Senior Scientist - Nanofabrication (18 month fixed-term/Hybrid)

Xanadu; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading quantum computing company in Toronto is looking for a Senior Scientist in Nanofabrication to support advanced detector technologies. You will leverage your fabrication expertise and work with both physicists and engineers in a hybrid environment. Applicants should possess a PhD with relevant experience or a Masters with substantial cleanroom development. This role includes travel across Canada for facility collaboration and requires strong organizational skills.

Qualifications

• PhD with 2+ years of experience or Masters with 5+ years in cleanroom process development.
• Experience operating cleanroom tools and developing recipes.
• Understanding of optical detector technologies and cryogenic detectors.

Responsibilities

• Support efforts to improve photon number resolving cryogenic detectors.
• Contribute to developing and optimizing fabrication processes.
• Travel within Canada for cleanroom development.

Skills

Cleanroom fabrication

Thin-film characterization

Metrology

Statistical process control

Python programming

Education

PhD in Physics, Engineering, Experimental Sciences or related field

Masters with extensive cleanroom process development experience

Tools

Photolithography

PVD

CVD

Wet & plasma etching

AFM

Ellipsometry

Job description

Senior Scientist - Nanofabrication (18 month fixed-term/Hybrid)

Xanadu’s mission is to build quantum computers that are useful and available to people everywhere.

At Xanadu, we are learners, innovators, researchers, collaborators, and problem solvers. We are creating something that has never been built before. If successful, the technologies we develop will solve some of the world’s most challenging problems and change the world. That is something to be excited about!

Your role and responsibilities:

As part of the Hardware Team, you will work with physicists and engineers to support efforts to improve photon number resolving (PNR) cryogenic detectors and room-temperature photodiodes (PDs). You will contribute your experience in cleanroom fabrication, thin-film characterization, and metrology to optimize Xanadu’s detector technologies. You will join the Fabrication Process Engineering Team focused on developing and optimizing fabrication processes for Xanadu’s photonic quantum computing hardware. The role involves travel within Canada for cleanroom development in partner facilities, and interfacing with internal stakeholders to understand critical performance requirements.

Basic qualifications and experience:

• PhD with 2+ years of experience (postdoc or industry) in Physics, Engineering, Experimental Sciences, or related field, focusing on device fabrication, or Masters with 5+ years of cleanroom process development experience
• Experience operating cleanroom tools including photolithography, deposition (PVD, CVD), wet & plasma etching (RIE, ICP), and characterization (AFM, ellipsometry)
• Knowledge of optical thin film stack metrology, characterization, and optimization
• Experience developing cleanroom recipes and maintaining detailed process documentation
• Experience with statistical process control
• Ability to operate autonomously in a fast-paced environment and manage multiple priorities

Preferred qualifications and experience:

• Understanding the physics of optical detector technologies, including superconducting devices and photodiodes
• Experience fabricating and working with cryogenic detectors (TES, MKID, SNSPDs)
• Experience with PDs, including PIN PDs and avalanche PDs
• Python programming experience
• Experience analyzing large datasets and statistical reporting

Our values are fundamental to our culture. Learn more about our values here.

We are committed to building an inclusive, safe, and equitable environment. If you require accommodations during the recruitment process, please contact [e-mail]. Xanadu will never ask for bank details during interviews. Report any suspicious activity to the same email.

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