2026 Internship Project: Quantum Simulation

Rigetti Computing is building the world’s most powerful computers to solve humanity’s most pressing problems. We believe this technology will fundamentally change the world for the better and will affect nearly every industry over the coming decades. Rigetti Computing is leading this change by developing and demonstrating quantum computing applications in quantum optimization, quantum machine learning, and quantum simulation.

About the internship

As an intern, you will work alongside quantum researchers to develop and implement a quantum many-body simulation aimed at solving classically intractable problems and answering fundamental questions about quantum system dynamics. In the context of contemporary noisy quantum computers, you will co-design experiments specifically tailored to extract maximum performance from Rigetti's hardware. Using numerical simulation tools, you will define the crossover regime where classical emulation falters as problem size increases, but experimental quantum performance is challenged by noise. You will execute experiments on Rigetti's QPUs and benchmark the results against defined targets to help identify the threshold for quantum advantage. This role offers a unique opportunity to conduct high-impact research in an industrial R&D environment, working on a cross-functional project that involves Applications and Quantum Engineering staff.

The internship should last a minimum of 3 months over the summer of 2026, with flexible start and end dates. Although the mentors will be remote, there is flexibility to work remotely or in Rigetti’s office in Berkeley, CA.

As engineering leaders, we value diversity and are committed to building a culture of inclusion to attract and engage innovative thinkers. Our technology, meant to serve all of humanity, cannot succeed if those who built it do not mirror the diversity of the communities we serve. Applications from women, minorities, and other under-represented groups are encouraged.

Rigetti Computing is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. The company’s proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides ultra-low latency integration with public and private clouds for high-performance practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industry’s first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industry’s first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Rigetti was founded in 2013 and today employs more than 150 people with offices in the United States, U.K., and Australia. Learn more at www.rigetti.com.

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Rigetti is committed to full compliance with applicable anti-discrimination laws. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We strive to create an inclusive work environment and will not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.