Quantum Sensor Physicist: Atom Interferometry & Inertial

Infleqtion, Inc.; Boulder (CO); On-site; USD 166,000 - 256,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Unlimited paid time off

Life and AD&D insurance

Employee assistance program

Student loan repayment

Job summary

Infleqtion, Inc. in Boulder, CO seeks a Staff Quantum Sensor Physicist to translate customer needs into practical architectures for deployable atom-based inertial and gravitational sensors.

You will lead R&D on atom interferometry, guide architecture decisions, and work with engineering teams to build robust quantum sensors. The role requires a PhD in a related field and hands-on experience with atomic sensors, with collaboration across optics, vacuum, electronics, software, and controls.

Qualifications

• 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 balancing physics performance against constraints like reliability, operability, cost, schedule, SWaP-C, environmental robustness, and 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 to share technical information 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 sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Leads/participates in R&D projects involving atom interferometry and related sensing technologies.
• Translates customer needs into practical sensor architectures, requirements, and development plans.
• Leads or supports development from concept to deployment.
• Develops physics models, simulations, and error budgets to guide design decisions.
• Evaluates sensor concepts against real-world constraints (sensitivity, bandwidth, SWaP-C, reliability, cost).
• Collaborates with engineering teams to convert physics concepts into buildable instrument designs.
• Participates in proposals and customer discussions.
• Communicates project findings and progress to stakeholders and customers.

Skills

Atom interferometry

Hardware debugging

Systems design

Technical communication

Education

PhD in atomic physics or related field

Tools

Laser systems

Vacuum systems

Control systems

Job description

Infleqtion, Inc. in Boulder, CO seeks a Staff Quantum Sensor Physicist to translate customer needs into practical architectures for deployable atom-based inertial and gravitational sensors.

You will lead R&D on atom interferometry, guide architecture decisions, and work with engineering teams to build robust quantum sensors. The role requires a PhD in a related field and hands-on experience with atomic sensors, with collaboration across optics, vacuum, electronics, software, and controls.