Alice & Bob

Develops fault-tolerant quantum computer hardware

Experimental Physics Intern - Broadband Flux Noise Sensing

Hardware Validation & TestingConfirmed live in the last 24 hours

Internship · Winter 2027Aubervilliers, FranceNo salary listedHybrid

About the Job

Requirements

The candidate must be a Master's student in physics, engineering physics, or electrical/electronics engineering, with a strong interest in experimental work.
The candidate must have a good theoretical grasp of electromagnetism and microwave systems, practical programming skills, and comfort building, operating, and troubleshooting a measurement setup.
The candidate must be proficient in English.
The candidate must have prior lab or project experience in RF/microwave measurements or low-temperature physics.
The candidate must have a solid understanding of magnetic fields, flux, and electromagnetic coupling.
The candidate must have knowledge of microwave engineering, including waveguides, resonators, transmission lines, and S-parameters.
The candidate must be proficient in Python for instrument control, data acquisition, and analysis.
The candidate must understand feedback and control loops, including gain, bandwidth, latency, and stability.
The candidate must be familiar with noise characterisation and spectral analysis, including power spectral density.
The candidate must have hands-on experimental skills, including assembling and debugging measurement setups.
The candidate must be rigorous in documenting experiments and analysing results.

Responsibilities

Develop and set up the flux noise measurement experiment by designing and assembling the cryogenic and radio-frequency measurement chain, including wiring, filtering, amplification, and instrumentation.
Implement and document the measurement and control software in Python.
Characterise flux noise measurement chips by calibrating flux-tunable resonators, including frequency versus flux, operating point, and Pound-Drever-Hall lock parameters.
Measure the flux noise power spectral density and extract the relevant metrics.
Analyse limitations to broadband operation by modelling and measuring feedback-loop bandwidth, latencies, and readout-chain noise contributions.
Identify the dominant physical and instrumental limits across the frequency band.
Propose and test solutions to extend measurement bandwidth, evaluating alternative locking, readout, or analysis schemes.
Implement and experimentally validate the most promising approaches.
Document experiments, analyses, and conclusions in the team's internal tools.
Present progress and findings to the HERMES team.

Desired Qualifications

Experience with cryostats or superconducting quantum circuits is a plus.

Alice & Bob is developing the first universal, fault-tolerant quantum computer to solve the world’s hardest problems.

The quantum computer we envision building is based on a new kind of superconducting qubit: the Schrödinger cat qubit 🐈‍⬛. In comparison to other superconducting platforms, cat qubits have the astonishing ability to implement quantum error correction autonomously!

We're a diverse team of 250+ brilliant minds from over 35 countries united by a single goal: to revolutionise computing with a practical fault-tolerant quantum machine. Are you ready to take on unprecedented challenges and contribute to revolutionising technology? Join us, and let's shape the future of quantum computing together!

Purpose of the role

In a context where magnetic flux noise directly limits the coherence of superconducting quantum circuits, Alice & Bob uses flux-tunable resonator chips as local probes of the electromagnetic environment seen by its quantum processors. The current measurement relies on a Pound-Drever-Hall (PDH) lock whose feedback loop bandwidth restricts the sensing to a narrow frequency band.

The Experimental Physics Intern, Broadband Flux Noise Sensing contributes to extending this capability to a broad frequency band by setting up and operating a cryogenic experiment to characterise these chips, identifying the limitations to broadband operation, and proposing and testing ways to overcome them.

Reporting to the Team Lead, HERMES, they will work closely with the quantum and RF characterisation engineers of the HERMES team to deliver a validated broadband flux noise sensing method.

The internship starts between January and March 2027 and lasts 6 months!

Responsibilities:

Develop and set up the flux noise measurement experiment
- Design and assemble the cryogenic and RF measurement chain (wiring, filtering, amplification, instrumentation)
- Implement and document the measurement and control software in Python
Characterise flux noise measurement chips
- Calibrate the flux-tunable resonators (frequency vs. flux, operating point, PDH lock parameters)
- Measure the flux noise power spectral density and extract the relevant metrics
Analyse the limitations to broadband operation
- Model and measure the feedback loop bandwidth, latencies and noise contributions of the readout chain
- Identify the dominant physical and instrumental limits across the frequency band
Propose and test solutions to extend the measurement bandwidth
- Evaluate alternative locking, readout or analysis schemes
- Implement and validate the most promising approaches experimentally
Report and share results
- Document experiments, analyses and conclusions in the team's internal tools
- Present progress and findings to the HERMES team

Requirements:

You are a Master's student in physics, engineering physics or electrical/electronics engineering, with a strong interest in experimental work.

You combine a good theoretical grasp of electromagnetism and microwave systems with practical programming skills, and are comfortable building, operating and troubleshooting a measurement setup.

LANGUAGES: Proficient in English
EXPERIENCE: Prior lab or project experience in RF/microwave measurements or low-temperature physics; experience with cryostats or superconducting quantum circuits is a plus
Solid understanding of magnetic fields, flux and electromagnetic coupling
Knowledge of microwave engineering: waveguides, resonators, transmission lines, S-parameters
Proficiency in Python for instrument control, data acquisition and analysis
Understanding of feedback and control loops (gain, bandwidth, latency, stability)
Familiarity with noise characterisation and spectral analysis (power spectral density)
Hands-on experimental skills: assembling and debugging measurement setups
Rigour in documenting experiments and analysing results
Autonomy, curiosity and a problem-solving mindset

Benefits:

- 1 day off per month

- Half of transportation cost coverage (as per French law)

- Meal vouchers with Swile, as well as access to a fully equipped and regularly stocked kitchen

Research shows that women might feel hesitant to apply for this job if they don't match 100% of the job requirements listed. This list is a guide, and we'd love to receive your application even if you think you're only a partial match. We are looking to build teams that innovate, not just tick boxes on a job spec.

You will join of one of the most innovative startups in France at an early stage, to be part of a passionate and friendly team on its mission to build the first universal quantum computer!

We love to share and learn from one another, so you will be certain to innovate, develop new ideas, and have the space to grow.

About the Company

Alice & Bob

Develops fault-tolerant quantum computer hardware

Alice & Bob builds quantum computers that use self-correcting superconducting qubits to achieve fault-tolerant quantum computing. Their machines are designed to run any quantum algorithm, helping researchers tackle hard, complex problems with fewer errors. The product combines a quantum computer chip and related hardware to support quantum computation, backed by simulations to aid design and testing. Unlike others that rely on less error-tolerant qubits, this company focuses on error-free operation through self-correcting qubits, aiming to provide researchers and organizations a reliable platform for advancing quantum algorithms and solving challenging problems. The overall goal is to expand practical quantum computing by delivering a dependable, scalable hardware system that researchers can use to explore and implement advanced quantum techniques.

Company size: 201-500
Company stage: Early VC
Total funding: $162.1M
Headquarters: Paris, France
Founded: 2020

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