Inertial Quantum Physicist

Infleqtion; Louisville (CO); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% company-paid medical, dental, and

Vision coverage

Unlimited PTO

401(k) match

Equity program

Job summary

Infleqtion, Inc. in Louisville, CO, seeks an Inertial Quantum Physicist to contribute to the research and development of practical quantum sensors for commercial projects and customer demonstrations.

The role blends hands-on hardware with system-level design, aiming to turn advanced AMO physics into deployable instruments, working with a team of physicists, engineers, and technicians. Travel up to 10% may be required.

Qualifications

• PhD in atomic physics, optical physics, quantum sensing, precision measurement, or related field.
• Experience with atom-based inertial and/or gravitational sensors, atom interferometry, or related AMO hardware.
• Strong judgment balancing physics performance with reliability, operability, and cost constraints.
• Experience designing, building, integrating, testing, operating, and debugging complex hardware and software systems.
• Experience developing models, simulations, calculations, and/or error budgets to inform instrument designs.
• Ability to collaborate with engineering teams across optical, mechanical, electrical, software, vacuum, and controls domains.
• Strong technical communication with technical staff, leadership, and customers.
• Ability to travel domestically and up to 10% internationally.
• Authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Participates in research and development projects involving atom interferometry and related quantum sensing systems.
• Translates customer needs into practical sensor architectures and development plans.
• Supports development from concept through test, operation, and deployment.
• Develops physics models, simulations, and error budgets to guide design decisions.

Skills

Atom interferometry

Quantum sensing

AMO physics

Physics simulations

Technical communication

Education

PhD in atomic physics, optical physics, quantum sensing, precision measurement, or related field

Tools

Laser systems

Vacuum systems

Controls/Diagnostics hardware

Job description

Inertial Quantum Physicist at Infleqtion, Louisville, Colorado, United States. A mid-level full time position in the Emerging Tech Group team, listed under research.

Infleqtion has 6 office locations, operating out of Boulder, CO; Louisville, CO; Madison, WI; Chicago, IL; Melbourne, AU and Oxford, UK. This position is a full-time role based in our Louisville, CO office.

POSITION SUMMARY

The newly hired physicist will contribute to research, customer-driven development, and commercial projects to turn high-level mission needs into practical sensor concepts, requirements, error budgets, system architectures, and working instruments. The Quantum Physicist's role includes a combination of self-directed and collaborative efforts with a team of fellow physicists, engineers, and technicians. This role is highly practical, hands-on, and system oriented. The successful candidate should be motivated by turning advanced AMO physics into useful instruments that can progress from R&D prototypes toward customer demonstrations and eventual deployed operation.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

The duties and responsibilities outlined below include essential functions of the role. Depending on business needs, this role may perform a combination of some or all of the following duties. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.

• Participates in research and development projects involving atom interferometry, atom-based inertial and gravitational sensing, cold-atom systems, laser systems, vacuum systems, controls, and quantum sensing systems
• Translates customer needs, use cases, and specifications into practical quantum sensor architectures, requirements, error budgets, trade studies, operating concepts, and development plans
• Supports development from concept and architecture phases all the way through test, operation, and eventual deployment
• Develops and maintains physics models, simulations, calculations, and error budgets to guide architecture decisions, performance estimates, and identification of technical risks

Requirements

• PhD in atomic physics, optical physics, quantum sensing, precision measurement, or related field
• Practical experience with atom-based inertial and/or gravitational sensors, atom interferometry, or closely related AMO or precision-measurement hardware
• Strong practical judgment in balancing physics performance against constraints such as reliability, operability, integration complexity, usability, cost, schedule, SWaP-C, environmental robustness, and technical risk
• Experience designing, building, integrating, testing, operating, and debugging complex hardware and software systems
• Experience developing models, simulations, calculations, and/or error budgets to inform instrument designs
• Ability to work effectively with engineering teams on optical, mechanical, electrical, software, firmware, vacuum, laser, controls, packaging, and instrument-operation challenges
• Professional-level communication skills, including the ability to share technical information clearly with technical and non-technical staff, leadership, and customers
• Ability to travel domestically and potentially internationally up to 10%
• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future sponsorship

Nice to Have

• Direct experience with atom interferometry, cold-atom gravimetry, gravity gradiometry, quantum inertial sensing, Bose Einstein condensates, or optical lattices
• Experience building, testing, operating, or deploying practical AMO/quantum systems, including fieldable sensors, transportable instruments, or robust laboratory prototypes
• Experience with cold or ultracold atoms, Bose-Einstein condensates, MOTs, optical lattices, or related technologies
• Demonstrated ability to translate customer needs or performance goals into implementable system architectures, requirements, engineering trades, and test approaches
• Experience writing proposals, leading technical work, serving as a Principal Investigator (PI) or technical lead, and/or working directly with customers
• 2+ years of post-PhD experience in a postdoctoral role, quantum-related industry, precision measurement, or related hardware development environment

Benefits

• 100% company-paid medical, dental, vision, short/long-term disability
• Employer-funded Health Savings Account
• Unlimited PTO
• 401(k) match
• Company-paid Life and AD&D Insurance
• Flexible Savings Account
• Paid FMLA, Maternity/Paternity Leave
• Employee Assistance ProgramStudent Loan Repayment
• Equity Program