Career Opportunities

We are excited about the many possibilities offered by neutral atom quantum computers and firmly believe that they can scale to thousands of qubits much faster than other quantum technologies. If you share our enthusiasm and would like to work on cutting-edge quantum computers in a world-class academic environment please do not hesitate to contact us and attach the usual application materials.

What would you work on?

On a high level, a neutral-atom quantum computer can be split into five separate modules or packages. We want to build a team with clear responsibilities for the team members for each of the following:

• The physics package (atomic source, vacuum system, field control, cooling lasers)
• The single-qubit control package (a stable visible laser driving the clock transition in strontium and its distribution onto individual qubits)
• The two-qubit control package (a low-noise ultraviolet laser driving the Rydberg transition in strontium and its distribution onto individual qubits)
• The addressing and readout package (a high-resolution imaging system combined with adaptive optics)
• The control system, remote programming interface, and cloud integration (a real-time control system driving the experiment, its integration into quantum information toolkits, and user interface)

Of course, all of these modules are highly interdependent and the full system will only be successful with a joint effort by all team members.

Opening:
PhD student (experimental)

We have multiple openings for PhD Students. We are looking for outstanding experimental physics PhD candidates, preferrably with experience in atomic physics, laser optics, and electronics.

We are offering an opportunity to work in a highly-skilled international team of experts. Please check out the job description for postdoctoral applicants below to get a sense of what you can learn in this environment. You will collaborate with teams in quantum information theory, optimal control, computer science, and theoretical atomic physics.

If you are interested, please reach out to Sebastian or Johannes.

Opening:
AMO Physicist (experimental)

We have multiple openings for postdoc-level experimental physicists with an atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics, precision measurement, or experimental quantum information background. If you are interested, please reach out to Sebastian or Johannes.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and test components of a neutral-atom quantum computer, combining optical, electronics, vacuum, precision mechanics, and software.
• Design, implement, and analyze the data from experiments with ultracold atoms.
• Work with a diverse team of physicists and engineers.
• Present your work at international conferences and through peer-reviewed papers.

You are the ideal candidate if you…

• have or are eager to acquire excellent practical experience with lasers, know how to stabilize their intensity and frequency, and know how to make them do what you need them for.
• can or are eager to learn how to design your own mechanics, electronics, vacuum, and optical setups.
• can or are eager to learn to implement and test your designs and software with a rapid-prototyping mentality. Can you operate a mill, solder your own circuits, and write a quick script to automate something?
• can or are eager to learn to program MCUs, FPGAs, GPUs, and the occasional CPU.
• understand how to design, test, and implement analog and digital control loops in situations where transfer functions are hard to measure.
• have a clear understanding of statistics, data analysis methods, as well as numerical methods and how to implement them.
• can reason about and discuss your setups from both fundamental physics and practical standpoints.
• are familiar with quantum mechanics, how to reason about it, and have a clear understanding on when you do not need it.
• explain your work in written and oral form to fellow physicists, but also to mechanical, electronics, and software engineers, as well as laypeople.
• have a PhD in experimental AMO physics such as precision measurement, experimental quantum simulation or information, experimental quantum many-body physics, or a related field.

You would fit in perfectly if you also…

• really love any of the topics listed above and can add your expert insights to go above and beyond what a typical AMO physicist can do.
• know how to manage a small research team and ensure that the right things happen on time.