PhD Position in Neutral-Atom Quantum Computing with Optical Lattices at ETH Zurich (Konrad Viebahn)
Job Description
The new Atom Quantum Processing group of Prof. Konrad Viebahn at ETH Zurich’s Institute for Quantum Electronics is hiring a doctoral student in neutral-atom quantum computing. The group is setting up a lab for laser cooling, trapping and imaging ultracold rubidium atoms in optical lattices, and will use collisional atom-atom interactions, rather than Rydberg states, to build highly coherent, scalable quantum processors. The student will help build the apparatus from scratch.
At a glance
- Position: Doctoral student, 100%, fixed term
- Group: Atom Quantum Processing (AQP), Institute for Quantum Electronics
- Supervisor: Prof. Konrad Viebahn
- Where: Hönggerberg campus, Zurich
- Apply: open until filled (re-checked 13 October 2026)
About the neutral-atom PhD
- Set up a laser system for cooling, trapping and imaging rubidium-85 atoms
- Engineer and assemble an ultra-high-vacuum system with good optical access
- Program and integrate ARTIQ experiment control
- Study collisional quantum gates with calculations and simulations
- Present at conferences and publish
What ETH Zurich is looking for
- An MSc (or close to finishing) in physics, quantum engineering, electrical engineering or a related field
- Strong motivation to build a quantum computer from scratch
- Excellent spoken and written English
Nice to have
- Fibre coupling, fluorescence microscopy, Doppler-free spectroscopy
- Spatial light modulators, laser locking, optical cavities and interferometers
- CAD, soldering, PCB, FPGA or DSP
Pay and location
ETH Zurich pays doctoral students according to its doctoral salary scale; the advert gives no figure. The post is full time in Zurich.
How to apply
Apply through the official ETH Zurich job posting. ETH Zurich’s posting does not give a closing date, so the role is open until filled; ResearchJobs.in will re-check this listing on 13 October 2026. Check the posting for location and work-authorisation details before you apply.
See all our quantum technology jobs, or browse more research jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: ETH Zurich
Official advertisement: jobs.ethz.ch
How to prepare for this application
- Lab skills: list the optics techniques from the advert you have used.
- Build mindset: give an example of building an experiment from parts.
- Read the group's work: look up the topological pumping results the advert mentions.
- Documents: apply through ETH's online portal only.
About ETH Zurich
ETH Zurich is Switzerland's federal institute of technology, with more than 30,000 people from over 120 countries. Its physics department on the Hönggerberg campus hosts the Institute for Quantum Electronics, one of Europe's largest groups in quantum optics and photonics.
