Who We Are Looking For

Postdoctoral Researchers

We welcome postdoctoral candidates with a background in quantum networking, quantum information, wireless communications, or machine learning who want to work on quantum-aware protocol stacks, entanglement routing, or variational methods for network control. A postdoc here is expected to lead a research direction, not to execute someone else's plan — you should arrive with questions of your own and leave with a body of work that is recognizably yours. Please write directly with a CV, a short statement of the problem you want to work on, and two or three representative papers.

PhD Students

PhD researchers in the lab take ownership of a problem for several years: quantum-aware protocol design, entanglement distribution and routing under decoherence constraints, quantum machine learning for network control and security, or the Tactile Internet in quantum space. Strong preparation in networking, probability and stochastic processes, optimization, or quantum information helps; genuine curiosity and persistence matter more. Students in the lab publish at IEEE INFOCOM, GLOBECOM, IEEE Transactions on Quantum Engineering, and Advanced Quantum Technologies, and are supported toward fellowships and internships.

Master's Students

Master's students typically take a well-scoped simulation or protocol design problem and carry it to a publishable result within their program. Thesis and project students are both welcome. If you are considering a PhD afterwards, this is a good way to find out whether research suits you before committing to it.

Undergraduate Researchers

Undergraduates are genuinely welcome here, and not as observers. Quantum networking is young enough that a well-posed question from a first-time researcher can still matter. Previous students have co-authored papers, presented at conferences, and moved into graduate programs and industry research roles. You do not need prior quantum experience — you need a solid grasp of programming and mathematics, and the patience to learn something genuinely unfamiliar.

Current Opening — Quantum Tactile Networks Simulation

We are looking for motivated junior, senior, or master's students at Grand Valley State University interested in simulation-based research on quantum-driven Tactile Internet: protocol design, entanglement distribution, and network architecture optimization.

What You'll Do

• Work on a well-defined simulation problem in quantum-enabled performance enhancement.
• Use standard quantum simulation platforms — Qiskit, NetSquid, QuNetSim, or similar.
• Collaborate on publishable research, with co-authorship on any resulting publications.
• Explore Research or Teaching Assistantship (RA/TA) opportunities after an initial evaluation.

How It Starts

We begin with a small simulation task to test the project match in both directions. If it fits, you join the team and we build toward deeper collaboration and assistantship opportunities.

For Grand Valley State Students

If you are a GVSU student curious about quantum computing but unsure whether it is for you, there is a straightforward path in: I will be teaching Introduction to Quantum Computing in Winter 2027.

Take the course. It assumes no prior quantum background and builds from the mathematics you already have. Partway through the semester you will know whether this field genuinely interests you — and by then you will have enough vocabulary for us to have a real conversation about research rather than a vague one.

Come to my office hours around the middle of the term and we can talk about what a project might look like for you. Several students have joined the lab exactly this way.

How to Apply

Email Prof. Ahmed at [email protected] with the subject line Research on Quantum Networking, and include:

• A brief introduction — who you are and where you are in your studies.
• What you want to work on, and why. Be specific; a sentence about a paper or problem that caught your attention tells me far more than a list of skills.
• Relevant background: coursework, programming experience, any research or projects.
• A CV, and for postdoctoral candidates two or three representative papers.

I read every message. If your interests overlap with what the lab is working on, you will hear back.