Superconducting IC Designer II

D-Wave•Burnaby, BC

51d•CA$125,000 - CA$171,000•Onsite

About The Position

D-Wave is seeking a Superconducting Integrated Circuit (IC) Designer to join our IC Design team, which builds the chips at the heart of our quantum computers. These chips are some of the most complex superconducting integrated circuits ever fabricated and require a sophisticated, customized electronic design automation (EDA) toolchain. In this role, you will tackle challenging open-ended questions in the development of our superconducting qubit and integrated processor technology. You will work closely with the designers and scientists on the Processor Development (PD) group across multiple major project areas, including: Modeling, designing, and improving performance of devices on a superconducting quantum processor. These devices include Josephson junctions, qubits, SQUIDs (superconducting quantum interference devices), SFQ (single flux quantum) gates, QFPs (quantum flux parametrons), resonators, and many others. Using the EDA toolchain, identifying shortcomings, and conceiving and developing improvements. Topological and parametric design of a variety of novel devices and/or device enhancements to improve processor performance or enable new capabilities. Understanding the impact of the processor’s environment, including packaging, I/O, electronics and cryogenic elements, and developing approaches to mitigate it. In this intermediate-seniority role, you will receive frequent mentorship and feedback from colleagues. Previous experience in quantum circuits or superconducting circuits is not required. The IC Design team is part of the PD group, which leads the advancement of our quantum computing hardware. Your work will directly impact our quantum processor architecture and its capabilities. If you’re passionate about design, complex systems, and collaborating across disciplines, we want to hear from you.

Requirements

A post-secondary degree in electronic engineering, physics, computer science, or a closely related field. A graduate degree with relevant specialization, plus 0-2 years of relevant experience, or a bachelor’s degree plus 2-4 years of relevant experience.
IC design experience (in industry or academic) including analog, quantum, or rf design experience.
Strong understanding of applied electromagnetic theory.
Strong programming skills, including demonstrated ability to collaborate on codebases.
Strong problem-solving skills and persistence in the face of technical challenges; ability to apply these skills broadly in many different contexts.
Excellent communication skills in talking to experts and non-experts alike.

Nice To Haves

Subject matter expertise in one or more of the following areas: Superconducting devices or other novel IC device technologies, Qubit design or qubit control, EDA software development and customization, RF and microwave design on and near ICs
Strong understanding of the physics of electricity and magnetism.
Experience with EDA tools at scale.
Experience with quantum-mechanical modeling of superconducting devices.
Experience with any of Ansys EDA tools, Keysight ADS, Cadence EDA tools, Comsol, SUN Magnetics modelling tools, WRspice, or similar tools.
Strong understanding of IC design verification tools.
Strong understanding of the complexity of algorithms used in EDA workflows.
Proficiency in multiple programming languages, Common Lisp, Python, and Cadence SKILL in particular.

Responsibilities

Create superconducting integrated circuit layouts
Understand, predict, and design the behavior of superconducting devices
Verify designs for correctness and manufacturability
Document IC designs, communicate with colleagues about them
Use analytical or numerical models and simulations to represent and understand devices
Work with custom software infrastructure for superconducting IC design
Debug challenging technical issues that arise in your own work or those of colleagues