2026 Internship Project: Simulation

Job Description

Job Title: 2026 Internship Project: Quantum Simulation. Location: Berkeley, CA or Fremont, CA. Hybrid with option to work remotely or from the Berkeley office.

Job Type: Internship, minimum 3 months during Summer 2026

Responsibilities:

• Work with quantum researchers to design and implement a quantum many-body simulation targeting classically intractable problems
• Study quantum system dynamics and identify limits of classical emulation as system size increases
• Co-design experiments optimized for noisy quantum computers to extract maximum performance from Rigetti hardware
• Use classical numerical tools such as tensor network methods to simulate quantum systems;
• Execute experiments on Rigetti QPUs and benchmark results against defined performance targets
• Help determine thresholds for quantum advantage through systematic benchmarking
• Collaborate with Applications and Quantum Engineering teams in a cross-functional R&D setting
• Analyze data, interpret results, and clearly communicate findings to technical teams

Qualifications:

• Advanced Ph.D. candidate in physics, quantum information science, or a related field with focus on quantum many-body systems
• Strong theoretical background in quantum many-body systems and quantum dynamics;
• Proven experience with classical numerical simulation techniques such as tensor networks or similar approaches
• Strong analytical thinking and ability to interpret complex experimental and simulation results
• Clear technical communication skills and ability to work independently

Preferred:

• Experience translating many-body physics problems into gate-based quantum computing implementations
• Hands-on experience designing and running experiments on quantum hardware
• Familiarity with quantum error mitigation or suppression techniques;
• Experience collaborating across theory and experimental research teams
• Publication record in many-body physics or related quantum research areas

Benefits and Compensation:

• Hourly pay range: $35 to $50 based on academic level
  • Undergraduate: $35 per hour
  • Masters: $45 per hour
  • Graduate level: $50 per hour
• Housing stipend up to $2,000 for candidates who relocate for the summer
• Opportunity to conduct high-impact industrial quantum research;
• Exposure to full-stack quantum computing infrastructure and benchmarking

Other Information:

• Internship duration is at least 3 months with flexible start and end dates
• Mentors may be remote
• Rigetti encourages applications from women, minorities, and under-represented groups;
• The company may use AI tools during parts of the hiring process, but final hiring decisions are made by humans
• Rigetti is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable anti-discrimination laws