Postdoctoral Researcher for the QuantuEra II project ExTRaQT
Project title: Experiment and Theory of Resources in Quantum Technologies, ExTRaQT
Position is offered by the International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies of the University of Gdańsk within the implementation of the project “Experiment and Theory of Resources in Quantum Technologies " (contract no. UMO-2021/03/Y/ST2/00178). The project is financed by the National Science Centre (NCN) under the QuantEra II programme.
We are looking for a Postdoctoral Researcher to work in the New Quantum Resources and Thermodynamics Group led by Prof. Michał Horodecki at the International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies (ICTQT) hosted by the University of Gdańsk (UG) - pioneering and leading center of quantum information research in Poland.
About the project
The emergence of quantum information science and the subsequent development of quantum technologies is firmly rooted in the newly found appreciation of physical properties such as coherent superposition, entanglement and entropy as resources. These resources provide the fuel for quantum technologies that enables them to achieve efficiencies beyond the limits imposed by classical physics. The optimal exploitation of resources in quantum technologies requires as a foundation both a firm mathematical framework for a rigorous characterisation, manipulation and verification of quantum resources and experimental technologies that can manipulate them in practice. Building on these foundations, jointly theory and experiment can then design and realise protocols and devices to deliver optimised quantum technologies. ExTRaQT is a consortium of mathematicians, theoretical and experimental physicists as well as molecular spectroscopists with proven track record of collaboration that will take this route by developing the theoretical and experimental foundations for quantum resource manipulation and, in a close collaboration across these fields, demonstrate experimentally key elements of quantum scale heat engines and apply these concepts to gain new insights into quantum dynamics of bio-molecular systems. To this end, ExTRaQT will:
- Develop the mathematical foundations of resource theories for states, operations and dynamics and apply them specifically to the resources of coherence and to thermodynamic processes at the quantum scale. Key processes in these resource theories will be identified to use them as a basis on which to achieve their experimental realisation.
- Design theoretically and optimise numerically experimental designs of key resource manipulation processes and quantum scale heat engines based on realistic experimental parameters of the experimental platforms of trapped ions and of bio-molecular systems.
- Use trapped ion quantum technologies to realise atomic scale quantum heat engines in contact with classical and quantum heat baths and analyse their performance in terms of the resource theory of quantum thermodynamics. Design and realise a quantum simulator for open quantum systems in contact with structured reservoirs capable of emulating dynamics of bio-molecular systems.
- Observe coherent electron-vibrational quantum transport dynamics in bio-molecular systems, assess the role of coherent dynamics and analyse these dynamics in terms of quantum heat engines. Electronic and vibrational struc-ture of those systems will be tailored to achieve control over thermodynamic processes in such systems.
If you would like any further details about the project or the advertised position then please feel free to get in contact (michal.horodecki[at]ug.edu.pl) for a chat.
About the group
The New Quantum Resources and Thermodynamics Group deals with a broad spectrum of topics, related to such resources as nonlocality/contextuality, entanglement, randomness, athermality, and others.
- Specific research tasks of the group include:
- Quantum open systems and quantum thermodynamics
- Open problems on Thermal Operations
- Efficiencies of engines based on Thermal Operations
- The notion of work in micro regime; quantum batteries
- Dynamical description of thermal quantum machines in various systems, including solar cells, thermoelectric generators, life-harvesting systems
- Thermodynamics with explicit battery; fluctuation relations
- Study limitations of Markovian evolution in thermodynamical context
- Resources for quantum computing:
- Contextuality/nonlocality, their relation to quantum speedup (in collaboration with NRQ)
- Quantum gates, t-designs, random circuits
- POVMs – their power versus von Neumann measurements and application to quantum algorithms
- Quantum communication:
- Port based teleportation – various variants, related group representation problems
- Quantum error correction
- Randomness amplification/extraction, secret key extraction (in collaboration with NRQ)
- Bell inequalities
- Employing graph theoretic tools
- Large violation
About ICTQT
ICTQT was created in 2018 within the International Research Agendas Programme of the Foundation for Polish Science co-financed by the European Union from the funds of the Smart Growth Operational Programme, axis IV: Increasing the research potential (Measure 4.3). The founders of ICTQT are Marek Żukowski (the director) and Paweł Horodecki (the research group leader). The Centre’s official partner is IQOQI-Vienna of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.
The Centre consists of 6 research groups:
- Multiphoton Quantum Optics for Quantum Information (leader Marek Żukowski);
- New Quantum Resources (leader Paweł Horodecki);
- Foundational Underpinnings of Quantum Technologies (leader Ana Belen Sainz);
- New Quantum Resources and Thermodynamics (leader Michał Horodecki);
- Quantum Cybersecurity and Communication (leader Marcin Pawłowski);
- Quantum Open Systems in Relation to Quantum Optics (leader Łukasz Rudnicki).
- Active scientific research.
- Presentation and discussion of ideas and results with a diverse audience at the ICTQT and at the external events.
- Participation in seminars, group meetings, and other activities of sci-entific exchange.
- Participation in activities organized by the ICTQT.
- PhD degree in physics, mathematics, computer science or philosophy (obtained in 2015 or later)
- Experience in doing numerics on such platforms like Python.
- Experience in discrete quantum heat engines within thermal operations paradigm.
- Full time employment in a rapidly developing unit, the International Centre for Theory of Quantum Technologies at the University of Gdansk.
- Scientific and organizational support.
- Basic equipment and core facilities.
- Friendly, inspiring, interdisciplinary environment.
All required documents should be prepared in English:
- Recruitment form.
- Curriculum vitae.
- A research resume with a list of publications and a list of ongoing research projects (with specification of candidate role in the research if unclear);
- PDF files (or links if open access) of 3 most relevant publications authored by the candidate;
- A list of talks at conferences and workshops, and a list of prizes and awards.
- Documents confirming academic degrees (a copy of a PhD diploma or a certificate of obtaining the title. NOTE: Before signing the employment contract, the person selected in the competition will be requested to submit to the University of Gdańsk the original of the PhD diploma. At the stage of employment, other documents will not be honoured);
- Name and contact details (e-mail addresses) of two senior researchers who may provide reference letters on behalf of the candidate (the candidate is expected to contact the referees and ask them to send reference letters directly to ictqt-careers[at]ug.edu.pl. The letters must be sent before the deadline).
- The recruitment procedure has two stages:
- Pre-selection candidates by the Selection Commission (SC), based on send documents;
- Interview of pre-selected candidates by SC;
- The positions is offered to candidates who received their PhD.
- The interview is expected at the turn of April and May 2023.
- ICTQT Selecting Commission (SC) reserves the right to invite for the interview only pre-selected candidates.
- The SC’s decision is final and is not subject to appeal.
- The SC reserves the right to close the competition without selecting a candidate.
- The decision will be made by the SC within 1 month from the date of recruitment completion.
- In the event of resignation from accepting the position of the selected candidate, the SC has the right to send the offer to the person placed on the reserve list, and in the absence of such a list, the SC has the right to reconsider the applications submitted to the competition and to indicate a new candidate.
Please submit the documents via email to ictqt-careers[at]ug.edu.pl,
in the email subject, please include reference code: Postdoc_MH_2023_03
Advert posted on March 16th, 2023.
