Postdoc in Theoretical Quantum Information Processing with Spin-Photon Interfaces in Silicon - DTU Electro

Are you a theorist in quantum optics or quantum information science with the ambition to chart the path from individual quantum emitters to large-scale quantum networks? In the project EQUAL (Erbium-based Silicon Quantum Light Sources), we are developing chip-scale quantum light sources with embedded quantum memories, based on erbium emitters in ultracompact, tunable silicon nanocavities. As a postdoc in our team, you will work ahead of our experiments and develop the protocols that will turn these building blocks into powerful quantum information processors.

Erbium in silicon combines compatibility with semiconductor technology, the potential for long spin coherence, and emission in the low-loss telecom C-band, but its weak optical transition calls for very strong Purcell enhancement. Our team at DTU has demonstrated silicon nanocavities with ultrasmall mode volumes and recently made them tunable using nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) [1]. EQUAL is a Grand Solutions Quantum project funded by Innovation Fund Denmark and brings together DTU, HZDR, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and the start-ups Beamfox and Lizard Photonics.

Moving beyond probabilistic, heralded entanglement [2], we want to understand which deterministic primitives, such as spin-photon gates and Bell-state measurements, become possible at different levels of Purcell enhancement, coherence, and loss, and how they combine with entanglement purification and quantum error correction. Our recirculating quantum photonic network (RQPN) architecture [3], which connects nonlinear cavities through programmable linear circuits, together with our work on fast reconfigurable hardware [4] and open-source simulation tools [5], provides a natural starting point. Extending these ideas to EQUAL's NEMS-based meshes of cavities with embedded erbium spins is largely uncharted territory, and the open-ended scope of the work leaves room for your own ideas.

Responsibilities and qualifications
You will help define the theoretical roadmap for scaling the EQUAL platform beyond our current experimental capabilities, working closely with our experimental team at DTU Electro and our partners at HZDR and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Depending on your interests, you will have the opportunity to:

• Devise protocols for large-scale entanglement generation, entanglement purification, and quantum error correction on networks of spin-cavity systems.
• Map out the device performance these protocols require and help set the targets for our experiments.
• Develop quantum optimal control and heralding schemes that exploit the native control handles of the platform, such as microwave spin control and optical driving, under realistic loss and decoherence.
• Explore new encodings that harness spectral and other forms of multiplexing in large-scale programmable photonic circuits.
• Mentor BSc, MSc, and PhD students, and build your research profile through international collaborations and conferences.

You think independently and creatively, take ownership of the progress and quality of your work, and enjoy working at the interface between theory and experiment.

Required qualifications:

• A strong theoretical background in quantum optics and/or quantum information science.
• Experience with scientific programming in Python and/or Julia.

Desired qualifications:

• Numerical optimal control (classical or quantum) or coherent control of spin or atomic systems.
• Open quantum systems.
• Photonic integrated circuits or spin-photon interfaces.
• Quantum error correction or entanglement purification.

As a formal qualification, you must hold a PhD degree (or equivalent). 

Assessment
Assessment of the candidates will be carried out by Associate Professor Mikkel Heuck and Professor Søren Stobbe.

We offer
DTU is a leading technical university globally recognized for the excellence of its research, education, innovation and scientific advice. We offer a rewarding and challenging job in an international environment. We strive for academic excellence in an environment characterized by collegial respect and academic freedom tempered by responsibility. 

Salary and terms of employment
The appointment will be based on the collective agreement with the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. In addition, supplements can be negotiated in accordance with DTU’s salary structure for scientific staff: www.inside.dtu.dk/en/human-resources/during-employment/salary/salary-structures. 

The period of employment is 2 years.

You can read more about career paths at DTU here.

Further information 
Further information may be obtained from Associate Professor Mikkel Heuck (mheu@dtu.dk). 

You can read more about our department at www.electro.dtu.dk.

If you are applying from abroad, you may find useful information on working in Denmark and at DTU at DTU – Moving to Denmark.

Application procedure
Your complete online application must be submitted no later than 20 November 2026 (23:59 Danish time). Applications must be submitted as one PDF file containing all materials to be given consideration. To apply, please open the link "Apply now", fill out the online application form, and attach all your materials in English in one PDF file. The file must include:

• Application (cover letter)
• CV
• Academic Diplomas (MSc/PhD – in English)
• List of publications

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

All interested candidates irrespective of age, gender, disability, race, religion or ethnic background are encouraged to apply. As DTU works with research in critical technology, which is subject to special rules for security and export control, open-source background checks may be conducted on qualified candidates for the position.

DTU Electro  
DTU Electro employs more than 300 skilled researchers with competencies in electrical and photonics engineering. As a department, we strive towards creating sustainable energy and a greener internet, as well as strengthening cyber security and health technology. Working with industry and public organizations is one of our top priorities to find and implement new solutions to our society. We aim to offer education, research, and innovation of the highest standard, and our focus on application-oriented research enables us to work across many engineering disciplines and research areas, such as IT and the medical and health sciences. We have a close collaboration with researchers from all over the world, just as we collaborate with industry and public authorities about the dissemination of solutions based on electrical and photonics engineering as their key enabling technologies. 

DTU – For the benefit of society since 1829
DTU is one of Europe's leading elite technical universities. Through research and education at an international top level, we create solutions to the major societal challenges of our time and help secure Europe's global leadership in sustainable technological development. Since Hans Christian Ørsted founded DTU almost 200 years ago, our mission has remained the same: We develop and create value through the natural and technical sciences for the benefit of society. DTU has 13,800 students, 1,600 PhD students, and 6,500 employees. We work in an international environment and have an inclusive, stimulating, and informal work culture. DTU has campuses in all parts of Denmark and in Greenland and collaborates with the best universities around the world.

References
[1] S. Lepeshov et al., Nano Lett. 26, 152 (2026).
[2] S. D. Barrett and P. Kok, Phys. Rev. A 71, 060310(R) (2005).
[3] E. Grovn et al., arXiv:2602.11033 (2026).
[4] A. Buzzi et al., arXiv:2610.31757 (2026).
[5] M. Bundgaard-Nielsen et al., Quantum 9, 1710 (2025).