Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering - Department of Physics

 

PhD Studentship in Quantum Computing and Lattice-Based Cryptography

Date added: 28th January 2017. Applications accepted until the position is filled

Applications are invited for a PhD studentship in quantum computing and lattice-based cryptography, with a start date of October 2017. The work will be based within the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering and the Department of Physics at Imperial College London. The PhD student will be jointly supervised by Dr Cong Ling and Dr Florian Mintert.

Lattice-based cryptography has emerged as a promising candidate of post-quantum cryptography. It compares favourably with current public-key cryptosystems based on integer factorization and discrete logarithm, which would collapse under quantum computing attacks. While to nowadays’ knowledge, lattice problems would remain hard in the post-quantum era, lattice-based cryptography is far less understood that conventional cryptography. We aim for an improved understanding of the mathematical and computational aspects of lattices, by investigating the impact of quantum computing algorithms on lattice problems.

The studentship will last for 3.5 years and include tuition fees as a Home student and an attractive stipend of £23,500/year (fixed cost), plus a generous allowance for travel and subsistence. In return, the student is expected to work as a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) for a reasonable amount of hours per week. The student will be paid at an hourly rate for all GTA work completed, in addition to the stipend. The ideal candidate should have a strong background and interest in several areas among number theory, quantum computing, cryptography, and lattice theory. The candidate should have a 1st class MEng or MSc degree with distinction (or equivalent) in mathematics, physics, electrical engineering, computing, or a related subject. Good written and oral communication skills are essential. Prospective candidates may contact Dr. Cong Ling (c.ling@imperial.ac.uk) directly for further details.

This position is funded by HM Government and is available only to UK citizens. Applications are welcome from UK citizens who are prepared to undergo security vetting conducted by respective UK authorities. The initial stage of vetting may last up to 3 months and needs to be accomplished successfully before the applicant can commence their PhD studies and become eligible for the stipend.

To apply please send a detailed CV (including the names of two referees) and a covering letter explaining your current interests and relevant background to Ms Charlotte Grady, preferably by email to c.grady@imperial.ac.uk or by post to Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Imperial College London, South Kensington Campus, London SW7 2AZ. Please note that the successful candidate will be asked to submit a PhD research application to the Registry at Imperial College to ensure they have met the College’s admissions criteria.