Temporary contract | 48 months (first contract of 14 months) | Belvaux

Are you passionate about research? So are we! Come and join us

The Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) is a Research and Technology Organization (RTO) active in the fields of materials, environment and IT. By transforming scientific knowledge into technologies, smart data and tools, LIST empowers citizens in their choices, public authorities in their decisions and businesses in their strategies.

Do you want to know more about LIST? Check our website: https://www.list.lu/

Discover our Materials department: https://www.list.lu/en/materials/

How will you contribute?

You will be part of the LIST Materials Research and Technology department, where you will carry out your work in the Quantum Materials Group, led by Dr. Florian Kaiser.

Context

Quantum technologies have the potential to revolutionise the world in many aspects. Quantum colour centres in in wide bandgap semiconductors have recently emerged as a promising platform, since they can incorporate quantum systems, which can be scaled up by industrial processing.

Along these lines, we have recently discovered a new quantum colour centre in silicon carbide, the leading 3^rd generation semiconductor. This colour centre is the stacking-fault divacancy, which shows outstanding spin qubit properties, even at room temperature, thus being the prime candidate for implementing low-cost quantum computing and quantum sensing.

These finding define the strategy for developing a scalable quantum technology architecture.

Our strategy is to integrate colour centres into nanophotonic silicon carbide chips at the wafer-scale. On the one side, this will allow us to integrate dozens to hundreds of qubit systems on one chip for quantum computing. On the other side, this will allow us to control dense ensembles of colour centres for high-accuracy quantum-enhanced magnetic field sensing in the perspective of bio-medical and oceanography research.

Mission

The objective of this PhD thesis is to maximise the efficiency of colour centre generation in nanophotonic waveguides. On the one side, studies on the generation of single colour centres will lead to a deterministic creation of individual spin qubits for quantum computing. On the other side, studies on generating dense ensembles of colour centres will lead to a comprehensive understanding of the ideal quantum sensor architecture, considering the interplay between signal strength and spin coherence times.

The initial part of this thesis is strongly related to colour centre generation in bulk silicon carbide crystals. You will generate colour centres based on ion implantation, which we can carry out with in-house tools, as well as in collaboration with Surrey University (UK). Then, you will carry out a large variety of thermal annealing studies and determine their suitability in subsequent confocal microscopy experiments, which provide the crucial information on the generation yield and qubit spin coherence times. At this point, you will also be able to benefit from our on-going activities on silicon carbide surface passivation, which intend to further improve spin coherence times.

Having established a deep knowledge on the ideal colour centre generation techniques, you will apply these techniques to our silicon carbide waveguides. This will result in fully integrated nanophotonic quantum colour centre devices, which you will use for demonstrator experiments in room-temperature quantum computing and quantum sensing. At the end of your thesis, you will have developed a reliable chip-based quantum technology platform, which has a high potential for industrial fabrication.

Is Your profile described below? Are you our future colleague? Apply now!

Education

·       MSc degree in physics, quantum technology, materials science, or electronic engineering

Experience and skills

·       Excellent written and oral communication skills e.g., in publications, reports, and/or presentations

·       Collaborative skills, initiative, result oriented, organisation, and capacity to work in an interdisciplinary environment

·       Team spirit is a critical requirement.

·       Experience with quantum optics. Previous experience with colour centres, is a plus (e.g., lab courses, BSc/MSc thesis).

·       Ability to effectively and reliably coordinate with the supervisor and multiple collaborators

Language skills

·       English (proficient)

Your LIST benefits

·       An organization with a passion for impact and strong RDI partnerships in Luxembourg and Europe that works on responsible and independent research projects

·       Sustainable by design, empowering our belief that we play an essential role in paving the way to a green society

·       Innovative infrastructures and exceptional labs occupying more than 5,000 square metres, including innovations in all that we do

·       An environment encouraging curiosity, innovation and entrepreneurship in all areas

·       Personalized learning programme to foster our staff’s soft and technical skills

·       Multicultural and international work environment with more than 50 nationalities represented in our workforce

·       Diverse and inclusive work environment empowering our people to fulfil their personal and professional ambitions

·       Gender-friendly environment with multiple actions to attract, develop and retain women in science

·       32 days’ paid annual leave, 11 public holidays, 13-month salary, statutory health insurance

·       Flexible working hours, home working policy and access to lunch vouchers

Apply online

Your application must include:

·       A motivation letter oriented towards the position and detailing your experience

·       A scientific CV with contact details

·       List of publications (and patents, if applicable)

·       Contact details of at least one reference

Application procedure and conditions

We kindly request applicants to provide their nationality for statistical purposes only, as part of our commitment to promoting diversity and ensuring equal opportunities in our workforce. This information will be kept confidential and will not be used for any discriminatory purposes.

LIST is dedicated to maintaining an inclusive work environment and is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to attracting, hiring, and retaining a diverse workforce. All applicants will be considered for employment without discrimination based on national origin, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, religion, age, or disability.

Applications will be continuously reviewed until the position is filled. An assessment committee will thoroughly evaluate applications, adhering to guidelines designed to ensure equal opportunities. The primary criteria for selection will be the alignment of the applicant's existing skills and expertise with the requirements mentioned above.

PhD additional conditions:

·       Supervisor at LIST: Dr. Florian KAISER ( florian.kaiser@list.lu )

·       Work location: Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), Belvaux, Luxembourg

·       PhD enrolment: University of Luxembourg, Belval, Luxembourg

Candidates shall be available for starting their position in summer/autumn 2024. Please note the universities costs are at the charge of the student.

Your master diploma must be recognized in Luxembourg. Please refer to:

https://www.uni.lu/en/admissions/diploma-recognition/

https://guichet.public.lu/fr/citoyens/enseignement-formation/etudes-superieures/reconnaissance-diplomes.html