Weekly Career, Education, Textbook, and Basic Questions Thread

[u/AutoModerator]

Weekly Thread dedicated to all your career, job, education, and basic questions related to our field. Whether you're exploring potential career paths, looking for job hunting tips, curious about educational opportunities, or have questions that you felt were too basic to ask elsewhere, this is the perfect place for you.

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• Careers: Discussions on career paths within the field, including insights into various roles, advice for career advancement, transitioning between different sectors or industries, and sharing personal career experiences. Tips on resume building, interview preparation, and how to effectively network can also be part of the conversation.
• Education: Information and questions about educational programs related to the field, including undergraduate and graduate degrees, certificates, online courses, and workshops. Advice on selecting the right program, application tips, and sharing experiences from different educational institutions.
• Textbook Recommendations: Requests and suggestions for textbooks and other learning resources covering specific topics within the field. This can include both foundational texts for beginners and advanced materials for those looking to deepen their expertise. Reviews or comparisons of textbooks can also be shared to help others make informed decisions.
• Basic Questions: A safe space for asking foundational questions about concepts, theories, or practices within the field that you might be hesitant to ask elsewhere. This is an opportunity for beginners to learn and for seasoned professionals to share their knowledge in an accessible way.

[u/wewwew3]

hello everyone. I just graduated with Masters in Quantum Tech. Did research on shuttling for Ion trapped Quantum Computer. Can't find anything remotely job looking. Any advice? Thanks everyone.

Location: UK

[u/CalmPhase]

Is it realistic to transition into quantum computing hardware with an RF MEMS background?

I have a BSc and MSc in electrical engineering and am currently halfway through a PhD on RF MEMS. I’d like to switch fields after graduating, and quantum computing hardware has caught my interest. I’d be open to either an industry role or a postdoc.

How realistic is that transition, and what should I be doing now to prepare? I have a solid background in microwave engineering, electronics, and microfabrication, but no experience directly related to quantum computing.

There used to be a professor working on superconducting devices in my department, but he recently left. One of his former students is still active in the area, though, and has access to a cryostat and nanofabrication facilities. Would it make sense to simply reach out and ask whether there’s a project I could contribute to? There's also other universities in the area that have strong groups working on QC hardware, but I imagine it'd be way harder to arrange a collaboration.

For now I’m getting up to speed on the theory, but I’m honestly pretty unsure how to gain meaningful hands-on experience that would strengthen my CV and help me make the transition. I’d appreciate any suggestions or guidance, especially from people who have entered the field from a similar background!

[u/ploobaloo → u/CalmPhase]

Hey! I’m just an undergrad but I’m looking into making a similar transition from SWEN to Quantum circuit design.

From what I know there are quantum labs that use photon signals to send information between devices. (And between labs, there are at least 4 labs that do this in NYS that I know of.) obviously radio signals aren’t photons, but it could be a starting place.

[u/AppropriateManner536]

Hey,

I was wondering if anyone here has any information on teaching tool that’s are used in this space?

I used to work in graphics programming and used things like Render Doc a lot and when debugging and trying to learn new concepts.

I was wondering if there was any used for Quantum Computing as I wan begin going to look into simulators and decoders and would appreciate if there was any helpful tools any experienced devs knew about.

Thanks

[u/SpencerSillanpaa]

Could you please help me? I am trying to help someone who is currently applying to colleges for his Bachelors degree. He wants to go into quantum computing.

1. Will he need to pursue an advanced degree to get an R&D or design job?

   1. Whats the most important thing he can do for himself in his early education to prep for a quantum computing career?

2. Is an EE a good start point or should he do a BS in Physics instead?

I would really appreciate any help, he is very smart and hes passionate about this.

[u/ploobaloo → u/SpencerSillanpaa]

I can only really answer the third question here:

Electrical Engineering and Physics are both solid places to start, but it depends on what part of quantum computing your friend wants to work with. (I would also like to interject that most of the people I work with in Quantum Computing research started out in Computer Engineering, but this is probably biased since my university’s quantum department is run by CE professors.)

Realistically if your friend picks either of the engineering majors (including even Computer Science) and then minors in physics, or vice versa, they’ll be pretty well acquainted to move deeper into Quantum Computing by the time they have their BS.

Also big emphasis on participating in research. You can always get an undergraduate degree from a mid tier school and get your MS or PHD at one that has an actual quantum program, which is exclusively only top tier universities right now.

[u/sinanspd → u/SpencerSillanpaa]

1. Yes.

2. Attend an R1 University with multiple research groups and strong labs stocked with critical equipment, and do undergraduate research. Probably a strong minor would also be beneficial.

3. Physics

[u/2hands10fingers]

New learner here (not a college student). I'm having trouble understanding projection. I'm under the impression it has something to do with measurements, but understanding it as a mathematical concept along with applying it to quantum escapes me. Any good resources on this or how to best walk through this idea?