← All roles

Principal Quantum Materials Engineer

Microsoft· Quantum Engineering
Apply on company site
West Lafayette, IN$142.8k - $274.8kFull-timePosted 1mo ago

About the role

Lead the development of superconductor and dielectric materials to impact topological qubit performance and scalability within Microsoft Quantum. Collaborate across device physics, modeling, fabrication, and characterization in a fast-paced R&D environment to translate materials innovation into device- and system-level impact.

Responsibilities

  • Advanced Heterostructure Growth: Define, implement, and refine thin film deposition protocols for complex superconductor-semiconductor heterostructures and semiconductor-dielectric interfaces; Achieve precise control over interfaces, composition, strain, band offsets, and defect density.
  • Materials–Device Feedback & Experimentation: Design and execute principled, data driven experiments that couple thin film deposition conditions to structure, materials properties, and device outcomes; ensure materials advances translate into measurable qubit improvements; provide technical judgment on materials tradeoffs that influence fabrication flows and process integration decisions.
  • Tooling & Diagnostics Leadership: Design, build, upgrade, and maintain thin film deposition systems and in-situ diagnostics (e.g., RHEED, spectroscopy); develop or integrate new diagnostics and tool capabilities to enable next-generation materials performance;
  • Cross Functional Technical Leadership: Collaborate closely with nanofabrication, characterization, theory, and device teams to enable coherent, end-to-end process development; Communicate complex materials insights clearly across disciplines and help set technical direction where materials are the limiting factor.
  • AI Accelerated Materials Development: Operate effectively in an AI-first R&D environment, using modern AI tools to accelerate discovery and optimization; Design or leverage AI agents/copilots to assist with experiment planning, log analysis, protocol templating, data interpretation, and knowledge retrieval.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related field AND 8+ years’ experience in industry or in a research and development environment
  • OR Master's Degree in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related field AND 6+ years’ experience in industry or in a research and development environment
  • OR Doctorate in Materials Science, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics, or related field AND 3+ years’ experience in industry or in a research and development environment
  • OR equivalent experience.

Skills

Required:Thin film deposition (MBE/ALD/sputtering)Materials characterization
Nice to have:Interface engineering (metal–semiconductor, superconductor–semiconductor)RF performance optimizationAI for materials discovery

Benefits

  • Microsoft Cloud Background Check
  • Citizenship/Export control alignment verification
  • AI tools to drive innovation and efficiency
  • Ability to design and build AI agents/copilots to assist with experiment setup, log triage, measurement report generation, protocol templating, and knowledge retrieval
Last updated Sep 10, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

About Microsoft

Cloud ComputingConsumer ElectronicsSoftwareTechnologyliquid-ai-recruiting-target
Company profileWebsite

More open roles at Microsoft