Carving Her Own Path: How QuantWare’s Linda de Man Found Belonging in Quantum

Quantum technology has a reputation. It’s complex, theory-heavy, PhD-dominated and often seen as a male-dominated space. But Linda de Man is quietly proving otherwise. As an Experimental Quantum Engineer at the Dutch startup QuantWare, she’s carving out a space where hands-on work, curiosity, and inclusion take centre stage. And she didn’t follow a traditional path to get there.

From Applied Physics to the Quantum

Linda’s journey began at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in Applied Physics. While she appreciated the technical foundation, her internships left her searching for something more.

“I realized the work I was doing wasn’t giving me what I needed,” she says.

That realisation led her to Leiden University for a master’s degree that combined her two key interests: optics and quantum. Even so, quantum wasn’t a consistent presence in her academic work. Neither of her thesis projects were in the field, and by the time she joined QuantWare, she hadn’t worked with quantum concepts in over a year and a half.

“I forgot everything,” she says with a laugh. “I had to go back to the basics — coherence times, T1 measurements, qubit layouts — and start from scratch.”

With the support of her mentor and team, she caught up fast.

In the Lab, Where Theory Meets Practice

Today, Linda spends most of her time in the lab, testing QuantWare’s QPUs, quantum processing units that serve as the quantum equivalent of traditional CPUs. Her work involves measuring device performance, tracking coherence times, and troubleshooting unexpected behaviour. It’s deeply technical, fast-paced, and always evolving.

“I’m responsible for measuring the devices we make and ensuring the qubits perform well,” she explains.

What drew her to quantum in the first place? “It’s that just when you think you understand it, you realize you don’t,” she says. It’s the never-ending challenge and the joy of exploring a field where so much is still unknown that keeps her inspired.

A Welcoming Space in a Male-Dominated Field

Quantum may still be male-dominated, but Linda has found something different at QuantWare.

“I expected to be the only technical woman here, but I’m not,” she says. “It’s a really welcoming environment. People come to me with questions, include me in planning, and I feel like a core part of the team.”

That sense of inclusion, of being seen, trusted, and relied upon, is what gives her work meaning.

“When people rely on you, it gives your work meaning,” she says. “That’s when you really feel like you belong.”

Advice for Future Quantum Explorers

Her advice to others just starting out? Don’t be afraid to say, “I don’t know.” Quantum is complex, niche, and always evolving.

“You don’t need to have all the answers,” she says. “What matters is your willingness to learn.”

👉 Interested in meeting quantum professionals who are working towards an inclusive quantum ecosystem?  Join us on May 22 for our Annual Symposium!