Heike Riel

Heike Riel is an IBM Fellow and the Head of Science of Quantum and Information Technology at IBM Research. She also holds the Rudolf Diesel Industry Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Study (TUM-IAS), Technical University of Munich (TUM). Her work focuses on advancing quantum computing, nanoscale electronics, and neuromorphic devices through materials science innovations.

She earned a PhD in Physics from the University of Bayreuth (2003) for research on organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) at IBM Research, following an MBA from Henley Business School (2010) and an internship at Hewlett-Packard Research Lab. Her career at IBM began in 1998, progressing to leadership roles in nanowire and quantum device research.

Her research spans semiconducting nanowires, hybrid quantum systems, and spintronic devices, with recent publications emphasizing quantum dots, Josephson junctions, and epitaxial growth techniques. She has authored over 140 peer-reviewed papers and filed more than 50 patents, reflecting her technical impact.

Scientific honors include:

• 2013 IBM Fellow (IBM's highest technical distinction)
• 2017 David Adler Lectureship Award (Materials Physics)
• 2020 American Physical Society (APS) Fellow
• 2015 Honorary Doctorate from Lund University
• 2012 SVIN Innovation Award

Heike serves on advisory boards for Forschungszentrum Jülich and the National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB), while leading quantum research initiatives across Europe. She is a life member of the Schweizerischen Akademie der Technischen Wissenschaften (SATW) and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.