Mechanical Engineering Intern (Quantum Hardware)

Location: Aubervilliers, France; hybrid workplace

Company

Alice & Bob develops quantum hardware and infrastructure, including cryogenic readout systems.

What you will do

• Characterize the existing MXC-stage readout chain and define specifications with the operations and RF teams, including a target of 32 lines, envelope, insertion-loss budget, and thermalization requirements.
• Compare mechanical architectures and compact market components, build a decision matrix, and defend the selected architecture in a design review.
• Design the readout module with CAD models, technical drawings, a costed BOM, material selection, thermalization, torque specifications, SMP tolerance stack-up, and connector selection.
• Write assembly and inspection procedures suitable for subcontractor production.
• Assemble and validate a cryostat prototype through assembly-time measurements, SOLT/SOLR calibration, and room-temperature and cold S-parameter characterization.
• Compare results with the SMA reference chain and recommend a go/no-go decision and industrialization roadmap, including inputs for a phase-2 PCB study.

Requirements

• Final-year Master's or engineering student in mechanical engineering or mechatronics, with an interest in RF and cryogenic hardware.
• Mechanical design for assembly (DFA) and tolerance analysis, including stack-ups.
• Proficiency in CAD, specifically SolidWorks, and technical drawing.
• Material selection and thermal design, ideally with an interest in cryogenic constraints.
• Interest in RF measurements, including VNA and S-parameters, and cryogenics.
• Hands-on approach to assembling and testing hardware.
• Rigor and clear technical documentation.
• Ability to structure and present technical choices in a design review to multidisciplinary teams.
• Proficient in English; no minimum experience is required.
• Availability for a six-month internship starting at the end of January 2027.

Nice to have

• Basic knowledge of RF connectors and coaxial lines.
• Previous internship or project experience in mechanical design, prototyping, or testing.

Culture & Benefits

• Work closely with the cryohardware development, operations, and RF teams.
• Participate in multidisciplinary design reviews and hands-on hardware development.
• Contribute to a project intended to reduce readout-chain assembly time and defects and enable subcontractor production.