Summer 2027 Internship - Quantum Software (QSW)

Infleqtion•Chicago, IL

11d•Onsite

About The Position

This internship is within Infleqtion’s Quantum Software (QSW) division. Interns work closely with Quantum Software Engineers and are paired with a team mentor. The program is intended to run for 10 to 12 weeks and is primarily based in Chicago, Illinois. It includes contributions to quantum software solutions from application through middleware layers, weekly one-on-one mentor meetings focused on summer projects and professional development, and research talks from Infleqtion engineers and industry experts. The intern will conduct research and development focused on quantum compilation and related quantum technology; deploy software optimizations to the Superstaq cloud platform using professional engineering practices; and collaborate with customers, experimental physicists, software engineers, and the broader scientific community. Work may also include quantum algorithm development and evaluation, contributions to government and commercial proposals and global programs, and publishing or presenting research findings.

Requirements

Currently attending a degree program in the United States in computer science, engineering, physics, mathematics, or a directly related field.
Preferably in the penultimate academic year, returning to the degree program after the internship.
High proficiency in programming; fluency in Python is preferred, or proficiency in another language such as C/C++ or Julia with the ability to rapidly upskill in Python.

Nice To Haves

Experience with open-source quantum software frameworks such as Cirq or Qiskit; experience modifying these libraries is especially valuable.
Experience with advanced open-source quantum software frameworks such as Stim.
Familiarity with professional software engineering practices, including coverage, integration tests, type checking, unit tests, and version control.
Experience with backend development tools such as FastAPI and PostgreSQL/SQLAlchemy.
Experience with cloud development, especially GCP and AWS.
Familiarity with CI/CD, automated actions, issue tracking, version control, and other GitHub features.
Familiarity with security best practices such as access control, encryption at rest, key rotation, and logging.
Exposure to or interest in front-end or GUI development, such as HTML/CSS, React, or PyQt.
Optionally, relevant samples of past projects, such as software projects or technical/scientific writing.
Sharing publicly available GitHub or similar projects is strongly recommended.

Responsibilities

Conduct research and development toward advances in quantum technology, with a focus on quantum compilation.
Deploy software optimizations to the Superstaq cloud platform using documentation, linting, testing, and type-checking procedures.
Work with Superstaq customers to understand their needs and provide timely support.
Contribute to the development of government and commercial proposals and to the execution of global programs.
Collaborate with experimental physicists and software engineers to connect theoretical concepts with practical implementation.
Publish research findings in scientific journals and present them at conferences.
Stay current with developments in quantum computer architecture, quantum compilation, quantum algorithms and applications, and related fields.
Provide guidance and support to team members and foster a collaborative research environment.
Tailor and apply quantum algorithms to real-world problems and analyze their performance relative to classical methods.
Expand existing quantum algorithms or develop new algorithms for real-world applications.