Internship, Quantum Computing for Materials

Duration: 6 months, Q3-Q4 2026 (Flexible)

Location: Hybrid preferred (50% in-office, Palo Alto, CA). Fully remote candidates within the U.S. will also be considered. Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

Schedule: Part-time (20h/week)

Compensation: Paid position, commensurate with qualifications and experience

About the company

EDF (Électricité de France) is a global, integrated energy company and the world’s largest electricity producer. With 140 GW of generation capacity across more than 30 countries, EDF generates over 650 TWh of electricity for 38 million customers, and 85% of that electricity has low or no carbon emissions. With 171,000 employees worldwide, EDF is active in the entire value chain of the electric industry, including R&D, project development, generation, trading, transmission, distribution, sales, and energy services.EDF R&D has 1,800 researchers and 9 labs around the world, including the Innovation Lab in the US. Their role is to provide R&D, innovation, and business development support to the EDF Group. This is done through the creation of partnerships and collaborations with leading research institutions and industries and the identification and development of innovative technologies and solutions.

About the project

At EDF, atomic-scale simulations play a central role in understanding and anticipating the aging of materials used to produce low-carbon energy, such as batteries or steels in nuclear reactors. The widely used Density Functional Theory (DFT) is the reference method for studying 3D materials, but some complex physical phenomena, such as paramagnetism in austenitic steels or strongly correlated electrons in oxides, remain out of reach.At the same time, quantum computing is now being considered as a solution to industrial problems related to materials, but the algorithms developed today can only be tested on simple models with a low number of qubits due to the inherent noise of current quantum computers.Moreover, the ultimate goal of surpassing classical algorithms, which benefit from decades of optimization, is still out of reach.

About the role

In this role, we aim to combine state-of-the-art quantum chemistry methods with emerging quantum algorithms to tackle strongly correlated materials of industrial relevance, both in their ground and excited states. The project will focus on integrating advanced numerical quantum chemistry approaches with quantum computational techniques.The candidate will design, implement, and benchmark quantum algorithms (e.g., variational approaches, phase estimation techniques) to solve electronic structure problems relevant to bulk materials, surface energetics, and activation processes. A key part of the work will involve assessing the scalability of these methods to realistic systems and evaluating their robustness in the presence of hardware noise. This may include performance studies on noisy devices or simulatorsThis position offers a unique opportunity to work at the cutting edge of quantum applications in the energy sector. You’ll have the autonomy to drive your research, present results to leadership, and join a growing community of 20+ researchers exploring quantum solutions for the energy industry at EDF.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree or PhD in quantum physics, materials science, condensed matter, or quantum chemistry.

• Strong background in quantum chemistry, mathematics, and algorithms.

• Proficient coding skills in Python and relevant languages.

• Experience with quantum programming languages and frameworks such as Qiskit, Cirq, or Q#.

• Strong communication skills, and ability to collaborate with international teams.

• Ability to present complex concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences.

• Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

Key responsibilities:

• Explore state-of-the-art quantum chemistry methods for strongly correlated materials.

• Design, implement, and benchmark quantum algorithms (e.g., variational approaches, phase estimation techniques).

• Asses the scalability and robustness of these methods.

• Conduct tests on noisy devices or simulators.

• Collaborate with partners in France and in the US.

All of these tasks will be related to the work already carried out by EDF in previous years. The candidate may perform other duties assigned.

How to apply:

• Send your Resume to Heloise Pajot at pajot@edf-re.com with “Application – Quantum for Material Science, 2026″ in the subject line.

• In your email, please include a brief description of your profile, your motivation for this role, and your availability.

• Application deadline: April 15, 2026.

EDF is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified candidates will receive consideration for all positions without regard to race, color, age, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.