About Pasqal

Pasqal designs and develops Quantum Processing Units (QPUs) and associated software tools.
Our innovative technology enables us to address use cases that are currently beyond the reach of the most powerful supercomputers; these cases can concern industrial application challenges as well as fundamental science needs.
In addition to the exceptional computing power they provide, QPUs are highly energy efficient and will contribute to a significant reduction in the carbon footprint of the HPC industry. 

 Job Description

The Quantum Graph Optimization team is looking for an intern to work on the identification and benchmarking of hard Quadratic Unconstrained Binary Optimization (QUBO) instances within Neutral-Atom Quantum Computing. The main goal of this project is to identify hard QUBO instances for classical solvers and compare the performance of our neutral-atom-based QPUs at solving them. The intern should identify those instances, and benchmark them using our available tools in order to identify the best quantum methods. This work aims to support medium and long-term efforts in the development of quantum advantage strategies in quantum optimization problems.  

The main objectives are as follows:

• Identify QUBO instances that are hard for classical solvers but may be suitable for neutral-atom-based hardware/quantum solvers;

• Using the internal tools to identify the best methods for solving these QUBO instances, checking performance, scaling and robustness;

• Check and analyse the performance of our QPUs on solving such instances.

Your missions will be the following:

Instances Classification 

1. Review the state-of-the-art literature on QUBO hardness, with a focus on complexity theory; 

2. From the set of classically hard instances identified, select subsets that might be more pertinent for neutral-atom platforms; 

3. Generate a dataset of QUBO instances that meet these specifications, to be used later for benchmarking.  

1. Use internal tools, run systematic benchmark over our solver pipeline, varying through different methods and their parametrization; 

2. With the results, determinate the best-performing methods according to the QUBO class (density, size, discrepancy, ...); 

3. Propose improvements and new features to our different libraries. 

1. Run selected instances on Pasqal QPU using the same parametrized methods; 

2. Compare QPU performance to classical solvers

• Learn the basics of the operations of some of the tools used at Pasqal daily work (such as GitLab, VSCode, and Overleaf), as well as the technology behind a neutral-atom quantum computer and become familiar with our software stack (objects, methods, backends, data formats, results display, etc.); 
  

About you

You are enrolled in a master's program in Quantum Computing and have the following skills:

Hard skills:

• Experience on quantum optimization, in particular with analog-based methods.

• Knowledge of combinatorial optimization and graph theory 

• Good python programming, including good practices, plotting and basic scientific computing

• Ability to communicate reports and results clearly to an interdisciplinary technical audience

Soft skills:

• Fluency in English, both written and spoken

• Curiosity, autonomy

• Good time management

• Teamwork and collaboration

• Strong will to learn

What we offer

• Office in Palaiseau, France

• Type of contract: internship

• Start date: at latest mid of April, 2026.

• A dynamic and close-knit international team

Recruitment process

• An interview with the hiring managers (~1hr, on site or remotely)

• A final HR interview (~30mins)

• An offer

PASQAL is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace, as inclusion and diversity are essential to achieving our mission. We encourage applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, ethnicity, age, religion or sexual orientation.