Experimental Physicist II - Calibration
Direct Hire, Full time, Onsite- Burnaby BC Canada

D-Wave (NYSE: QBTS), a leader in the development and delivery of quantum computing systems, software, and services. We are the world’s first commercial supplier of quantum computers, and the only company building both annealing and gate-model quantum computers. Our mission is to help customers realize the value of quantum, today. Our 5,000+ qubit AdvantageTM quantum computers, the world’s largest, are available on-premises or via the cloud, supported by 99.9% availability and uptime. More than 100 organizations trust D-Wave with their toughest computational challenges. With over 200 million problems submitted to our Advantage and Advantage2™ systems to date, our customers apply our technology to address use cases spanning optimization, artificial intelligence, research and more. 

You can read more about our company and our innovations in the pages of The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, Fast Company, MIT Technology Review, Forbes, Inc. Magazine, Wired and across many white papers. 

At D-Wave, we’re helping customers realize the value of quantum computing today and are shaping the quantum-driven industrial and societal advancements of tomorrow. 

About the role
We are looking for a creative, energetic, and self-motivated Experimental Physicist to join our Processor Development (PD) team. The PD team is composed of experienced and talented superconducting designers, fabrication engineers, software developers and physicists who work together to create the processors at the heart of our quantum computer and are constantly pushing the boundaries of the technology of the future.

In this challenging and exciting position, you will work with a multi-disciplinary team and regularly communicate and collaborate with other processor development scientists, device designers, engineers, cryogenic experts and applications developers.

You will work in one or more of the following areas:

• Characterizing and calibrating our superconducting quantum processors
• Characterizing, understanding and reducing noise in superconducting circuits
• Parametric design of novel devices and/or device enhancements to improve processor performance or enable new capabilities
• Assessing and understanding the impact of the processor’s environment, including packaging, IO, electronics and cryogenic elements and developing models and approaches to improve it
• Modeling, assessing and improving real-world performance of our quantum processors

What you'll do
This role will be a mix of hands-on-keyboard measurements, statistical data analysis and experimental research to support calibration and improvement of quantum annealing processors, all done via programming (Common Lisp)..

• Develop and execute experimental procedures to quantify, understand, and operate a wide range of superconducting device
• Come up with new ideas to improve processor operation or performance and develop parametric designs to implement them
• Develop theoretical models and simulations to represent and understand experimental results on physical devices
• Develop analysis routines to fit theoretical models to data and to detect outlier behavior in large complex systems of superconducting device
• Regularly and clearly document experimental results for the broader processor development team
• Create and contribute to software infrastructure for modeling, calibrating and operating processors
• Communicate and collaborate with other internal teams at D-Wave including marketing, intellectual property, applications development and engineering

About You

• Ph.D. or M.Sc. in experimental physics or a related discipline, or equivalent 3+ years of experimental research experience
• Programming skills with Common Lisp -or- willingness to learn Common Lisp programming
• Professional statistical and data analytics experience. Experience with MATLAB, data visualization a plus.
• Strong critical thinking and technical problem solving skills
• Skill in independent research and evidence of deep understanding in your area of expertise
• An ability to come up to speed in new technical topics quickly and effectively
• Strong software development experience related to experimental design and automation, data acquisition, and data analysis; and a willingness to learn new programming languages and software concepts as needed
• A collaborative mindset and a demonstrated ability to work effectively on an interdisciplinary team, on a wide variety of problems
• Excellent communication skills and experience with summarizing experimental results for a broad audience
• Ability to adapt to shifting priorities in a time-sensitive environment
• Exceptional candidates will have a solid background in one or more of the following: quantum information, digital or analog superconducting devices, device physics, noise models and characterization

A D-Waver's DNA

• We look at the future and say “why not”; we see possibilities where others see problems or routines. We show the way ahead and are committed to achieving ambitious goals.
• We practice straight talk and listen generously to each other with empathy. We value different opinions and points of views. We ensure that we connect outside as well as inside to learn from others and inspire each other.
• We hold ourselves accountable for delivering results. We make decisions & take responsibility so that we can act & support each other.
• As leaders we motivate & engage our teams to undertake beyond what they originally thought possible, by developing our teams & creating the conditions for people to grow and empower themselves through enabling & coaching.

Our Compensation Philosophy is Simple but Powerful:

We believe providing D-Wavers with company ownership, competitive pay, and a range of meaningful benefits is the start of creating a culture where people want to give the best they’ve got — not because they’re simply making money, but because they’ve fallen in love with our vision, mission, values, and team. 

During the interview process, your Recruiter will explain how our rubrics work across all our total rewards (base, equity, bonus, perks, benefit, culture) offerings. The final offer is determined by your proficiencies within this level.   

Inclusion: 

We celebrate diverse perspectives to drive innovation in our pursuit. Our employees range from distinguished domain experts with decades of experience in their respective fields, to bright and motivated graduates eager to make their mark.

Our diverse and innovative team will make you feel appreciated, supported and empower your career growth at D-Wave.

The Fine Print: 

No 3rd party candidates will be accepted

It is D-Wave Systems Inc. policy to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state/provincial, local law.