Senior Experimental AMO Physicist

Entangled Future; Garching bei München, Ulm; Hybrid; EUR 95,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible hours

Pension plan

Wellness program

Bike leasing

Training & conferences

Relocation support

Multiple locations

Team events

Job summary

Planqc is seeking a senior experimental AMO physicist to drive the design, construction, characterization and optimization of our neutral-atom quantum processing unit. You will lead architectural decisions on the quantum processor and mentor colleagues, translating fundamental physics into real, working quantum hardware.

You will join a large, international team of hardware engineers, software developers, electronics specialists and quantum algorithm researchers to push the frontiers of AMO

Qualifications

• PhD in experimental AMO physics or closely related field with 5+ years postdoctoral or industry experience
• Proven track record of independently designing, building, and improving complex experimental neutral atom systems
• Deep hands-on experience in one or more of the following areas: optical tweezer arrays / optical lattices / Rydberg atoms / two-valence-electron atoms / atomic clocks or atomic interferometers / quantum gates and quantum computation with atoms
• Experience in mentoring and training scientists or engineers
• Experience writing grant proposals and project reports is an asset

Responsibilities

• Design, build, characterize, and optimize state-of-the-art neutral-atom quantum computers
• Develop and execute measuring campaigns on the quantum processor, track system performance, and maintain stable operating conditions
• Investigate sources of noise, decoherence, and infidelity: diagnose limiting factors and implement mitigation strategies
• Analyze experimental data rigorously to extract physical insight and guide system improvements
• Stay current with advances in AMO physics and quantum information science and bring relevant developments into the team's work
• Drive system architecture decisions with physics-grounded input, shaping the technical developments at a senior level

Skills

Independent experiment design

Mentoring and training

Hands-on AMO physics

System architecture input

Education

PhD in experimental AMO physics

Job description

At planqc, we are building scalable quantum computers based on neutral atoms — one of the most promising platforms for achieving useful, fault-tolerant quantum computation. This role is made for experimental AMO physicists who want to build state-of-the-art quantum computers.

For this senior role, we expect the independence to drive architectural decisions on the quantum processing unit, and the experience to set technical direction for others and mentoring colleagues along the way.

You will bring your deep AMO expertise and several years of hands‑on experience to the design, construction, characterization, and continuous improvement of our neutral‑atom quantum processing unit. You will be part of a large, diverse team, working shoulder to shoulder with hardware engineers, software developers, electronics specialists, and quantum algorithm researchers.

What characterizes you

• You are passionate about pushing the frontiers of experimental AMO physics
• You take ownership and drive complex physical systems forward independently
• You are rigorous and detail-oriented, and enjoy systematically diagnosing sources of noise and error
• You thrive in a collaborative, interdisciplinary team environment
• You are motivated by turning fundamental physics into real, working quantum hardware

Joining us means

• Working on cutting-edge neutral atom quantum hardware
• Taking ownership of quantum systems from day one
• Collaborating with an exceptional, international team across disciplines
• Contributing to a fast-growing quantum startup at a pivotal stage

If you’re excited about building quantum hardware from the ground up and pushing the limits of experimental physics , we’d love to hear from you.

What you'll do

• 01 Design, build, characterize, and optimize state-of-the-art neutral-atom quantum computers
• 02 Develop and execute measuring campaigns on the quantum processor, track system performance, and maintain stable operating conditions
• 03 Investigate sources of noise, decoherence, and infidelity: systematically diagnose the limiting factors, propose and implement mitigation strategies
• 04 Analyze experimental data rigorously to extract physical insight and guide system improvements
• 05 Stay current with advances in AMO physics and quantum information science and bring relevant developments into the team's work
• 06 Drive system architecture decisions with physics-grounded input, shaping the technical developments at a senior level

What they're looking for

• PhD in experimental AMO physics or a closely related field, with 5+ years of postdoctoral or industry experience
• Proven track record of independently designing, building, and improving complex experimental neutral atom systems
• You have deep hands‑on‑experience in one or more of the following research areas:Optical tweezer arrays / optical latticesRydberg atomsTwo‑valence‑electron atomsAtomic clocks or atomic interferometersQuantum gates and quantum computation with atoms
• Experience in mentoring and training scientists or engineers
• Experience writing grant proposals and project reports is an asset

Pay and benefits

• Flexible working. Flexible hours and hybrid work where the role allows.
• Company pension. Betriebliche Altersvorsorge with an employer contribution.
• Health and fitness. EGYM Wellpass for gyms, pools and studios, plus regular Health Days.
• Job bike. Lease a bike through planqc.
• Learning and development. Trainings and conference participation, including international conferences. Plus regular internal learning sessions where colleagues share their knowledge.
• Relocation and visa support. Practical support for international hires and their move to Germany or Austria.
• Four locations. Headquarters in Garching, an office in central Munich, plus sites in Ulm and Innsbruck.
• Team culture. Regular team and company events throughout the year, from after work socials to our summer and Christmas parties.

planqc is a German neutral-atom quantum computing company built on research from the Max-Planck-Institute for Quantum Optics. Its technology uses individual atoms confined in crystals of light as qubits, and the company has demonstrated scaling of neutral atoms to 1,200 qubits.

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