We are advertising for a PhD opportunity as part of a interdisciplinary collaboration between the Prentice Group and the group of Dr Ahsan Nazir (Manchester Physics), with the title ‘Quantum environmental engineering and coherent control from first principles’. Full details of this project are listed below, and can also be found on FindAPhD.

This project is part of the University of Manchester Bicentenary Studentship scheme, with funding available for 4 years to a successful candidate, with an intended start date of October 2026. We particularly encourage applications from those who identify as belonging to a group under-represented in science and engineering.

All applications should be made through the University of Manchester online system by the end of January 2026. This gives the supervisors time to assess applicants before nominations close to the university-wide assessment process at the end of February 2026. If you’re interested in the project, please do get in touch with Ahsan (ahsan.nazir@manchester.ac.uk) or Joe!

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Quantum environmental engineering and coherent control from first principles

Quantum technologies promise revolutionary advances in computing, communications, and sensing. At the heart of these technologies are open quantum systems – quantum mechanical systems that interact with their environment, frequently through environmental lattice vibrations (phonons). These interactions can degrade fragile quantum states, leading to decoherence and dissipation; however, the same interactions also provide opportunities. By learning how to engineer these environment interactions through modelling, we may discover new ways to control quantum dynamics.

This PhD project will develop a first-principles framework for predicting and controlling open quantum systems. The research combines two powerful approaches: (i) density functional theory (DFT), which provides accurate information about the electronic structure and system-phonon couplings in real materials, and (ii) advanced open quantum system methods such as tensor-network simulations and the polaron master equation (PME), which allow system-environment dynamics to be modelled with high precision, even in the strong-coupling regime. In particular, the results of DFT can be used to parametrise open quantum system methods; combining these approaches therefore enables the behaviour of solid-state quantum systems to be predicted entirely from first principles, without relying on experimental fitting parameters.

This project pushes this idea further, by using DFT to explore how phonons are altered by strain, defects, or other environmental changes, opening up a new strategy: quantum environmental engineering. Instead of viewing the environment solely as a source of noise, we will explore how its properties can be tailored to stabilise and control quantum states. Coupling these environmental effects with optical driving could provide unprecedented control over coherence in quantum devices.

The doctoral researcher will join a vibrant, interdisciplinary research environment spanning physics and materials modelling. Training will be provided in ab initio simulation methods and advanced open-system theory. The student will gain hands-on experience with national high-performance computing facilities and will benefit from regular joint supervision by experts in theoretical quantum physics (Dr Ahsan Nazir, Department of Physics and Astronomy) and materials modelling (Dr Joseph Prentice, Department of Materials).

The project will also offer opportunities to collaborate with other PhD students and postdoctoral researchers working on related aspects of quantum dynamics, environmental effects, and method development. Cross-group meetings, workshops, and training through the University’s Doctoral Academy will ensure a strong foundation of both specialist and transferable skills.

This project will establish a new theoretical framework for controlling open quantum systems, with potential applications in defect-based qubits, quantum communications, and nanoscale sensors. Graduates will be exceptionally well-prepared for careers in academia, national laboratories, or the fast-growing quantum technology sector, with expertise at the cutting edge of both quantum theory and computational materials science.

Applicants are expected to hold (or about to obtain) a minimum upper second-class undergraduate honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline (e.g. physics, chemistry, materials science, etc).

Research experience in theoretical quantum physics and computational modelling is desirable.