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Quantum Information Science Physicist (PhD)
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About the Role
CritPt is a public benchmark of research-level physics challenges, built to test whether frontier AI models can carry out genuine physics research reasoning rather than textbook problem solving. The benchmark paper is arXiv:2509.26574 and we recommend reading it before applying. It will tell you quickly whether this work interests you. We are engaging physicists to work on research-level physics problems in their own subfield. Depending on where your publication record fits, that can mean creating problems, solving them, reviewing completed work, or auditing it. We agree the specific assignment with you once you are matched to an area. This is research-grade work rather than volume work. Whatever you produce has to be complete enough for another specialist in your subfield to follow and verify independently, so written reasoning is part of every assignment.
What You'll Do
- Entropic and information-theoretic: von Neumann entropy, Holevo bound, coherent information, contraction coefficients, Choi-Jamiolkowski duality
- Open quantum systems: Lindblad master equations, quantum channels, degradable and antidegradable channels, amplitude damping and dephasing models
- Random matrix and Haar integration: Weingarten calculus, moments of random linear maps, Haar averaging over the orthogonal group
- Tensor network: matrix product states, transfer-matrix formalism, isometric tensor network circuits, exact diagonalization of spin chains
- Convex and geometric: convex optimization over probability distributions, simplex embedding, correlation polytopes, linear programming for nonclassicality
- Estimation theory: quantum Fisher information, quantum Cramer-Rao bounds, multiparameter phase estimation
You're a Good Fit If You
- A PhD in quantum information, quantum optics or a closely related field. This is a hard requirement. Postdoctoral researchers, research scientists and junior faculty are the strongest fit. Senior PhD students with a strong first-author record are welcome to apply.
- Published work on the specific phenomenon above, not the adjacent one. This is the single most common reason we decline otherwise excellent physicists. Having applied the information-theoretic toolkit elsewhere is not enough if your papers are not on the phenomenon in question.
- A verifiable publication record. Three to five representative papers with arXiv IDs or DOIs, ideally from the last five years. First author strongly preferred. Every paper you list will be checked against the public record.
- Working proficiency with LaTeX, Python, SymPy and Jupyter. Some familiarity with an agentic coding extension in VS Code is useful. Gaps here are acceptable if you declare them honestly.
- English at B2 or above, including written reasoning. A large part of the value you add is how clearly you set out your argument.
- Application steps
- Apply and complete the attached form. Basic information, education, research experience, your method self-attestation, and up to five of the areas above that you are the best fit for. For each area you select, give an arXiv ID or DOI of your own paper as proof, with your author position and the methods it demonstrates. A selection without proof is not scored.
- We verify your papers and authorship against the public record.
Role Highlights
Pay & Payout
Independent contractor engagement. Apply via the link below - Mercor handles onboarding and pays weekly via Stripe or Wise.
Common Questions
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