While a quantum internet is being developed, many open questions remain on the power of networked quantum computers: What are their exact capabilities? And for which distributed tasks can new protocols be found?

The MNS group of the Informatics Institute invites you to apply for a PhD position working on these questions.

What are you going to do?

As part of your PhD project, you will develop new multiparty protocols for joint computational tasks on quantum networks, and prove limits on their power. Research directions for your PhD include:

• Joint quantum computation under timing constraints. What if networked quantum computers have to perform a computational task together, but are only allowed limited rounds of communication? Can there be a trade-off between time taken and entanglement?
• Computing on encrypted quantum data. In a quantum network, multiple parties will have to handle quantum data, while not completely trusting each other. To handle this situation, research will have to advance the state-of-the-art in secure quantum computation.

You will be embedded in the MNS group of the Institute of Informatics of the University of Amsterdam. The group focuses its research on the fundamental architectural problems that arise from the interconnection of systems and of data flows. We look at the emerging architectures that can support the operations of the future Internet.

You will work under the supervision of dr Florian Speelman, who will also serve as your co-promotor, and of dr Paola Grosso as promotor.

You will also work in close collaboration with QuSoft, the Dutch research institute for quantum software, which houses experts on all topics in quantum computing. Together, the local institutes form a rich research ecosystem with opportunities to work together with computer scientists, physicists and mathematicians from the various groups situated at the Amsterdam Science Park.

You will start your PhD project concurrently with a PhD student who will work on theoretical questions directly associated with the Quantum Delta CAT-2 project. This gives the opportunity to work together on shared research questions concerning applications on the prototype quantum network that is being developed.

You will:

• research quantum networks, by developing new protocols for multi-partite quantum computation tasks, and by developing proofs that show the impossibility of some tasks;
• publish and present your work in international conferences and journals;
• be an active part of the local research groups at MNS and QuSoft;
• assist in educational activities and supervision of bachelor and master students.

What do we require?

• A Master’s degree (or equivalent) in Computer Science, Mathematics, or a related subject;
• high proficiency in English;
• previous demonstrated interest in quantum computing, in the form of coursework, projects, or academic publications;
• high motivation in pursuing academic research.

Our offer

We offer a temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). This should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and Master students.

The salary will be €2,395 to €3,061 (scale P) gross per month, based on a fulltime contract (38 hours a week). This is exclusive 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Dutch Universities is applicable.

Are you curious about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits like our excellent opportunities for study and development? Take a look here.

University of Amsterdam

With over 5,000 employees, 30,000 students and a budget of more than 600 million euros, the University of Amsterdam (UvA) is an intellectual hub within the Netherlands. Teaching and research at the UvA are conducted within seven faculties: Humanities, Social and Behavioural Sciences, Economics and Business, Law, Science, Medicine and Dentistry. Housed on four city campuses in or near the heart of Amsterdam, where disciplines come together and interact, the faculties have close links with thousands of researchers and hundreds of institutions at home and abroad.  

The UvA’s students and employees are independent thinkers, competent rebels who dare to question dogmas and aren’t satisfied with easy answers and standard solutions. To work at the UvA is to work in an independent, creative, innovative and international climate characterised by an open atmosphere and a genuine engagement with the city of Amsterdam and society.

Faculty of Science – Informatics Institute

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 6,500, as well as 1,600 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain, or machines that display intelligent behaviour.

The mission of the Informatics Institute is to perform curiosity-driven and use-inspired fundamental research in Computer Science. Our research involves complex information systems at large, with a focus on collaborative, data driven, computational and intelligent systems, all with a strong interactive component.