Aalto University is a community of bold thinkers where science and art meet technology and business. We are committed to identifying and solving grand societal challenges and building an innovative future. Aalto has six schools with nearly 11 000 students and a staff of more than 4000, of which 400 are professors. Our main campus is located in Espoo, Finland. Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness in the future as well. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community.
The Department of Applied Physics is now looking for two
Postdoctoral researchers
We invite applications for two post-doctoral researchers in the field of quantum computing, focused on the development of quantum algorithms to investigate and design strongly correlated quantum many-body systems and quantum materials. The prospective postdocs will work on developing quantum circuit algorithms to predict quantum phase transitions in interacting quantum many-body systems. We aim to use a methodology that relies on measurements of fluctuations to predict quantum phase transitions in a manner that is resilient to the decoherence in quantum computers.
The prediction of quantum phase transitions is an open problem in quantum many-body physics with strong connections to the understanding of quantum materials, including high-temperature superconductivity and fractional quantum matter. The solution of quantum many-body problems, especially in two and three dimensions, represents one of most promising and immediate applications of near-term quantum computers. The capability to tackle these important problems provides a stepping-stone towards the understanding and design of completely new forms of quantum matter, potentially opening a whole new direction of research in quantum physics and quantum materials. From a practical standpoint, decoherence in quantum circuits requires algorithms that are robust to noise. The project will exploit a novel Lee-Yang theory of quantum phase transitions, which harnesses the analytic properties of generating function in the complex plan. The methodology relies on the measurement of fluctuations in a quantum many-body system and should be robust to the presence of moderate decoherence.
Your role
The two postdocs can work on a wide range of topics related to these overarching goals. Depending on their background, they may work on developing the methodology using tensor-network simulators of quantum circuits, they may design quantum algorithms to describe strongly correlated quantum many-body systems, and/or they may implement these methods on the available quantum computing resources. The host groups have developed an in-house tensor-network quantum circuit simulator, which provides a powerful starting point for simulating near-term noisy quantum computing using classical resources only. As such, the tensor-network simulator may serve as a testing ground for the quantum algorithms before they are implemented on actual quantum computers at later stages.
The project will be carried out in collaboration between the theory groups of “Correlated Quantum Materials” (Prof. Jose Lado) and “Quantum Transport” (Prof. Christian Flindt) at Aalto University and the project is financed by a generous donation from the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. We are looking for highly motivated individuals with a strong background in theoretical physics, computational physics, and/or quantum computing. The postdocs will mainly be involved with research, with the opportunity to contribute to the supervision of BSc/MSc students.
Your experience and ambitions
As a postdoc working in an international research environment, you are expected to have a very good command of English, and ideally you are familiar with advanced theoretical concepts and methods from quantum computing, quantum many-body physics, and/or quantum materials. Finnish language is not required.
Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive, and independence, and how the applicant’s experience and skills complement and strengthen ongoing research within the department, and how they stand to contribute to its future development.
The expected starting date (with some flexibility) is September 1st, 2023, and PhD students that would defend their Ph.D. thesis by September 2023 are eligible to apply.
What we offer
The duration of the positions are two years. The annual workload of research and teaching staff at Aalto University is currently 1612 hours. Aalto University follows the salary system of Finnish universities. The starting salary for a Postdoctoral researcher is approx. 3800€/month. The salary ranges from 3800€ to 4100€ per month, depending on previous experience. The contract includes occupational healthcare.
The primary workplace will be the Otaniemi Campus at Aalto University.
Ready to apply?
To apply for the position, please submit your application including the attachments mentioned below as one single PDF document in English through our online recruitment system by using the link on Aalto University’s web page (“Apply Now”).
- Cover letter
- CV, including a list of publications
- Degree certificates and academic transcripts
- Contact information of two references
The deadline for applications is April 1st, 2023. We will go through applications, and we may invite suitable candidates to interview already during the application period. The position will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is identified. For additional information, kindly contact Prof. Christian Flindt or Prof. Jose Lado (firstname.lastname (at) aalto.fi). Aalto University reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period, reopen the application process, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period.
Please note: Aalto University’s employees and visitors should apply for the position via our internal system Workday -> find jobs (not external aalto.fi webpage on open positions) by using their existing Workday user account.
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About Finland
Finland is a great place for living with or without family – it is a safe, politically stable and well-organized Nordic society. Finland is consistently ranked high in quality of life and was just listed again as the happiest country in the world: It’s a Three-Peat, Finland Keeps Top Spot as Happiest Country in World | The World Happiness Report. For more information about living in Finland: Living in Finland | Aalto University
Interested?