Job description
The Mathematical Institute of the Faculty of Science, Leiden University, offers a PhD position on the topic of Algebraic Quantum Algorithms. The successful candidate will be working with both Peter Bruin (Leiden) and Maris Ozols (University of Amsterdam/QuSoft). The PhD candidate will be primarily based in Leiden, and will also be able to spend part of their time at QuSoft.
The goal is to develop new quantum algorithms using techniques from algebra and number theory. This project is embedded in the Quantum Software Consortium, a collaboration between research groups in Leiden, Amsterdam and Delft, and in the Dutch National Growth Fund initiative Quantum Delta NL, with hubs in Amsterdam, Leiden, Delft, Twente and Eindhoven. The position comes with some light teaching duties.

Requirements

• A master’s degree in mathematics or computer science
• Experience in one or more of the following areas is an advantage: algebra (including representation theory), number theory and quantum algorithms
• English communication and writing skills

Supervisors
Peter Bruin is an assistant professor at Leiden University. His research is in (computational) number theory and arithmetic geometry, quantum algorithms, and links between number theory and quantum-safe cryptography.

Maris Ozols is an associate professor at the University of Amsterdam and a senior researcher at QuSoft. His research spans broadly across quantum algorithms and quantum information. He is particularly interested in using algebraic tools, such as representation theory, to derive new quantum algorithms and protocols.

Conditions of employment

• We offer a full-time appointment of initially one year. After a positive evaluation of the progress of the research, teaching evaluations, personal capabilities and compatibility, the appointment will be extended for another three years.
• The gross salary ranges from € 2.770,- per month in the first year to € 3.539,- gross per month in the fourth year based on a full-time position (pay scale P in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities).
• Additional funding is available to support travel to conferences and workshops abroad.
• Leiden University offers an attractive benefits package including pension build-up, paid parental leave and additional holiday (8%) and end-of-year bonuses (8.3%).
• Our individual choices model gives you some freedom to assemble your own set of terms and conditions.
• Candidates from outside the Netherlands may be eligible for a substantial tax break. For more information, see our website.

Universiteit Leiden

About the organization

Leiden University
The Faculty of Science is a world-class faculty where staff and students work together in a dynamic international environment. It is a faculty where personal and academic development are top priorities. Our people are committed to expand fundamental knowledge by curiosity and to look beyond the borders of their own discipline; their aim is to benefit science, and to make a contribution to addressing the major societal challenges of the future.
The research carried out at the Faculty of Science is very diverse, ranging from mathematics, information science, astronomy, physics, chemistry and bio-pharmaceutical sciences to biology and environmental sciences. The research activities are organised in eight institutes. These institutes offer eight bachelor's and twelve master's programmes. The faculty has grown strongly in recent years and now has almost 2,800 staff and over 6,000 students.
We are located at the heart of Leiden's Bio Science Park, one of Europe's biggest science parks, where university and business life come together.

Mathematical Institute
The Mathematical Institute (MI) is one of the eight institutes within the Faculty of Science and has a strong international orientation. Its mission is to push the frontiers of scientific knowledge by developing and applying high quality mathematics, while offering a wide range of mathematical training in a friendly but challenging environment.
We believe that mathematics is an essential part of human knowledge and our staff members take pride in their role as keepers of this rich field of science. They are dedicated to push the boundaries of mathematical knowledge and to contribute their experience towards solving problems faced in other sciences, society and industry. In addition, many of our staff members work hard to promote mathematical literacy in society at large through a multitude of outreach activities.
The candidate will benefit from the proximity to the Leiden Institute of Physics, the Leiden Institute of Advanced Computer Science, and the Lorentz Center, which hosts international scientific meetings.
For more information, see www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science/mathematics, https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/science and https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/working-at

About QuSoft
QuSoft is the Dutch research centre for quantum software. It is based in Amsterdam and has close ties with the University of Amsterdam (UvA), the Centrum voor Wiskunde en Informatica (CWI) and the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), which jointly launched it in 2015. QuSoft's mission is to develop new protocols, algorithms and applications that can be run on quantum computers. The main focus of QuSoft research is to make fundamental advances in quantum algorithms and quantum information theory.