PhD - Quantum Error Correction Codes for Cat Qubits

Alice & Bob is developing the first universal, fault-tolerant quantum computer to solve the world’s hardest problems. The quantum computer we envision building is based on a new kind of superconducting qubit: the Schrödinger cat qubit 🐈⬛. In comparison to other superconducting platforms, cat qubits have the astonishing ability to implement quantum error correction autonomously!

We're a diverse team of 250+ brilliant minds from over 35 countries united by a single goal: to revolutionise computing with a practical fault-tolerant quantum machine. Are you ready to take on unprecedented challenges and contribute to revolutionising technology? Join us, and let's shape the future of quantum computing together!

The PhD project Cat qubits exponentially suppress bit-flip errors, which means the error-correcting codes that protect them don’t have to be built like everyone else’s. Designing codes that exploit this noise bias is one of the most direct levers to shrink the hardware cost of a useful quantum computer, and it is exactly what this PhD is about.

The PhD project “Code construction & logic for biased-noise qubits,” one of 15 doctoral projects of Qu. BriC, the first European MSCA Doctoral Network entirely dedicated to quantum error correction (call HORIZON-MSCA-2025-DN-01-01), bridging classical coding theory and quantum hardware. Hosted in Alice & Bob’s Error Correction team and supervised by Dr Christophe Vuillot, you will develop high-rate, biased-noise-adapted QEC codes and logical-gate protocols using lifted-product and asymmetric-distance constructions, co-design logical operations, and validate your designs through hardware-in-the-loop simulations and small-scale cat-qubit experiments.

Your results feed directly into Alice & Bob’s roadmap toward a fault-tolerant quantum computer and into the network’s shared QEC-hardware map, including an open online library of codes and logical protocols for biased-noise qubits. Your doctoral degree will be awarded by Sorbonne Université and you will be co-supervised by Mike Vasmer (Inria Paris).