Graduate Summer Intern – Quantum Reservoir Computing

National Renewable Energy Laboratory • Golden, CO

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About The Position

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being. The AI, Learning, and Intelligent Systems (ALIS) Group in the NLR Computational Science Center (CSC) has an opening for a graduate student researcher in Quantum Reservoir Computing (QRC), with special emphasis on applications to power systems modeling, simulation, and control. The researcher will assist in developing quantum reservoir computing algorithms and work using them to model power systems data from, in particular, NLR’s ARIES platform, to explore the limits of quantum reservoir computing and enable novel modalities to address pressing applied problems. We are looking for a dynamic, motivated researcher with a strong technical background and an interest in the mission of NREL. The successful candidate will collaborate with NREL staff and researchers to design and implement quantum reservoir computing algorithms for power systems analysis and optimization toward the goal of ascertaining and unlocking the potential of developing quantum algorithms with fundamentally superior capabilities than any possible classical approach.

Requirements

• Minimum of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average.
• Undergraduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a bachelor’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Undergraduate: Earned a bachelor’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate: Must be enrolled as a full-time student in a master’s degree program from an accredited institution.
• Post Graduate: Earned a master’s degree within the past 12 months. Eligible for an internship period of up to one year.
• Graduate + PhD: Completed master’s degree and enrolled as PhD student from an accredited institution.
• Please Note: • Applicants are responsible for uploading official or unofficial school transcripts, as part of the application process. • If selected for position, a letter of recommendation will be required as part of the hiring process. • Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date. Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience with both theory and practice of reservoir computing.
• Knowledge of quantum computing.
• Experience programming quantum circuits and algorithms in qiskit, cirq, and/or CUDA-Q

Nice To Haves

• Experience with power systems, the technical challenges we face due to a changing grid, and their modeling and analysis.
• Deep knowledge of the theory of reservoir computing.
• Understanding of quantum computing at level necessary to distinguish real from imagined potential for quantum advantage.
• Experience with classical neural network architecture and training

Responsibilities

• Assist in developing quantum reservoir computing algorithms.
• Assess the capabilities and opportunities of quantum reservoir computing and their alignment with relevant power systems analysis challenges.
• Implement quantum reservoir circuits and algorithms in quantum emulators on NREL HPC resources.
• Use these to model ARIES related data and devices and analyze and predict properties of advanced power systems.
• Collaborate with CSC and ARIES staff to formulate and carry out QRC-based power systems studies.
• Author, present and assist in the preparation of technical papers, reports and conference proceedings on topics related to the theory and application of QRC.

Benefits

• Benefits include medical, dental, and vision insurance; 403(b) Employee Savings Plan with employer match; and sick leave (where required by law).
• NLR employees may be eligible for, but are not guaranteed, performance-, merit-, and achievement- based awards that include a monetary component.
• Some positions may be eligible for relocation expense reimbursement.
• Internships projected to be less than 20 hours per week are not eligible for medical, dental, or vision benefits.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Intern