Neuroscience, quantum computing and artificial intelligence

Five ERC Consolidator Grants awarded to TUM researchers

Many of our everyday activities—like reading a book in a noisy café or playing the piano—depend on feedback loops in the brain. These loops enable us to compare current sensory experience with previously learned information from higher brain regions. Despite its central importance, it is still unclear how this feedback is implemented in the brain. In the Feedback Circuits project, Prof. Julijana Gjorgjieva will develop theory and models to study the mechanisms underlying such feedback loops in a specific brain region known as the neocortex. The research will be constrained by recent experimental data on the diversity of cell types and the mechanisms of synaptic plasticity that adjust connections between neurons. This project will reveal not only how feedback loops shape everyday behaviour, but also how disruptions in these loops contribute to certain psychiatric disorders. Furthermore, this research aims to inspire the design of more powerful artificial intelligence systems.

Prof. Dr. Julijana Gjorgjieva is a Professor of Computational Neurosciences. She was awarded the ERC Starting Grant in 2018.

Language is traditionally associated with the left hemisphere of the brain. However, the right hemisphere may also play a crucial role, especially in restoring language function after brain damage, such as that resulting from a stroke. In his RHETORICAL project, Prof. Simon Jacob will leverage cutting-edge technologies to better understand the right hemisphere's role in language processing. Jacob and his team are utilizing microelectrode arrays that record the activity of large groups of individual neurons directly in the human brain. These arrays are implanted in the right hemisphere of patients who suffer from language impairments following a left-sided stroke. Beyond studying the detailed neuronal mechanisms of language, Jacob and his team will also explore whether it is possible to actively support language recovery by highly precise modulation of language circuits through neurofeedback and electrical microstimulation.

Simon Jacob is Professor of Translational Neurotechnology and coordinator of the TUM Innovation Network NEUROTECH. His previous work was already funded by an ERC Starting Grant.

The susceptibility to disturbances from external influences is one of the major challenges for the reliability of quantum computers. The research project DynaQuant, led by Prof. Michael Knap from the Chair of Collective Quantum Dynamics, investigates how specific properties of quantum states can be leveraged to develop more robust and efficient systems. The focus is on topological quantum states with particularly exotic properties. The aim is to develop new methods to better understand the behavior of these states, especially under non-equilibrium conditions. The results could contribute to the development of new quantum technologies and significantly advance secure data processing.

Michael Knap is Professor of Collecitve Quantum Dynamics. His research was recognized with an ERC Starting Grant in 2019. He is a member of the MCQST Excellence Cluster.

Virtual worlds are ubiquitous in video games, films, or medical and industrial applications today. Until now, creating realistic 3D content has been very time-consuming and labor-intensive. Previous methods for automating the process do not come close to the quality of the work of artists who design virtual worlds by manual labor. Prof Matthias Nießner is tackling this challenge in his project ‘Gen3D: Learning to Create Virtual Worlds’. He develops generative models that generate 3D polygon meshes and their surface textures and material properties. These models can be used directly by modern graphics systems. He uses images and videos as training data. As these only partially show the 3D world, the models must also learn to deal with incomplete data.

Matthias Nießner is Professor of Visual Computing. He is also a core member of the Munich Data Science Institute (MDSI).

Quantum technology has the potential to revolutionize the future of data processing, from ultra-fast computers to highly secure communication networks. A team at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), led by Prof. Andreas Reiserer, is working on the OpENSpinS project to combine the wide bandwidth and long reach of photons (light particles) with the reliable and long-lasting storage of qubits in silicon. Silicon, well-known as the standard material in microelectronics, serves as the foundation. Instead of electronic spins, the team aims to use the durable nuclear spins of erbium atoms, which can be entangled using light. This approach seeks to enable qubits to be interconnected over greater distances—a critical step towards building larger quantum networks.

Andreas Reiserer has been Professor of Quantum Networks at TUM since 2022.

In the SwingBots project, Professor Alin Albu-Schäffer aims to construct an exceptionally energy-efficient industrial robot. Unlike traditional robots, a significant portion of this machine's movements will be powered not by electric motors, but through a finely tuned interplay of elastic elements and the robot links acting as moving masses. The team developed the theoretical basis for this approach in another ERC-funded project. With the support of this Proof-of-Concept Grant, the researchers plan to identify the most promising applications, develop a prototype, and assess the potential for market introduction. Beyond enhanced energy efficiency, these robots, leveraging so-called nonlinear resonance, are expected to be quieter, more robust, and more cost-effective.

Professor Albu-Schäffer is Professor of Sensor-based Robotic Systems and Intelligent Assistance Systems at TUM and the Director of the Institute of Robotics and Mechatronics at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). His research has been supported by an ERC Advanced Grant.