A 3.5 year PhD position is available in the Ion Quantum Technology Group in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the University of Sussex. The position consists of current UK/EU fees and a yearly stipend of £14,057 which can be supplemented by tutoring. The position also includes a yearly travel allowance. You should have a physics or related degree.

Quantum gates with trapped ions may be classed in two different categories, namely gates involving optical radiation and gates that utilize microwave radiation. In order to build a large scale ion trap quantum computer, it is critical to develop entanglement methods that are easily scalable to a large number of quantum bits. Large-scale quantum computers may require in excess of millions of individual quantum bits. It is quite obvious that creating the required number of laser beams to entangle the ions may indeed entail significant engineering and come at a significant cost. By contrast, the use of microwave radiation for the same purpose would be much easier and would make the construction of an actual large-scale ion-trap quantum-information processor much simpler. At Sussex, we are developing both a new generation of ion chips and coherent manipulation methods to develop fault-tolerant quantum gates with microwave radiation. Outcomes of your PhD project will an entirely new fault-tolerant quantum gate for trapped ions, the experimental demonstration of various quantum algorithms, and the efficient implementation of quantum simulations. You will participate in the construction of a fully scalable ion-trap quantum computer demonstrator device.

Eligibility Applicants should hold, or expect to hold, a UK first class honours degree or a good UK Masters degree (or equivalent non-UK qualifications) in a relevant subject. If you are unsure about the equivalence of your qualifications, contact us on phd<στο>physics.sussex.ac.uk

Note in order to qualify for this position you must have resided in the UK or Europe for three years prior to the start of the position. If you are from outside Europe, 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.

Procedure To apply please email a CV, and your degree results preferentially before 25/5/2015 or the latest by 25/6/2015 to Prof. Winfried Hensinger (Professor of Quantum Technologies)w.k.hensinger<στο>sussex.ac.uk

Further information The Ion Quantum Technology Group at the University of Sussex, Brighton is one of the world’s leading centres for the implementation of trapped ion quantum computing and simulation using microwave radiation.. The group currently spans 3 Postdoctoral Fellows, 11 PhD students, 6 undergraduate students, and one member of faculty. The group has numerous national and international collaborations. You will learn all the experimental skills and theoretical background needed in this emerging field of science. Some of the skills you will acquire include nano-fabrication, lasers and optics, ultra-high vacuum techniques, quantum information science, electronics and many other skills.

You can find out more about the group here (including a BBC documentary about our research group):

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

The ‘Research’ section of the website features specific information for prospective PhD students. You can also take a virtual lab tour.

Contact details Questions about the application and admissions process: contact the Research & Enterprise Coordinator, Richard Chambers, on phd<στο>physics.sussex.ac.uk