PhD in photonic integration and qubit hardware development for quantum computing

Are you passionate about quantum technologies, integrated photonics and eager to further develop a Rydberg atom quantum computing platform as a 24/7 user facility for hybrid quantum comping? Join us! We are looking for a candidate that drives the qubit hardware development and the implementation of integrated photonics.

Information
At TU/e, the ultracold atom laboratory of CQT, part of the Center for Quantum Materials and Technology (QT/e), is developing neutral‑atom quantum computing platforms based on Rydberg interactions. This project is part of the KAT‑1 QDNL program on hybrid quantum computing, a demonstrator built on Quantum Inspire, the European quantum computer that offers 24/7 online access.

The qubit hardware that we operate in our laboratories are two neutral‑atom quantum computing platforms (rubidium and strontium). Optical tweezer arrays provide programmable and precise control and site‑resolved single‑atom readout. Rydberg excitation enables strong nearest‑neighbor coupling for multi‑qubit entanglement. The architecture is highly scalable to large qubit counts via array reconfiguration, atom shuttling, and parallel control—offering a promising route to fault‑tolerant quantum computing. The platforms are built for stable, continuous operation with 24/7 online access for community use. More information: www.tue.nl/rydbergQC.

We are also part of the European Photonics for Quantum (P4Q) Pilot Line, a €50 million initiative funded through the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) and national programmes to accelerate the transition of quantum photonic technologies from laboratory research to scalable manufacturing. Within this consortium of 29 partners, TU/e acts as an end user, evaluating next-generation photonic chips in our neutral-atom quantum-computing platform Sapphire, based on optical tweezer arrays of individually controlled strontium atoms.

The project will investigate three complementary photonic-chip architectures that provide integrated optical functionality for key operations in the quantum processor, including single-qubit control, atom imaging and readout, and site-selective Rydberg excitation for two-qubit gates. The candidate will integrate these chips into the experimental setup, benchmark their performance under realistic operating conditions, and provide feedback to the technology developers on requirements for scalable quantum-computing systems.

Concretely, the candidate will focus on:

• Testing and integration of advanced photonic chips in a strontium-based neutral-atom quantum processor
• Development of integrated-photonics solutions for scalable control and readout of large arrays of atomic qubits
• Experimental evaluation of different photonic-chip architectures for single-qubit control, atom detection, and Rydberg-mediated two-qubit gate operations
• Characterization of optical coherence, stability, switching performance, crosstalk, and scalability in a real quantum-computing environment
• Translating end-user requirements into design feedback for future generations of quantum photonic chips
• Realization of quantum simulations for specific use cases

The selected candidate will work together with several PhD candidates, postdocs/quantum engineers, MSc students and the PI’s within the ultracold atom team at QT/e that works with both Sr and Rb setups. Moreover, they will collaborate with the partners of the P4Q project, the ultracold strontium lab at the UvA in Amsterdam and other partners within the KAT-1 collaboration. The candidate is also embedded within the wider QT/e and QDNL Brainport Eindhoven hub and the QDNL quantum research network in the Netherlands. The work will be carried out in the Center for Quantum Materials and Technology (QT/e) within the CQT research group.