PhD Studentship in Computer Science: Applying Quantum Foundations for Quantum Advantage

Award summary 

100% Home fees covered and minimum tax-free annual living allowance £19,237 (2024-25 UKRI rate) 

Overview 

Interested in trying to unpick the mysteries of quantum mechanics, and seeing how they can be used to design tools to help make life better? Working in collaboration with a range of UK and international partners, this PhD will investigate concepts in quantum foundations, with a focus on finding ways to apply them to achieve a quantum advantage over classical solutions to a given problem. 

This PhD will involve leveraging foundational concepts like contextuality, quasiprobability, and quantum coherence, to pave the way for the novel quantum protocols, algorithms, and technologies of the future. 

This project will involve looking at abstract quantum foundational theory, with a view to applying it to physical situations to design demonstrations of foundational effects, and protocols to leverage these effects for some benefit. While this PhD is theoretical, it will involve close collaboration with our experimental partners at Bristol, Heriot-Watt, Northumbria, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kagawa, and the UK National Quantum Computing Centre, who will hopefully undertake experiments you help design. Similarly, there will be close collaboration with our theorist partners at Edinburgh, Bristol, Nagoya, and Hiroshima, both to help investigate foundations directly, and to perform work on applying foundational theory to physical scenarios. 

While the areas of focus for this PhD will be decided collaboratively by the successful candidate and the supervisor, it is worth looking at the supervisor’s previous research for initial ideas for directions the candidate would be interested in pursuing if successful. 

Start date  

September 2024 

Award duration 

3.5 year 

Application closing date 

1st July 2024 

Sponsor 

School of Computing 

Name of supervisor/s 

Dr Jonte R Hance 

Eligibility Criteria 

You must have/or expect to gain, minimum 2:1 Honours degree in a subject relevant to the PhD project (e.g., physics, mathematics, computer science, etc). Enthusiasm for quantum foundations is essential. Proven experience with quantum foundations or related areas (quantum information, quantum computation, quantum technologies) will be highly advantageous. 

Applicants whose first language is not English require an IELTS score of 6.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all sub-skills. 

The studentship covers fees at the Home rate (UK and EU applicants with pre-settled/settled status and meet the residency criteria). International applicants are welcome to apply but are required to cover the difference between Home and International fees. 

International applicants may require an ATAS (Academic Technology Approval Scheme) clearance certificate prior to obtaining their visa and to study on this programme. 

How to apply 

Apply to Newcastle Portal 

Select ‘Create a Postgraduate Application’. 

Use ‘Course Search’ to identify programme of study: 

• search for ‘Course Title’ using programme code: 8050F 
• Research Area: Computing Science 
• select ‘PhD Computer Science (full time) – Computing Science’ as programme of study 

In ‘Further details’ section please upload: 

• ‘Personal Statement’ – upload document/write statement directly into application form 
• ‘Research Proposal’ – when prompted for research proposal – select ‘Write Proposal’. You should use the title from this advert then provide your own statement. 
• Studentship code COMP2164 in ‘Studentship/Partnership Reference’ field 

In ‘Supporting Documentation’ please upload: 

• covering letter/CV 
• degree transcripts/certificates, if English is not your first language, copy of your English language qualification if already completed. 

Contact Details 

[email protected]?subject=PhD%20Studentship%20in%20Computer%20Science:%20Applying%20Quantum%20Foundations%20for%20Quantum%20Advantage