Quantum Compute Thin Film Stack Materials Engineer

Western Digital•San Jose, CA

About The Position

WD is building the infrastructure behind the AI-driven data economy. As AI scales, so does data. Every interaction, every model, every system generates data that must be stored, managed, and made accessible over time. That’s where we come in. We combine deep engineering expertise with global-scale manufacturing to deliver the storage systems that make AI possible, powering hyperscale data centers, cloud platforms, and enterprise infrastructure worldwide. This isn’t theoretical work. It’s real systems, at real scale, people solving some of the hardest challenges in technology today. We’re looking for people who want to build, solve, and operate at that level. Join us and let’s shape the future of data. We are seeking a talented researcher to join our team and drive innovative research projects in quantum computing, specifically to focus on quantum compute materials thin film stack development. The key emphasis of the project will focus on deposition of Al, Nb and Ta based superconductors and various insulators (including AlOx) for developing a full thin film materials stack needed for high quality factor resonators and Josephson junction. The key emphasis of the project will be careful surface preparation, careful control of interfaces, grain size distribution, crystallinity and room temperature stack resistance. The overarching goal of the project is to translate exceptional process uniformity abilities in Western Digital into exceptional resonator and qubit performance uniformity across the wafer, and from wafer to wafer. In the course of the project, you will collaborate with nanofabrication scientists working on device nanofabrication, electrical characterization team focused on quantum characterization of devices and with device designers. Successful candidates are expected to have deep familiarity with superconducting qubit design, variety of thin film deposition techniques, as well as thin film characterization techniques allowing them to operate independently and at high throughput, and prior familiarity with superconducting qubit device designs and potential material systems.

Requirements

Ph.D degree and post-doctoral experience in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science with focus on development of various (Al, Nb, Ta) thin film materials stacks for superconducting qubits
Thorough understanding of superconducting qubit design theory
Experience in thin film materials characterization including XRD, AFM, CIPT, cross-sectional TEM, XPS and other
Proficiency in a wide array of programming languages, like Python, Rust, TCL, or C, and the ability to choose the right one for the task, including knowledge (or willingness to acquire knowledge) of FPGA based microcontrollers

Nice To Haves

Experience in nanofabrication methods for superconducting qubits is a plus

Responsibilities

Lead and execute research projects in quantum computing thin film materials stack design, and surface and interfaces control
Lead effort in thin film materials stack characterization
Collaborate with product teams to tackle novel challenges and develop innovative solutions.
Stay current with industry and academic trends, publishing papers and presenting at conferences.
Develop and present detailed reports and visualizations to communicate findings, trends, and actionable insights to stakeholders at all levels.

Benefits

paid vacation time
paid sick leave
medical/dental/vision insurance
life, accident and disability insurance
tax-advantaged flexible spending and health savings accounts
employee assistance program
other voluntary benefit programs such as supplemental life and AD&D, legal plan, pet insurance, critical illness, accident and hospital indemnity
tuition reimbursement
transit
the Applause Program
employee stock purchase plan
the WD Savings 401(k) Plan