Research Assistant/Research Associate - Practical Quantum Error Correction on Trapped Ion Hardware (Fixed Term)

Location: West Cambridge

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 12 months. 

The Department of Computer Science and Technology is an academic department that encompasses computer science along with many aspects of engineering, technology and mathematics. We have a world-wide reputation for academic research with consistent top research ratings. The Department has an open and collaborative culture, supporting revolutionary fundamental computer science research, strong cross-cutting collaborations internally and externally, and ideas which transform computing outside the University. Please follow the link at: https://www.cst.cam.ac.uk to find out more about our Department. 

We are hiring a postdoctoral researcher to work on experimental quantum error correction (QEC) on IonQ's trapped-ion systems. You will design, run, and analyse QEC and fault-tolerant experiments on IonQ Aria and IonQ Forte, with dedicated hardware access. These are among the cleanest, highest-connectivity qubits publicly available, and the scientific goal is to turn that physical quality into demonstrable logical quality. Their all-to-all connectivity also makes code families available that are difficult to run on grid architectures. 

This is a hands-on fast-paced position with room to shape the direction. You will work on experiments end to end, from code choice and native-gate compilation through to decoding real hardware data and writing it up.

Main Responsibilities

• Design, run and analyse QEC and error-detection experiments on Aria/Forte, including logical state preparation and small-scale fault-tolerant primitives.
• Build and tune decoders against the measured device noise rather than idealised models.
• Characterise the hardware in the ways that matter for QEC (Circuit-level error rates, SPAM, correlated and leakage errors).
• Optimise circuits at the native-gate level to minimise depth and two-qubit count.
• Publish and present results, and collaborate with the groups work on quantum architecture and compilation.

Essential requirements 

The successful candidate will hold (or be close to completion) a PhD in Computer Science, Physics, Applied Maths or a closely related discipline, or equivalent research or industry experience

This position can be filled by an appropriate candidate at a Research Assistant (post-doc) or Research Associate (pre-doc) level, depending on relevant qualifications and experience. An appointment at a research associate level is dependent on having a PhD (or equivalent experience). Where a PhD has yet to be awarded, an appointment will initially be made as a research assistant and amended to research associate when the PhD is awarded.

Please contact Dr Prakash Murali pm830@cam.ac.uk with any informal queries regarding the post.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click 'Apply' above.

Applications should include a CV, a 2 page research statement and contact details for two professional referees.

Please quote reference NR50377 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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