PhD student in large-scale design of superconducting quantum computers

Publiceringsdatum: 2024-12-30

Positionen som doktorand hos Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB är öppen och väntar på en lämplig kandidat - kan det vara du? Detta är ett jobb på heltid där Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB letar efter någon under 6 månader eller längre. För detta jobb är det en fördel om du bor i närheten av Göteborg då det är tjänsteorten.

Om du är intresserad av en karriär inom doktorand, ta en titt på den lediga tjänsten som Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB erbjuder för att se om det är en matchning. Bli en del av teamet hos Chalmers Tekniska Högskola AB som doktorand genom att ansöka senast söndag den sextonde mars 2025.

Jobbannons

Our ambitious goal at Chalmers is to build a quantum computer with 100 superconducting qubits and to apply it to real computational problems that cannot be efficiently solved on a conventional computer. Such computationally hard problems are found, e.g., in optimization, quantum chemistry, materials science, machine learning, etc. Having contributed to starting the research field of superconducting quantum circuits, we are now seeking a PhD student to help in our efforts to build a quantum computer by modelling, analyzing, and improving the design of our quantum processor as we scale it up.

The successful candidate will use theoretical tools to explore how unwanted couplings and crosstalk between qubits in a large processor can be minimized, and fidelities of operations on the processor can be maximized. Achieving these goals will require a judicious choice of both quantum gates to implement and of layout for the processor in terms of qubit frequencies, couplings strengths, and connections.

Information about the project and department

This project is part of the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology (WACQT), a 12-year, 1.5-billion-SEK initiative started in 2018 with the purpose of advancing Swedish academia and industry to the forefront of quantum technology, and to build a Swedish quantum computer. Our team is also a prominent partner in the internationally competitive OpenSuperQPlus collaborative project working to build a quantum computer within the EU Flagship on Quantum Technology.

Building a quantum computer requires a multi-disciplinary effort involving experimental and theoretical physicists, electrical and microwave engineers, computer scientists, software engineers, and researchers in materials science and nanotechnology. We are developing the superconducting quantum devices, control circuits, firmware, and methods required to make the quantum computer a reality. This development takes place is in a close, fruitful collaboration between experimentalists in the Quantum Technology Laboratory (QTL) and theorists at the Applied Quantum Physics Laboratory (AQPL) and the Department for Computer Science and Engineering. In this collaboration, the main tasks of the theorists are to help model the hardware and to develop application use cases for the quantum processor.

Our WACQT team at Chalmers currently has about 100 members (faculty, permanent research staff, postdoctoral researchers, PhD students, and undergraduate students). WACQT is committed to promoting career development, diversity, and gender equality through networking and supporting activities.

Our department, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2), is host to the state-of-the-art MC2 Nanotechnology Laboratory cleanroom, the largest such facility in Northern Europe, and our measurement lab at QTL is well equipped with cryogenic and microwave electronic equipment. We are in a position to build and operate large-scale quantum processors!

Major responsibilities

The main responsibilities of a PhD student at Chalmers consist in pursuing doctoral studies by conducting research within your project, in collaboration and independently, leading to results that you will publish in journals and present at meeting and conferences. The work in this project involves theoretical and numerical modelling of the superconducting quantum processor at the physical level.

Your studies also include coursework in your field and common core courses on generic and transferable skills. The position generally also includes teaching on the undergraduate level or other duties corresponding to up to 20 per cent of working hours.

Qualifications

Required qualifications:

• MSc corresponding to at least 240 higher education credits in Physics, or equivalent
• Excellent communication skills in written and spoken English
• Ability to program in high-level languages such as Python or C

Desired qualifications:

• Experience from working on quantum computing
• Experience from working on superconducting qubits

We value a collaborative attitude and an interest in working both in teams and independently. Self-motivation, attention to detail, and a problem-solving analytical ability are important personal qualities for this position.

Contract terms

Full-time temporary employment. The position is limited to a maximum of five years.

We offer

Chalmers provides a cultivating and inspiring working environment in the coastal city of Gothenburg. 

Read more about working at Chalmers and our benefits for employees.

Chalmers aims to actively improve our gender balance. We work broadly with equality projects, for example the GENIE Initiative on gender equality for excellence. Equality and diversity are substantial foundations in all activities at Chalmers.

Application procedure

The application should be written in English and be attached as PDF-files, as below. Maximum size for each file is 40 MB. Please note that the system does not support Zip files.

CV: (Please name the document: CV, Family name)

• CV
• Other, for example previous employments or leadership qualifications and positions of trust
• Two references that we can contact

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name)

1-2 pages where you:

• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous experience of relevance for the position (e.g. education, thesis work and, if applicable, any other research activities)
• Describe your future goals and future research focus

Other documents:

• Copies of bachelor and/or master’s thesis
• Attested copies and transcripts of completed education, grades and other certificates, e.g., TOEFL test results

Please note: The applicant is responsible for ensuring that the application is complete. Incomplete applications and applications sent by email will not be considered.

Application deadline: 16 March 2025

For questions, please contact:

Assoc. Prof. Anton Frisk Kockum, AQP,

anton.frisk.kockum@chalmers.se

• ** Chalmers declines to consider all offers of further announcement publishing or other types of support for the recruiting process in connection with this position. ***