Postdoc Position in Software for Quantum Computing

REF

Join the endeavour of constructing a cutting-edge Swedish quantum computer and contribute to the advancement of the rapidly growing and promising field of quantum technology. The postdoc researcher will work closely with multidisciplinary researchers in a cross-functional team at Chalmers and collaborate with European partners who share the common goal of developing and deploying scalable, high-performance quantum computing platforms.

The focus of the project will be adding new functionality and features to the software stack used to access the quantum processor (QPU) developed at Chalmers. Specifically, the researcher will work on enabling users to perform quantum computation, experiments, and characterization through cloud-based services. The research position offers the opportunity to investigate and perform fine-level characterization and control of superconducting qubits through cloud-based access, thereby implementing new methodologies or techniques. Additionally, through collaboration with European partners, the researcher will gain access to a vast network of professionals and companies in the rapidly growing field of quantum computation and technology, which will facilitate building career.

At the Quantum Technology Laboratory (QTL) within the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience (MC2) at Chalmers, our ambitious goals are 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 in optimization, machine learning, quantum chemistry of molecules, materials science, etc. Having contributed to pioneering research in the field of superconducting quantum circuits since the 1990s, we have now developed a functional 25-qubit quantum processor that incorporates 3D integrated flip-chip technology along with other essential components for a superconducting quantum computer. We are currently scaling up our efforts to build a quantum computer with 57 qubits as part of the Wallenberg Centre for Quantum Technology (WACQT ), which aims to advance Swedish academia and industry to the forefront of quantum technology and to build a Swedish quantum computer.

In addition, NordIQuEst , OpenSuperQPlus , and LUMI-Q. NordIQuEst, a project funded by NordForsk , aims to construct a Nordic-Estonian e-infrastructure tailored to the needs of the Nordic region and Estonia. This initiative seeks to integrate a quantum computing platform with the existing Nordic high-performance computing (HPC) infrastructure, thereby enhancing computational capabilities in the region. OpenSuperQPlus, a project under the European Quantum Technology Flagship, comprises 28 partners from 10 countries, with the overarching goal of developing a versatile and large-scale quantum computing system manufactured in Europe. The PI for Chalmers is Prof. Jonas Bylander. Additionally, since 2024, we have embarked on the LUMI-Q project—a four-year EuroHPC initiative focused on integrating high-performance computers (HPC) and quantum computers.

About the project

The position will be hosted by the Quantum Technology Laboratory (QTL) within the Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience at Chalmers University of Technology. The researcher will contribute to the European OpenSuperQPlus project by developing software applications in conjunction with the WACQT team and the collaborators at the Chalmers Next Labs Testbed, our partners in developing the software infrastructure to operate the QPU called 'QAL9000'.

OpenSuperQPlus brings together the quantum engineering and technology expertise of multiple universities, RTOs, and SMEs with the highest expertise and strongest track record in Europe and Associated Countries. The core mission is to scale superconducting quantum chip technology to 1000 qubits by 2029. Another goal of the collaboration is to develop a European community focused on scalable, high-performance quantum computing platforms to enhance capabilities in this sector. The project anticipates special use cases in quantum simulation for the chemical industry, materials science, optimization problems, and machine learning.

At WACQT, there is an ongoing development of a cloud-based quantum computing software stack, enabling remote control of superconducting qubits. This stack is a complex and modular system that requires high availability and reliability. A prototype of the full software stack is already in place, and the primary responsibility of the researcher will be to add more functionality to it by closely collaborating with researchers at WAQCT and partners in the OpenSuperQPlus project. Other commitments to OpenSuperQplus include collaborating with partner institutes; the postdoc will be expected to contribute to such activities.

Main responsibilities:

• Develop software and infrastructure to provide IBM's Qiskit OpenPulse support to the SW stack using OpenQASMv3 specification.
• Provide qubit or HW characterization from the SW stack Qiskit user-space.
• Collaborate with Chalmers Next Labs Testbed and contribute to the development work through an opensource codebase.
• Participate in the entire development process, from planning the architecture to quality assurance and platform implementation.
• Enhance the performance of the system for executing quantum programs by contributing to and improving the automatic calibration and optimisation procedures.
• Generate innovative ideas for code and process improvements.
• Perform innovative measurements with the latest QPU and lead the publication effort.

Position summary:

The Postdoc position is for two years, full-time employment.

Qualifications:

To qualify for the position, you must have a PhD in relevant field of Physics, Computer Science and Engineering or equivalent. Your PhD degree should generally not be older than three years.

Required skills:

• Good teamwork and communication skills
• Good proficiency in Python
• Fluency in English, both oral and written.
• Expertise in profiling, refactoring, debugging and testing.
• Experience in quantum information science and quantum computation (e.g., using the IBM Qiskit code, Qiskit Runtime etc.).
• Experience of measurement with microwave instruments in a cryogenic setup, especially with quantum gate level operations.
• Swedish language proficiency is not a requirement for this position, but if you have an interest in learning Swedish, Chalmers offers Swedish courses.

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Application procedure

The application should be marked with Ref XXXXX and written in English. The application should be sent electronically and be attached as pdf-files, as below:

CV: (Please name the document as: CV, Surname, Ref number) including:

• Link to github personal page (if available)
• List of publications
• Previous teaching experience
• Two references that we can contact

Personal letter: (Please name the document as: Personal letter, Family name, Ref number) 1-2 pages where you:

• Introduce yourself
• Describe your previous research and main results
• Describe your future goals and future research interest