Quantum Materials Engineer - Thin-Film Stack for Qubits

SmartRecruiters, Inc.; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 185,000 - 246,000; Full time

Job summary

Western Digital seeks a gifted researcher in quantum compute materials to advance thin film stack development for superconducting qubits. You will focus on deposition of Al, Nb, Ta-based superconductors and insulators such as AlOx to enable high-Q resonators and Josephson junctions.

You will collaborate with nanofabrication scientists, electrical characterization teams, and device designers to push uniformity from wafer to wafer, applying surface/interface control and crystallinity insights.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. degree in Physics, Electrical Engineering or Materials Science.
• Thorough understanding of superconducting qubit design theory.
• Experience in nanofabrication methods for superconducting qubits is a plus.
• Experience in thin film materials characterization including XRD, AFM, CIPT, cross-sectional TEM, XPS and others.
• Proficiency in Python, Rust, TCL, or C; willingness to acquire FPGA knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Lead and execute research projects in quantum computing thin film materials stack design, surface and interfaces control.
• Lead effort in thin film materials stack characterization.
• Collaborate with product teams to tackle novel challenges and develop innovative solutions.
• Stay current with industry and academic trends, publishing papers and presenting at conferences.
• Develop and present detailed reports and visualizations to communicate findings to stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrate self-motivation and ability to pursue fundamental research, including paper writing.

Skills

Qubit design

Python

Rust

TCL

C

Thin film deposition

Thin film characterization

XRD

AFM

CIPT

TEM

XPS

Education

Ph.D in Physics / EE / Materials Science

Tools

XRD

AFM

CIPT

TEM

XPS

Job description

Western Digital seeks a gifted researcher in quantum compute materials to advance thin film stack development for superconducting qubits. You will focus on deposition of Al, Nb, Ta-based superconductors and insulators such as AlOx to enable high-Q resonators and Josephson junctions.

You will collaborate with nanofabrication scientists, electrical characterization teams, and device designers to push uniformity from wafer to wafer, applying surface/interface control and crystallinity insights.