Internship (and/or PhD) Possibilities for Masters Students (2026-2027)
Propositions de Stage M2 en Vue de Thèse (2026-2027)
Microwave Photon Detectors for Superconducting Qubit Readout
The ability to detect individual microwave photons is a key enabling technology for quantum computing, quantum sensing, and fundamental physics experiments. Despite recent breakthroughs in detection efficiency, existing single-photon detectors typically suffer from a limited dynamic range, making them unsuitable for measuring signals containing more than a few photons. Overcoming this limitation by developing detectors sensitive to microwave pulses spanning 1 to 100 photons would represent a major step forward, particularly towards single-shot readout of superconducting qubits without the need for parametric amplifiers.
Our group has recently demonstrated a novel approach to microwave photon detection based on a microwave photon-to-electron converter, in which a superconducting tunnel junction acts as a voltage-tunable quantum absorber through photon-assisted quasiparticle tunneling [1,2]. By developing an ultrasensitive charge detection technique, we have further demonstrated the detection of individual microwave photons [3].
We are seeking an enthusiastic student to contribute to the design, nanofabrication, and experimental characterization of this new detector. The student will work closely with permanent researchers and gain hands-on experience in superconducting circuits, electron-beam lithography, metal deposition, and ultrasensitive measurements in a dilution refrigerator operating at 20 mK.
Beyond advancing fundamental research, this project opens promising perspectives for quantum computing and sensing, offering the student an opportunity to develop experimental skills at the forefront of quantum technologies.
[1] Aiello et al, Quantum bath engineering of a high impedance microwave mode through quasiparticle tunnelling, Nature Communications 13, 7146 (2022). https://www.iledefrance-gif.cnrs.fr/fr/cnrsinfo/de-leffet-photoelectrique-aux-technologies-quantiques
[2] Stanisavljevic et al, Efficient Microwave Photon-to-Electron Conversion in a High-Impedance Quantum Circuit, Physical Review Letters 133, 076302 (2024). https://physics.aps.org/articles/v17/127
[3] Basset et al, Fast and Continuous Detection of Single Microwave Photons via Photoassisted Quasiparticle Tunneling to a Superconducting Island Physical Review Letters 136, 237001 (2026)
Contact Jérôme ESTEVE (jerome.esteve@universite-paris-saclay.fr) and/or Julien BASSET (julien.basset@universite-paris-saclay.fr)
Other internships/jobs at the LPS.
Other internships in ‘fundamental physics’.
Other PhD openings in physics in the Paris metropolitan area..