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The so-called Quantum Six is currently revising matrices and, under the guidance of mathematicians Jan Pospíšil and Petr Tomiczek, learning the basic calculations needed for programming. By the end of the two-week Summer with Science at UWB program, the four boys and two girls will be able, with support from researchers at UWB's New Technologies Research Center (NTC), to prepare workflows showing how quantum computers can be used to solve scientific problems.

"The students will prepare materials that can be run both on a quantum computer simulator and on real quantum computers. UWB is part of the Quantum Innovation Center, which has given us access to IBM's most advanced quantum computers," explained Vít Nováček from NTC, the mentor of the Quantum Six. "Last year, students used the same approach to identify weak points in power grids and detect pneumonia from X-ray images," he added.

In addition to quantum computing, the secondary school students are exploring quantum materials, with a particular focus on graphene. "Graphene is a new material used in batteries, as a coating for solar panels and in biosensors for medical applications. It is a single layer of carbon with excellent electrical and thermal conductivity," explained Pavel Calta from NTC to his three students.

This year, for the first time, UWB's program for talented secondary school students from the Pilsen Region and nearby areas connects participants not only with the NTC research center, but also with the Faculty of Applied Sciences, the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. One of the participants, a third-year student from Rokycany Grammar School, is only on the second day of his two-week placement. Even so, at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, he is already working on a material that could improve the properties of electrical insulators. "Think of an insulator as a piece of plastic. To improve its performance, different additives are mixed into it. These can include mica, clay or carbon. They increase the material's durability or help dissipate surface electrical charge," explained Filip Hrůša.

At the same time, at the Faculty of Applied Sciences, Dominik Jelínek is combining medicine and mechanics. Working at a computer with a graphics tablet, he is processing CT scans of pelvic bones that researchers will use in a study on the fixation of pelvic fractures. "I go through the individual CT slices one by one. The software offers automatic image processing, but it isn't accurate enough, so I have to correct most of the bone structures manually," Dominik explained. His mentor, Libor Lobovský, added: "There are currently no algorithms for bone tissue analysis that can do exactly what we need."

This year's Summer with Science program at UWB brings together 19 secondary school students from the Pilsen Region and surrounding areas. A second round of placements will begin on 3 August, when students will work on projects such as coolant flow in nuclear reactors and energy management systems for buildings. They will present the results of their work at a final seminar organized by GoHigher and the Pilsen Region in mid-October.