As a quantum expert, career prospects are quite unique. About half of the graduates are expected to pursue a PhD and contribute to academic research and education in quantum (related) topics, while the other half will move on to a career outside academia.   

Academia

The MSc Quantum Computer Science (QuCS) programme will be an excellent stepping stone for a PhD position. This is particularly due to the programme’s focus on research rather than, for instance, the application of quantum technology in engineering.  

Industry

Several sectors and branches apply quantum computing to their everyday processes, or will do so in the near future. Consider, for instance:

• Financial institutions (such as ABN AMRO)
• Technology companies (such as Google, IBM, Amazon, Microsoft and KPN)
• Pharmaceutical companies (such as AkzoNobel)
• Multinational corporations (such as Ahold Delhaize)

After graduating from the Master’s in Quantum Computer Science, you might work in existing or newly established quantum research and development (R&D) groups, or as a quantum software developer.

Testimonials

Armand Stekelenburg  

Armand Stekelenburg did a PhD at the Delft University of Technology on nuclear power reactors. After a short career in that industry, he switched to IBM to work on the organizational change of a large IT department, a role that had nothing to do with his studies or his passion for quantum mechanics. Everything changed when IBM launched IBM Quantum and made a quantum computer available through the cloud in 2016. From that point onwards, it was possible for a normal person with just a laptop and a connection to do complex experiments such as the Bell test from their home and prove that quantum mechanics was correct, when normally they would need a full-blown experimental lab.  

Will the new QuCS efforts change the landscape? 

Looking at the different levels of quantum computing (QC) effort, you can see that there is now a lot of development at the lower level, meaning the hardware level. However, in order to exploit the real power of these machines, we need experts who can also work on other levels, such as algorithm production and use-case identification. The new QuCS graduates will be able to tackle these problems with wide preparation on all these levels. The field is now growing so much that it is vital to have professionals who can start from this wide preparation to only eventually focus on some specific issue, and I think that is a great aspect of what the QuCS Master offers. 

What have you learned about the quantum industry that you didn't know? 

Before entering the industry, looking at it from the outside, I thought that, since they had been working on it since the 90s, most of the theoretical and software side of it was already worked out, and we just needed to learn to build the machines to run these algorithms on. But now, working in a company such as IBM, I realize how the hardware is being developed, and there are still many things to discover and applications to be found. There is still a lot of work to be done at the theoretical level. 

What is the current state of the QC industry (in the Netherlands)? 

The Netherlands are in a different situation than the USA. We don't have huge companies that can afford to invest big capital in new technologies. Instead, we have smaller companies, and we need to come up with a different mode of operation to exploit the benefits of this growing industry. I believe that part of this problem can be solved by having more skills available. 

Barbara Terhal   

Barbara Terhal studied theoretical physics at the University of Amsterdam and began her PhD in quantum computing in 1995. During her PhD, she visited IBM, where she worked as a researcher until 2010. After this experience, she switched to research in academia and now is a professor of electrical engineering at Delft University. 

What did and do you like about Quantum Computing? 

In 1995, Quantum Computing (QC) was a very novel area of research, and the idea of stepping into such a new field was very appealing to me. Of course, now, 30 years later, it may not be that new, but it is still an extremely dynamic and growing area to get into. Given its interdisciplinarity, it keeps being exciting. Coming from theoretical physics, what I liked since the beginning about QC is the clarity of its formalism and its questions. I believe the theoretical computer science part of QC has had a very positive influence on theoretical physics since now it has started implementing some of the precise methods and tools of computer science, such as complexity theory or tools of discrete math. 

Will the new QuCS efforts change the landscape? 

I see a lot of demand in the industry for knowledgeable people, particularly in my area, quantum error correction. The QC industry is very dynamic and full of opportunities, but we are still facing challenges on the hardware side. So, I think to have a bigger impact in the near future, it will still be important to study the physics of these machines in addition to the algorithmic knowledge to understand the constraints we are still working with. 

What does the near future of the QC industry look like? 

Some say that a quantum winter is coming, but I don't believe it. As long as all these different agents invest in all these different processes, such as all the possible platforms for qubits that are growing lately, there will be no winter. At the same time, it is true that companies need to sell products to keep running, so the challenge in the next few years will be the feasible commercial interests for the industry.  

Frederik Kerling  

Frederik Kerling studied theoretical physics in Nijmegen. When he had to look for a Master's thesis, he searched for something that allowed him to work with quantum computers that, at the time, were still in their early stages. He ended up going to Copenhagen to work on reliable qubits. There, he realized how the field of QC would advance much faster than what was initially anticipated. At this point in time, he had to decide to pursue a PhD, and maybe miss out on the interesting stuff that was already happening, or try to participate in this growth from inside the market from a more commercial point of view. He ended up choosing the latter option.  

What did you find interesting about Quantum Computation? 

My main fascination for quantum computers came from the fact that after spending so much time trying to understand what quantum is, quantum computers would allow me to show all the quantum fundamentals through programming, without the need for obscure and expensive labs. 

Will the new QuCS efforts change the landscape? 

I am sure it will, because you need to be able to translate the business to the application. The vast majority of the classical computing industry nowadays is made up by the software side of it, and the Quantum computing industry will soon be in a similar situation. When the hardware reaches a higher maturity, we will need people with a broader preparation that can look at what applications are possible with that mature hardware. 

What does the near future of the QC industry look like? 

The three main quantum technologies are sensing, networking, and computing, and now, they live on three surprisingly isolated paths. And that is insane. I believe that one of the next big advancements, that now we still struggle to anticipate, will happen when we unify these hardware branches. Ten years from now, I believe that the processing of quantum information collected by the sensors will give us amazing new applications.