PhD position in Montpellier: Simulating quantum chemistry with qudit-based algorithms

Title: Simulating quantum chemistry with qudit-based quantum algorithms

Summary of the PhD project: Quantum computers (QCs) are expected to efficiently solve problems with high societal and industrial impact, which are classically intractable. However, quantum computing faces several issues: although quantum computers can provide an exponential speed-up to solve classically intractable problems, they still require a very large number of quantum bits (qubits) and deep circuits.
In the noisy-intermediate scale quantum (NISQ) era, these issues prevent any quantum advantage and the scientific community is working very actively to answer them. In this PhD project, we plan to unlock these challenges by taking a much less regarded but very promising alternative route: the use of qudits (d-level quantum units, d>2) rather than qubits (d=2). Qudit-based quantum computing have been shown to provide shallower circuits and more efficient algorithms, but their use to solve many-body problems in chemistry and condensed-matter physics is non-existent compared to their qubit-counterparts. Such a
discrepancy can be rationalized by looking at experimental set-ups as well as current python libraries for quantum algorithms, which are mostly focused on qubit-based devices. During her/his PhD, the candidate will fill this gap by developing her/his own python-library for universal digital quantum computing using qudits. She/He will design new families of qudit-based quantum algorithms to solve many-body problems in chemistry and condensed-matter physics. She/He will then implement these algorithms on the experimental qudit developed by the co-supervising team at the LCAR.

Required skills: the PhD candidate is supposed to know python programming, as well as quantum chemistry and/or quantum computing.

Application: The PhD will start in October 2024. Interested candidates should send an email to bruno.senjean@umontpellier.fr before July 1st 2024, with
* CV
* Cover letter
* Recommendation letter(s) from previous supervisor(s)