Nanoacademic
Nanoacademic’s software enables the prediction of properties and performance of next-generation materials and quantum devices.
Utilized globally by universities, government labs, and private companies, Nanoacademic’s software reduces development costs and time-to-market while unlocking new possibilities through powerful in-silico simulations.
Our history
Nanoacademic founded by Prof. Hong Guo (McGill University), Dr. Yu Zhu, and Dr. Lei Liu.
First NanoDCAL release.
First NanoBASE release.
First NanoDSIM release.
Publishing of the book “Atomistic Simulation of Quantum Transport in Nanoelectronic Devices” which describes NanoDSIM and the theory behind it.
First RESCU release.
First RESCU-DFPT innovative method release.
NanoDCAL+, RESCU+ and QTCAD have been released.
Our Values
Professionalism and integrity
Commitments
We are Scientists
Performance
Jobs Offers
CareersPhD position: Development of compact models for Josephson junctions using ab initio simulations
Context: Superconducting circuits are one of the leading candidates for the implementation of practical quantum computers. In this context, Canada’s first semi-industrial fabrication facility for superconducting circuits will soon be established at the Institut interdisciplinaire d’innovation technologique (3IT) at Université de Sherbrooke. This will involve the elaboration of a Process Design Kit (PDK) for academic and industrial users of the facility wishing to fabricate chips according to certain specifications. An important aspect in the success of this fabrication is the capability to predict device performance before fabrication using numerical simulations to avoid excessive trial and error. While classical components like capacitors, inductors, and resonators may be modeled efficiently with commercially available finite-element codes, properties of the Josephson junction are determined by quantum transport physics at the atomistic scale.
Research project: The aim of this thesis project is to develop compact models of Josephson junctions that include the impact of atomistic defects that are specific to the 3IT fabrication processes. Supported by the expertise of 3IT, IQ and Nanoacademic Technologies Inc. in the fields of fabrication, finite-element and atomistic simulation for superconducting circuits, the student will have to (i) perform atomistic simulations based on the Non-Equilibrium Green’s Function Density Functional Theory (NEGF-DFT) technique, (ii) develop analytical models based on approximate approaches such as the WKB method to generate an accurate compact model for the devices, (iii) collaborate with experimentalists to compare experimental data for Josephson junction transport characteristics with analytical and numerical modeling data that take foundry-specific geometries and defects into account, and (iv) provide the numerical and theoretical skills necessary to integrate the Josephson junction’s models into the 3IT PDK and combine it with Nanoacademic’s QTCAD® software, leading to more predictive design and fabrication workflows.
Supervision & work environment: Under the supervision Prof. Dominique Drouin and Dr. Aldilene Saraiva, the work will be carried out mainly at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) and at the Quantum Institute (IQ) of UdeS, in close collaboration with the company Nanoacademic Technologies Inc. 3IT is a unique institute in Canada, specializing in the research and development of innovative technologies for energy, electronics, robotics and health. The IQ is a state-of-the-art institute whose mission is to invent the quantum technologies of tomorrow and transfer them to the industry. Nanoacademic Technologies Inc. is a small scientific software company based in Montréal. Founded in 2008 as a spin-out of research done by the group of Prof. Hong Guo at the McGill Physics Department, Nanoacademic develops and distributes atomistic and quantum modeling software for material science and nanodevice engineering applications. Nanoacademic is currently leveraging its finite-element and atomistic simulation backends to develop new design tools for superconducting circuits. The student will thus benefit from an exceptional research environment that combines students, professionals, professors, and industrialists working hand-in-hand to develop the future technologies.
Researched profile:
- Specialization in physics or computational material science
- Programming skills in Python (preferred) or another scientific programming language
- Strengths: knowledge in superconducting qubits and the physics of Josephson junctions
- Assets: experience in computational ab initio modeling techniques such as density functional theory or molecular dynamics
- Excellent adaptability, autonomy, teamwork, and problem-solving skills.
- Strong taste for theoretical modeling work with immediate applications to experimental physics and engineering.
Contacts: jobnano@usherbrooke.ca
Documents to provide: CV, all post-secondary transcripts and references.
PhD position: Fabrication and characterization of Josephson junctions for process-aware compact models
Context: Superconducting circuits are one of the leading candidates for the implementation of practical quantum computers. In this context, Canada’s first semi-industrial fabrication facility for superconducting circuits will soon be established at the Institut interdisciplinaire d’innovation technologique (3IT) at Université de Sherbrooke. This will involve the elaboration of a Process Design Kit (PDK) for academic and industrial users of the facility wishing to fabricate chips according to certain specifications. An important aspect in the success of this fabrication is the capability to predict device performance before fabrication using numerical simulations to avoid excessive trial and error. While classical components like capacitors, inductors, and resonators may be modeled efficiently with commercially available finite-element codes, properties of the Josephson junction are determined by quantum transport physics at the atomistic scale.
Research project: The aim of this thesis project is to develop a compact model of Josephson junctions, including the impact of atomic defects specific to the 3IT fabrication processes. Supported by the expertise of 3IT, IQ and Nanoacademic Technologies Inc. in the fields of fabrication, finite-element and atomistic simulation for superconducting circuits, the student will have to (i) fabricate junctions in the 3IT cleanroom and measure their room-temperature and cryogenic current-voltage characteristics at the IQ Quantum FabLab, (ii) characterize the physical properties of junctions using analytical tools (atomic-force and scanning electron microscopy) and more advanced analytical tool (transmission electron microscopy, atom-probe tomography), (iii) collaborate with team members to fit current-voltage characteristics derived from analytic or numerical ab initio calculations, (iv) provide the experimental insights and support the integration of the Josephson junction’s models into the 3IT PDK and combine it with Nanoacademic’s QTCAD® software, leading to more predictive design and fabrication workflows.
Supervision & work environment: Under the supervision of Profs. Dominique Drouin and Max Hofheinz, the work will be carried out mainly at the Interdisciplinary Institute for Technological Innovation (3IT) and at the Quantum Institute (IQ) of UdeS, in close collaboration with the company Nanoacademic Technologies Inc. 3IT is a unique institute in Canada, specializing in the research and development of innovative technologies for energy, electronics, robotics and health. The IQ is a state-of-the-art institute whose mission is to invent the quantum technologies of tomorrow and transfer them to the industry. Nanoacademic Technologies Inc. is a small scientific software company based in Montréal. Founded in 2008 as a spin-out of research done by the group of Prof. Hong Guo at the McGill Physics Department, Nanoacademic develops and distributes atomistic and quantum modeling software for material science and nanodevice engineering applications. Nanoacademic is currently leveraging its finite-element and atomistic simulation backends to develop new design tools for superconducting circuits. The student will thus benefit from an exceptional research environment that combines students, professionals, professors, and industrialists working hand-in-hand to develop the future technologies.
Researched profile:
- Masters in micro-nanofabrication, electrical or quantum engineering, or materials science.
- Strengths: knowledge of superconductivity and Josephson junctions, superconducting qubits or other superconducting devices.
- Experience with semiconductor characterization.
- Excellent adaptability, autonomy, teamwork and problem-solving skills.
- Strong taste for design, experimental cleanroom work and interdisciplinary research and development.
Contacts: jobnano@usherbrooke.ca
Documents to provide: CV, all post-secondary transcripts and references.
Open position(s)
Currently open positions at Nanoacademic:
Devops Developer/Software Developer (Python/Packaging/Linux)
About us
Nanoacademic Technologies Inc. is a Montréal-based scientific software company developing atomistic and quantum modeling tools since 2008. Nanoacademic’s software is used by scientists and engineers to predict the properties of materials and devices from first principles and thus enable or accelerate R&D projects at academic, governmental, and private industrial labs around the world. Nanoacademic is currently leveraging its expertise in scientific software development, materials science, and quantum physics to develop a new computer-aided design tool (QTCAD) for the emerging quantum hardware industry. As part of our ongoing growth, we are seeking a talented Software Developer with expertise in packaging software and Continuous Integration (CI) to join our team. For more information on the company and its products, please visit https://www.nanoacademic.com/.
The job
Nanoacademic is looking for a software developer to help maintain and build its software packaging infrastructure. You will be responsible for developing and maintaining robust software packaging solutions and implementing efficient Continuous Integration processes. Your primary focus will be on streamlining software deployment, optimizing build and release pipelines, and ensuring the smooth integration of software packages within our development and production environments. The ideal candidate will posses a high level of attention to detail and a strong desire to automate and optimize processes.
Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and maintain software packaging solutions, including creating installers, scripts, and deployment packages, to ensure efficient and reliable software distribution.
- Collaborate with other teams to gather requirements and implement processes.
- Automate the software build, packaging, testing, and deployment processes using CI tools (Github actions) and cloud resources (Google Cloud Platform).
- Monitor, troubleshoot, and resolve packaging and CI issues to ensure the availability and reliability of software artifacts.
Required Skills
- Bachelors degree or equivalent experience in computer science, software engineering, or a STEM field.
- Scripting language for automation (Python preferred)
- Understanding of OS file/folder structure
- Debugging of shared library dependencies for compiled languages
- Experience with version control (Git/Github) and CI (Github actions)
Relevant Skills
- Conda/Pip packaging
- Modern C/C++/Fortran build systems (Meson/CMake)
- HPC job schedulers (Slurm)
- Docker containerization
- Linux system administration
- Experience with cloud technologies (Google Cloud platform)
- Experience with mathematical and physics software
Location
Montreal, Quebec (Remote work to be discussed)
Contract Type
Full Time
Start date
As soon as possible
Please contact us at info@nanoacademic.com. Thank you!
Spontaneous application
Spontaneous application
Write to us at the following address: info@nanoacademic.com
Our Team
We are a team of scientists who are passionate about physics, mathematics and software tool development.Hong GuoPh. D.
CEO and co-Founder
Prof.. Guo obtained his PhD in theoretical and computational condensed matter physics in 1987 from the University of Pittsburgh, PA. He joined McGill University in 1989 where he made major contributions to condensed matter theories of physics, notably co-developing NEGF-DFT and is now a James McGill Professor of Physics. He was elected Fellow of the American Physical Society in 2004, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2007. He is the recipient of several national research awards of Canada including the 2004 Killam Research Fellowship Award from the Canadian Council for the Arts; the 2006 Brockhouse Medal for Excellence in Experimental or Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics from the Canadian Association of Physicists; the 2009 CAP-CRM Prize in Theoretical and Mathematical Physics from the Canadian Association of Physicists.
Yu (Eric) ZhuPh. D.
Senior Scientist & Project Manager, co-Founder
Dr. Zhu obtained his Ph.D in 2003 in quantum transport theory from Peking University, Beijing. After working several years at McGill University in Canada and the University of Hong Kong, he became a founding member of the Nanoacademic team. Dr. Zhu is an expert of first principles theory, Green function theory, DFT, electronic structure theory and methods, as well as modeling of quantum transport in nanostructures.
Liang YueB. A.
Account & Office Manager
Mrs. Yue got her B.A. in Chinese literature and drama from the Central Academy of Drama and certificates for proficiency in French and English as a second language from the UQAM. She joined Nanoacademic in 2008 and has served as an account manager since then.
Félix BeaudoinPh. D.
Director of Quantum Technology
Dr. Beaudoin first obtained an M. Sc. in theoretical physics from Université de Sherbrooke under the supervision of Prof. Alexandre Blais, followed by a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from McGill University with Prof. William A. Coish. Dr. Beaudoin then worked as a postdoctoral associate and university lecturer at Dartmouth College in the research group of Prof. Lorenza Viola, in close collaboration with the Quantum Information and Integrated Nanosystems Group led by Prof. William D. Oliver (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Dr. Beaudoin cumulates over 10 years of research experience in the field of quantum technology, with more than 10 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals on quantum noise, quantum control, quantum metrology, and modeling of spin qubits and superconducting qubits alike.
He joined Nanoacademic in 2019 as a Research Scientist and is now Director of Quantum Technology. With a team of experts, Félix Beaudoin manages the development of our newest quantum modeling tool: QTCAD.
Jeremy F. GaraffaM. Sc.
Director of Sales and Marketing
Mr. Garaffa obtained a Master’s degree in Microelectronics Engineering from L’École des Mines de Saint-Etienne in 2008, followed by a Master’s Degree “MINELEC” in Physics of Nanoelectronics from Aix-Marseille University completed with a Master’s Degree in complex sales and marketing from IAE Lyon Institute of Business Administration and Jean Moulin University Lyon3. He then worked in the electronics, microelectronics, nanomaterials, specialty ultrapur minor metals and composites industries in France, Switzerland and Canada while managing development of up to $25m+ business units oriented towards engineering and manufacturing services. He managed key accounts and global marketing strategies in start-ups and international groups at Director level with teams of experts under his supervision addressing sectors such as Aerospace, Medical Technologies, Robotics, Telecommunications, Security, Luxury and Automotive among others for customers located in dozens of countries worldwide.
He joined Nanoacademic in 2021 and is in charge of developing a coherent international marketing strategy to leverage the sales streams of our atomistic and quantum software tools within our SaaS strategy, plus our scientific consultancy services to advanced R&D clients worldwide.
Guillaume Quenneville-HimbeaultB. Sc.
Director of IT
Mr. Queneville-Himbeault obtained a Bachelor’s in Mathematics and Computer Science from Université de Montréal. His degree was preceded by 9 years of military service as a system administrator with a focus on networking and radio-frequency communications.
He is now a software developer with experience in HPC, build systems, automated testing, databases, and back-end web development.
He joined Nanoacademic in 2021 and oversees building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines as well as developing and managing other key infrastructures in technical and marketing support of Nanoacademic’s software and services.
Saeed BohloulPh. D.
Research Scientist | Scientific Software Developer
Dr. Bohloul received his PhD in computational materials Physics from McGill University in 2017 and joined Nanoacademic shortly thereafter. He has expertise in design and development of software and methods for computational materials and molecular science based on electronic structure theory. He has developed the DFPT module of RESCU for simulating response functions of materials.
Wanting ZhangPh. D.
Performance Simulation Engineer
Dr. Zhang obtained her PhD from China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing in the field of materials science and engineering, with a specialization in multi-scale modeling of the mechanical properties of materials. She has worked in Beijing Automotive for two years, where she gained a significant experience in calculation of durability performances of industrial models and developed a FEA automatic analysis system for automobiles based on the HyperMesh platform.
She joined Nanoacademic in 2021 where she works on optimizing atomic descriptors for atomistic products.
Pericles PhilippopoulosPh. D.
Research Scientist | Scientific Software Developer
Dr. Pericles Philippopoulos obtained his PhD in Physics from Prof. William Coish’s group at McGill University in 2020. The focus of his work was to gain a better understanding of spin interactions, specifically hyperfine and spin-orbit couplings, in semiconductor nanostructures. Dr. Philippopoulos also has experience using first-principles methods (DFT) to calculate fundamental properties (e.g. hyperfine couplings, electric-dipole moments) for electrons and holes in semiconductors.
He joined Nanoacademic in 2020. Since then he has been working on developing features (e.g. valley-coupling, EDSR) and modeling tools for the QTCAD software.
Aldilene Saraiva-SouzaPh. D.
Research Scientist | Scientific Software Developer
Dr. Saraiva-Souza obtained her Ph.D. in computational condensed matter physics from Universidade Federal do Ceará, Brazil in 2012, with a Doctoral Stay in Prof. Mark Ratner’s group in the Department of Chemistry at Northwestern University. In 2013, she started as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Physics at McGill University within the quantum electronic transport group led by Professor Hong Guo. Her specialization is in electronic structure calculations and simulation of electronic transport properties of nanoscopic devices.
She joined Nanoacademic Technologies Inc. in 2022 as an external expert, where she works as a contractor researcher and provides advanced knowledge in the field of device simulations. As a NanoDCAL expert, she also provides advanced technical support to our quantum transport tool users.
Raphaël PrentkiPh. D.
Research Scientist | Scientific Software Developer
Dr. Prentki obtained his PhD in Physics from McGill University in 2021. His doctoral research focused on charge transport in low-power nanoelectronic devices, notably tunnel field-effect transistors (FETs), negative-capacitance FETs, and cold-source FETs. He studied these emerging systems using both analytical and computational methods of condensed matter and statistical physics, such as the effective mass approximation, the Landauer—Büttiker formalism, the tight-binding model, density functional theory, and the nonequilibrium Green’s function formalism.
He joined Nanoacademic in 2022; he is currently a developer for QTCAD, our newest modeling tool for quantum technologies.
Fadime BekmambetovaPh.D
Research Scientist
Fadime Bekmambetova obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science degree then her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2023. The focus of her Ph.D. was on the finite-difference time-domain method for the Maxwell equations and the Schrödinger equation. Fadime has experience in model order reduction applied to circuit simulations.
She has also completed the CMC Microsystems workshop on building quantum hardware driven by her strong interest in the field.
She joined Nanoacademic in 2023, and has been focused on numerical works, especially on FE back-end dedicated to modeling devices based on quantum technologies.
Alexis ChénardM. Sc
Software Developer
Mr. Chénard obtained his Master in Economics from Université du Québec à Montréal in 2019. His mémoire was focused on Dynamic Stochastic General Equilibrium (DSGE) models, specifically applied to the commercial relationship between the US and Canada. After a career debut as a financial advisor with the National Bank of Canada, he founded a financial simulation platform called Rodeo Financials. As CTO of the company, he oversaw the overall programming, architecture, accessibility and core design of the application.
Mr Chénard joined Nanoacademic in 2022 as a software developer to support the implementation and deployment of key infrastructure assets. His role is to ensure that the company’s software and interface websites deliver the best experience to the clients to enjoy fully the power of our simulation tools.
Brandon Tam
Software Developer
Mr. Tam after graduating from Concordia Bootcamps in 2019, has been working as a software developer. He first worked at Urbania Media where he learned about professional software development and user experience in web applications. Because of the pandemic, he switched jobs at Nanoacademic Technologies Inc.
Mr. Tam joined the Nanoacademic in 2022 as a full-stack developer, his focus has been to make current scientific software available online. He uses the latest technologies available to develop the most performant application to visualize large complex datasets of our atomistic software for example in charts and 3D plots.