Postdoctoral Research Associate in Experimental Quantum Sensing (AI-Driven Nuclear-Spin Control)
Prof Cristian Bonato is seeking an Experimental Postdoctoral Research Associate to join his team’s work on the real-time, autonomous optimisation of nuclear-spin sensing and control — building on recent results such as Phys. Rev. Applied 21, 024026 (2024) and PRX Quantum 7, 020360 (2026).
You will further develop our real-time adaptive quantum sensing platform, integrating the new Quantum Machines Open Acceleration Stack, and lead experimental demonstrations of AI-driven quantum control for nuclear-spin quantum memories.
This position sits alongside two Computational Postdoctoral Research Associates working on Bayesian experimental design, variational Bayesian inference, and reinforcement learning for autonomous nuclear-spin detection and control. All three posts are intended to complement each other and will work closely together at the interface of machine learning and quantum technology, in collaboration with Prof Tom Rainforth (Oxford) and Prof Giovanni Montana (Warwick), leading experts on Bayesian experiment design and reinforcement learning.
We are looking for:
- A background in experimental quantum technologies
- Experience with NV centres in diamond or other colour centres is particularly desirable
- Excellent Python skills
The position is based at Heriot-Watt University (HWU) in Edinburgh, consistently recognised as one of the most attractive and vibrant cities in the UK in which to live and work. HWU offers a collaborative and internationally connected research environment in both quantum technology and AI, and you will work closely with partners across the Integrated Quantum Networks (IQN) and Quantum Sensing for Biomedical Research (Q-BIOMED) hubs.
Location: Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
For more information, please visit the group website and contact Prof Cristian Bonato (c.bonato@hw.ac.uk) as soon as possible!