Doctoral Student in Quantum Error Correction

About the role

ETH Zurich invites applications for a doctoral position in the theory of quantum error correction, supervised by Joseph M. Renes and co-supervised by Renato Renner. Quantum error correction protects quantum information from errors and is central to large-scale quantum computing; the project investigates its fundamental limits. It is part of QuBriC, the first European Marie Skłodowska-Curie Doctoral Network dedicated to QEC, and includes secondments to Politecnico di Milano and Quantinuum in Cambridge. The position is fully funded for 3 years, starts around early 2027, and is a fixed-term appointment of three years with a starting salary of 61'400 CHF per year.

Key responsibilities

• Conduct high-quality research and progressively develop your own research ideas, with the project direction shaped to your background and interests
• Perform numerical experiments and theoretical analysis, develop algorithms and software, and publish results in leading journals and present at international conferences
• Collaborate with QuBriC researchers and take part in the network's research, training and dissemination activities
• Teach at undergraduate and Master's level and carry out other departmental duties, up to 20% full time

Required profile

• Masters degree (or equivalent) in physics, mathematics, electrical engineering, computer science or a closely related field
• No doctoral degree held at the date of recruitment
• Not resident in Switzerland for more than 12 months in the 36 months before recruitment (Marie Skłodowska-Curie mobility rule)
• Strong mathematical background rooted in information theory or quantum information science, curiosity about quantum mechanics and information processing, and motivation for ambitious work
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an international research environment, with strong English communication skills
• Previous research and teaching experience strengthens the application

Required skills

• Strong programming skills (e.g. Python, Matlab or similar)
• Familiarity with classical and/or quantum coding theory, error-correcting codes and decoding algorithms

What we offer

• A welcoming, open research group in the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the intersection of quantum information theory, quantum cryptography and quantum foundations
• English as the working language
• Membership in a cohort of 15 MSCDN doctoral candidates, meeting regularly at network training schools, workshops and conferences

Applications with CV, a personal statement, transcripts and a writing sample must be submitted online as a single PDF by 5 January 2027; applications by email or post are not accepted.