Work with us

Opportunities for Bachelor students:

• Positions are open on the same topics listed below for Master of Science students. See the following section and contact us if you are interested.

Opportunities for Master of Science students:

• Quantum correlations fingerprint of microwave signals for illumination protocols beating classical limits - Quantum Radar

(e.enrico@inrim.it - 01/07/2021 - 01/07/2022)

Quantum illumination (QI) is a sensing technique, introduced by S. Lloyd [1] and perfected by S. H. Tan et al. [2] in 2008, which exploits quantum entanglement between photons to enhance the detection of low-reflectivity objects immersed in a bright thermal background.

Unlike most of the applications that exploit the quantum properties of matter, such as quantum computing, quantum communication, and quantum cryptography, this detection protocol is superior to its classical counterpart in the presence of noise and decoherence sources. It has been demonstrated [2] that, for a given number of photon composing the detecting signal, in the presence of very low signal to noise ratios (SNR ≤ 0.01), this procedure ensures a reduction of 6 dB in the error detection probability exponent, compared to state-of-the-art classical detection protocol based on coherent light emission from laser or maser, and homodyne detection.

During his activity the candidate will work in the Shielded Laboratory for Quantum Electronic Systems, sited in INRiM, where he will learn to threat signals generated by single-photon microwave radiation in a cryogenic environment, exploiting state-of-the-art techniques revealing their correlations with evident quantum fingerprints. Furthermore, the student will have the possibility to bring his experience to a dynamic research group specialized in the design, fabrication, and quantum theory of superconducting circuits for low-power microwave manipulations.

[1] S. Lloyd, Enhanced sensitivity of photodetection via quantum illumination. Science,Science 321, 1463-1465 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1126/science.11606277

[2] S.-H. Tan, B. I. Erkmen, V. Giovannetti, S. Guha, S. Loyd, L. Maccone, S. Pirandola, and J. H. Shapiro, Quantum illumination with Gaussian States, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 253601 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.253601

• Design of a characterization system using Scattering parameters for microwave quantum devices

(l.oberto@inrim.it)

Quantum microwave devices play a central role in different fields, from fundamental physics to the deployment of quantum technologies. They find application, for instance, in quantum computation and communication, radio-astronomy, biomedical imaging, and radio detection and ranging.

The proposed activity consists of the design and setup of a Scattering parameters measurement system for the characterization of quantum microwave devices [1, 2]. The system will be installed in a cryogenic environment capable of reaching temperatures of approximately 10 mK or lower. The work will take place in the context of multi-year research projects in collaboration with prestigious European institutes. The first foreseen applications, in perspective, are in the characterization of Josephson Traveling Wave Parametric Amplifiers (JTWPA) and Quantum Power Sensors (QPS). With this measurement system, at the end of the European SuperQuant project, we intend to give traceability to the SI for the measurement of Scattering Parameters and microwave power in a cryogenic environment.

The candidate will join the INRIM Superconductive Quantum Electronics research group and will collaborate in the commissioning of the cryogenic system, the realization of the measurement setup, in its characterization and data analysis, also through the writing of proper software.

[1] L. Ranzani, L. Spietz, Z. Popovic, J. Aumentado: Two-port microwave calibration at millikelvin temperatures. Rev. Sci. Instr., 84, 034704 (2013); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4794910

[2] J.-H. Yeh, S. M. Anlage: In situ broadband cryogenic calibration for two-port superconducting microwave resonators. Rev. Sci. Instr., 84, 034706 (2013); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4797461

• Definition of highly reproducible nanofabrication protocols for Josephson junctions

(e.enrico@inrim.it - 01/06/2021 - 31/12/2021)

The Josephson junction, composed of two superconductors separated by a thin insulating barrier, was firstly theorized in 1962 by Josephson and then realized in the following year by Anderson and Rowell. Nowadays this simple structure, being the only known non-dissipative nonlinear passive element, represents the core circuit element of many solid-state quantum devices such as processors manipulating qubits, parametric amplifiers, or single microwave photon detectors. To enhance the performances of these nanostructured devices, precise control and high reproducibility of the junctions’ properties are mandatory [1].

During his activity the candidate will work in the PiQuET laboratory, sited in INRiM, where he will learn to design and fabricate aluminum-based Josephson junctions, exploiting state-of-the-art techniques such as Electron Beam Lithography (EBL) and Ultra-High Vacuum Electron Beam Evaporation. He will evaluate the yield of different fabricating protocols firstly exploiting Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and then through room- and cryogenic-temperature (T < 10 mK) electrical measurements. Furthermore, the student will have the possibility to bring his experience to a dynamic research group specialized in the design, fabrication, and quantum theory of superconducting circuits for low-power microwave manipulations.

[1] J M Kreikebaum et al 2020 Supercond. Sci. Technol. 33 06LT02