Principal Quantum Engineer - Systems Physics & Performance

Overview

Microsoft's mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. Microsoft Quantum has assembled a talented and diverse international team to create the world's first scalable quantum computing system. Our full‑stack approach involves innovations from physics on the quantum plane to global quantum services and everything in between. The Microsoft Quantum program strives to fundamentally change the world of computing to help solve problems that are currently intractable for classical machines. We

are entering a period of accelerated development, and we are seeking exceptional scientific leaders to help define what comes next. For more information about our team, visit

We are seeking a Principal Quantum Engineer - Systems Physics & Performance to drive foundational advances in how we characterize, understand, and optimize the behavior of complex quantum‑device systems. This role focuses on the physics of interacting qubits, emergent disorder phenomena, and the development of new diagnostic and mitigation strategies that enable robust operation  position offers the opportunity to influence the direction of the world's first topological quantum computing effort, working closely with multidisciplinary teams in a deeply collaborative, research‑forward environment.

This role sits at the intersection of condensed‑matter physics, quantum device systems, and advanced materials characterization. The ideal candidate combines a deep understanding of fundamental physics with a passion for building new methodologies-spanning theory, experiment, and metrology-to unlock new levels of system performance.

Responsibilities

* Systems‑Level Physics & Quantum System Performance:
Develop frameworks for diagnosing and optimizing multi‑component quantum systems, going beyond single‑device metrics to capture interactions, emergent error sources, and disorder effects.

* Design and analyze computational benchmarks with known clean‑limit solutions to extract, quantify, and mitigate effective local random fields and other correlated‑error phenomena that arise in real‑world problem instances.

* Translate insights from interacting‑qubit physics into practical corrective procedures and architectural recommendations for next‑generation topological quantum processors. Collaborate closely with theorists, device physicists, and materials scientists to bridge physical‑model predictions with experimentally accessible observables.

* Materials & Device Diagnostics:
Provide guidance on the interpretation of advanced materials and device measurements, including morphology, chemistry, electronic states, and interfacial properties of multilayer quantum‑device stacks.

* Partner with internal and external teams to design measurement campaigns at large national and international metrology facilities, including x‑ray synchrotrons, and integrate results into device‑fabrication and hardware‑design feedback loops.

* Identify and champion novel characterization approaches that illuminate failure modes or performance bottlenecks in quantum‑device systems-while ensuring deep collaboration and alignment with existing internal metrology teams.

* Emerging Interfaces:
Optics, THz, & Alternative Readout Pathways:
Support exploratory, high‑impact research directions related to future‑generation readout and control schemes, such as, quantifying and reducing the fundamental time‑scales associated with topological‑device readout under realistic noise and error‑rate constraints, investigating architectures in which RF signals are distributed via optical carriers into the cryostat, including on‑chip demultiplexing strategies for scalable, high‑bandwidth readout infrastructure and collaborate with quantum‑electronics, photonics, and cryogenic‑engineering teams to evaluate practical and theoretical boundaries of these approaches.

* Other:

* Embody our Culture and Values

Qualifications

Required/Minimum Qualifications

* Doctorate in Physics, Engineering, or related field AND 6+ years experience in industry or in a research and development environment

* OR Master's Degree in Physics, Engineering, or related field AND 10+ years…