Announcements
Open PhD Project: Memory and Noise in Quantum Many-Body Systems
Project outline. Quantum technologies have undergone rapid development over the past decade and are widely expected to transform our societies and economies in the near future. The ability to manipulate and read out the states of microscopic objects such as photons, electrons, and natural or artificial atoms with unprecedented accuracy is both key to delivering this promise and a crucial factor limiting the performance of current quantum devices. Decoding the fundamental nature of noise and fluctuations in complex many-body systems and developing effective strategies to mitigate their detrimental impact are therefore central topics in current quantum research.
As the complexity of quantum devices continues to grow, their dynamics tend to become non-local in time. That is, how these systems evolve depends not only on their present state but also on their entire history. This effect, which arises from strong interactions between functional and environmental degrees of freedom, plays an increasingly important role in the behavior of complex quantum devices, especially in solid-state settings. Yet, our current understanding of quantum noise is still largely based on memory-free dynamical models.
Building on recent advances in the areas of quantum circuits - discrete-time models of many-body system - and non-Markovian dynamics of open quantum systems, this project aims to develop a new theoretical framework to understand and control the structure and impact of noise and fluctuations in settings with large numbers of degrees of freedom. The project includes both analytical and numerical components, the relative weight of which can be adjusted flexibly.
For further details on the project or the application proess, please contact the project supervisors, Dr Kay Brandner and Prof. Juan P. Garrahan.
Requirements. Suitable candidates should have relevant expertise at the required level (e.g., a 2.1 or above undergraduate degree in physics or mathematics), the willingness and ability to work independently as well as collaboratively across different areas, and a strong commitment to inclusivity, responsible research, and innovation.
Funding note. We seek a strong candidate to apply for a fully funded studentship from an EPSRC Doctoral Landscape Award held by University of Nottingham. Funding for this project is contingent on a positive outcome of the selection process conducted by the Faculty of Science.
How to apply. Applications should be submitted by 5 Jan 2026 following the steps outlined on the relevant page of the School of Physics and Astronomy, see the link below. In the Research Proposal Section of the online application simply state that you would like to work on the project Memory and Noise in Quantum Many-Body Systems with Dr Kay Brandner and Professor Juan P. Garrahan as supervisors.
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