Research Scientist​/Senior Research Scientist

About us

ORCA Computing (“ORCA”) is at the forefront of a new era in high-performance computing, developing full-stack photonic quantum systems designed to transform how organisations tackle machine learning, generative AI, and complex optimisation challenges. Headquartered in London, ORCA has delivered eleven on-premises quantum computers worldwide – demonstrating that its technology is not theoretical but already delivering real world results.

At the core of ORCA’s innovation is its hybrid quantum-classical architecture, engineered for seamless integration into existing AI and HPC infrastructure. Its current PT-2 system, a rack-mounted quantum computer, connects directly to GPU clusters via NVIDIA’s CUDA-Q platform, enabling accelerated AI workloads with significantly lower energy consumption than traditional silicon-based systems. Backed by a strong portfolio of patent families spanning photonic integrated circuits, quantum memory, and multiplexing technologies, ORCA is enabling enterprises, research institutions, and HPC operators to unlock new levels of performance, efficiency, and scalability.

As ORCA prepares to launch its next-generation PT-3 system, the company is entering a pivotal phase of growth and technological advancement. Its solutions are already being embedded into generative AI pipelines, delivering measurable improvements in model performance, while also addressing the rising energy demands of large-scale AI adoption. With a focus on practical deployment and a clear roadmap to fault-tolerant quantum computing, ORCA is leading the development and deployment of quantum technology, providing a commercially viable path to the future of computing.

What will you do

• Design and evaluate photonic quantum computing architectures and light-matter interaction protocols, analysing errors and assessing trade-offs in technical complexity/scalability versus projected performance.
• Translate theory into practice by collaborating closely with experimental physicists to benchmark models against experiment and optimise component design.
• Support ORCA’s roadmap by modelling the operation of both near-term and mature nonlinear systems, working closely within the Research team and with our Applications team to map component functionality to computational performance.
• Advance ORCA’s scientific and commercial leadership through high-quality publications, patent filings, internal reviews, and by advising stakeholders on future research directions and system performance.

What will you bring

• Strong knowledge of quantum optics and quantum computing architectures.
• Experience developing and maintaining numerical simulations and codebases.
• Ability to operate both with a high degree of research independence, taking ownership of problems from formulation through to actionable results, but also as part of a collaborative team.
• A PhD in physics or a related discipline, or equivalent research experience.

Nice to have

• Familiarity with atomic physics, light-matter interactions, and optical hardware constraints.
• Experience modelling cavity QED systems or the interaction of light with atomic ensembles.
• A track record of peer-reviewed publications, preprints, or patents in quantum technologies.
• Desire to work at the interface between theoretical modelling and experimental validation.
• Familiarity with how to use AI tools to accelerate research outputs.

Who we are looking for

• Ability to focus on results that inform real design and product decisions, not theory in isolation.
• Can manage…