time for you?

I have been living abroad since I started my Masters in Quantum Engineering at ETH in the fall semester of 2022. I absolutely love the international and multicultural environment at ETH, getting to meet and learn from people from all over the world. Before I moved to Zürich, I also already briefly lived in Vienna during a research internship at the university there. Both experiences were wonderful.

What are your plans for the future?

Ideally, I want to contribute to the development of quantum technologies and realize real-world applications of what I learned during my master’s degree. I have not decided yet if this path will lead me to do a PhD in the immediate future, or if I move into the industry first.