PhD studentship: Developing Silicon Microchips for Ion Trap Quantum Computers (2020)

What you get

You will receive:

• fully funded tuition fees for 3.5 years (at the UK/EU rate)
• a tax-free bursary for living costs for 3.5 years. For 2019/20 this is £15,009 per annum.
• annual travel allowance

You may also supplement your income with paid teaching (with your supervisor’s agreement).

Type of award

Postgraduate Research

PhD project

Ion microchips are the core of any trapped-ion quantum computer. We recently published the blueprint for constructing a large scale quantum computer including specialized design specifications for microchips. The group produces state-of-the-art microchips and holds the world record for a number of chip specifications. You will further develop, together with industrial partners, ion microchips for the quantum computing demonstrators at Oxford and Sussex. In particular, you will develop microchips featuring arrays of ion traps giving rise to x-junctions and as well as geometries suited for superior optical access. In addition, this work will include the development of through silicon vertical interconnects, through holes for high optical access and on-chip features such as photon detectors, and integrated digital-to-analogue converters. This project involves designing, fabricating, characterizing and operating complex quantum microchips to be used in trapped-ion quantum computing, simulation and sensing quantum devices. The work will focus on silicon manufacturing. 

The Ion Quantum Technology Group is one of the world’s leading centres for the implementation of trapped-ion quantum computing and simulation. The group is part of the UK Quantum Technology Hub on Networked Quantum Technologies and the UK Quantum Technology Hub for Sensors and Metrology. The group currently spans 5 staff scientists, 2 electronics engineers, 14 PhD students and 6 undergraduate students.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you must:

• be a UK/European Union (EU) student, or have resided in the EU for 3 years prior to the start date
• Applicants must hold, or expect to hold, at least a UK upper second class degree (or non-UK equivalent qualification) in Physics, or a closely-related area, or else a lower second class degree followed by a relevant Master's degree. 

Deadline

How to apply

To apply please email a CV and your degree results to Professor Winfried Hensinger: w.k.hensinger@sussex.ac.uk. 

Note in order to qualify for this position you must have resided in the EU for three years prior to the start of the position. If you are from outside the EU, you may apply for a non-funded position in the group, however, you will need to have a funding source for tuition fees and living expenses.

Contact us

You can find out more about the group at:

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/physics/iqt/

Some recent media coverage about the group’s work can be found here: BBC’s The Inquiry, CTGN Europe,Physics World,The Telegraph, Nature, BBC News, Sky News Tonight With Dermot Murnaghan, VICE, and Daily Mail

For more information, please email the head of group,

Prof Winfried Hensinger

(Professor of Quantum Technologies)

(w.k.hensinger@sussex.ac.uk).