Call for Applications: Ph.D. Student for Quantum Circuit Compilation (m/f/d, full time E13)

We are an active and lively research group which is passionate about science. We are working in an environment which may best be characterized by the passion to accomplish something new—complemented by teamwork and fostering personal relationships. From assistants, students, researchers, postdocs to professors; we are all working hand in hand, are highly committed, and engaged with our work. We know how to celebrate our successes, but also how to get through setbacks together!

In the next months, we are going to extend our research group at the Technical University of Munich (www.cda.cit.tum.de). Accordingly, we are currently searching for a Ph.D. student to join our team on Quantum Circuit Compilation!

Our Research

In our group, we conduct scientific work on design automation for quantum computers and develop methods and software tools dedicated to the design and realization of quantum algorithms/circuits. One of the main challenges in this design process is the translation of abstract algorithmic descriptions into a sequence of operations the actual quantum hardware is capable of executing—the design task of compilation. This broad topic offers many opportunities for specialization such as:

• Researching data structures to efficiently handle and manipulate circuits
• Developing mapping strategies to satisfy interaction constraints on superconducting quantum computers
• Developing algorithms to decompose (arbitrary) unitaries into native operations of a given target system
• Optimizing circuits taking error models of actual hardware into account
• Exploiting quantum systems with more than two energy levels (qudits)
• Scaling compilation approaches to utilize the processing power of parallel systems/supercomputers

To learn more about our previous work, please check out our website (www.cda.cit.tum.de/research/quantum/) and open-source implementation referred therein. We see ourselves as an interface between the stakeholders building physical quantum computers and the ones using them. We are working on a visionary and large-scale ERC Consolidator Grant Project and are a part of the Munich Quantum Valley-Initiative (https://www.munich-quantum-valley.de/).

Your Profile

We are looking for a Ph.D. student who is willing to learn and explore new topics while playing nice in a team. Your main task will be the development, conceptualization, and eventual implementation of new design automation methods and software for quantum computing and especially compilation of quantum circuits. Our focus on interdisciplinary partnerships and networks will enable you to meet many interesting people (at places all over the world) and present your work at top-notch conferences and journals in our domain.

You should have completed your Master/Diploma studies with top grades in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mathematics, Electrical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, or a similar subject. Most importantly, you should be creative, passionate about research, driven by curiosity, and be able to think outside-of-the-box. You will need strong coding skills, ideally in both modern C++ and Python, to design highly efficient algorithms. Interests (or even first experiences) in quantum computing obviously is an advantage.

Join our Team

While we are obviously interested in your CV and background (if applicable, please also add your list of publications, projects, cooperations, etc. as well as your GitHub profile). Most importantly however, tell us what motivates you to join our team and work on quantum circuit compilation. Let us know why you would be a great candidate! We are looking forward to hearing from you! Please send your application (in English or German) to Prof. Dr. Robert Wille (robert.wille@tum.de).

Severely disabled applicants will be given preference if they are essentially of the same suitability and qualifications. The Technical University of Munich aims to increase the proportion of women, so applications from women are expressly welcomed.

Note on data protection

As part of your application, you transmit personal data. Please note our data protection information in accordance with Article 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on the collection and processing of personal data as part of your application (see https://portal.mytum.de/kompass/datenschutz/Bewerbung/). By submitting your application, you confirm that you have taken note of TUM's data protection information.