Opportunities

Membership in IQIM is through affiliation with an IQIM faculty member or research group participating in IQIM. IQIM is not a separate department; all members of IQIM are also members of the Physics, Applied Physics, Computer Science, or other associated department. The path to join IQIM is first to join the institute in the appropriate category:

  • Postdoctoral Scholars apply through specific calls (such as IQIM Postdoctoral Scholar, Burke Fellows) or directly with Caltech faculty members.
  • Graduate students are admitted by Caltech department: Physics, Applied Physics, Computer Science, etc.
  • Undergraduate students affiliate through acceptance to Caltech, and then by association with an IQIM faculty member. Participation can be through undergraduate research fellowships (SURF), or involvement in outreach activities such as Physics Club or InnoWorks.

Several key roles in the IQIM outreach efforts include graduate students; they have led qcraft (the quantum application of the online game MineCraft) demonstrations and collaborative games, and have taken on the role of guest curator for the IQIM twitter account.

Postdoctoral Scholars are often key mentors to graduate students and to undergraduates participating in the SURF program.

Additional information is also available on our Quantum Science and Engineering website

Program Details

Undergraduates can affiliate with IQIM through participation in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) Program. An overview of the program, including details about the program and FAQ is available here.

Undergraduate students from Caltech and other universities are invited to apply for the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Experimental Quantum Science and Technology (QuantumSURF). Through this program, summer students will have the opportunity to do research for 10 weeks in experimental groups at Caltech working on quantum science and technology. Applications may be submitted through either the SURF or WAVE programs at Caltech. Requirements are the same for the SURF and WAVE programs, though the WAVE program is specifically for women or prospective students from underrepresented backgrounds. Learn more on the QuantumSURF webpage

In addition to the activities and opportunities provided by the SURF and WAVE programs, the QuantumSURF students will benefit from collective meetings, lab tours and interactions with the professors participating in QuantumSURF. QuantumSURF students will also have the opportunity to share their experiences on quantumfrontiers.com, the dedicated blog for Caltech’s Institute for Quantum Information and Matter (IQIM).

Examples of participation in the SURF program include this Caltech Media story about Patrick Rall, A Passion for Entanglement and these IQIM publications co-authored with SURF students:

General information about applying to Caltech is available on the Graduate Office admissions page .  A broad listing of internal and external graduate Career, Fellowship & Other Opportunities is hosted on the PMA resources page.

Find additional information about specific courses related to IQIM research on our Classes page

A complete listing of all Caltech courses is available through the annual catalog.  A current listing of Physics courses can be found here. Additional detail is also available about Applied Physics courses and Computing and Mathematical Sciences courses.

Information about applying as an IQIM postdoctoral scholar is available here. Opportunities for Postdoctoral positions are listed on the Caltech application website and the PMA and EAS websites.

IQIM Activities for Students and Postdocs

The IQIM Seminar Series is a weekly event providing an overview of the different activities conducted within the IQIM through informal, accessible talks. Graduate students, post-docs and faculty are brought together to keep to date with progress in the different branches of the IQIM, with an opportunity for additional discussions at the provided lunch and coffee. The IQIM Seminar Series is organized by a committee of graduate students and postdocs. Contact any of the members if you have any questions or wish to participate, find a list of the committee members here.

Graduate students assume many key roles in IQIM outreach efforts. They have led qCraft (the quantum application of the online game MineCraft) demonstrations and collaborative games, and have taken on the role of guest curator for the IQIM twitter account.

Postdoctoral Scholars are often key mentors to graduate students and to undergraduates participating in the SURF program.

Contact Information

Marcia Brown

IQIM Program Administrator
150 West Bridge Laboratory, MC 103-33
Phone: (626) 395-4013
Email: marciab@caltech.edu