Internship | Machine learning for quantum sensing application

About this internship

Nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers in diamond are powerful quantum sensors with applications ranging from magnetic field detection, electrical property characterization, thermometry, navigation etc. A key measurement technique in NV-based sensing is optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), which requires precise and efficient data acquisition and analysis. Traditional approaches to extracting information (center frequency, linewidth etc.) from ODMR signals can be non-robust and sensitive to noise, which affects the data quality. This project focuses on leveraging machine learning (ML) to enhance ODMR measurements. By refining an existing ML model and building upon it, we aim to improve accuracy, speed, and robustness in quantum sensing workflows.

What will be your role?

You will be working together with a team of scientists and engineers in the Quantum Sensing team within the High-Tech Industry unit at TNO-Stieltjesweg.
As an intern, you will:

• Understand and build upon an existing ML model designed for ODMR measurements.
• Define benchmarking metrics to compare ML-based approaches against traditional methods.
• Improve the current ML architecture to achieve better accuracy and prediction quality.
• Identify bottlenecks in the existing ML architecture and propose innovative solutions to overcome them.
• Collaborate with researchers to integrate your improvements into real-world NV-based sensing experiments.

What we expect from you

We are looking for motivated students who:

• Are pursuing a master’s degree in data science and artificial intelligence, computer science, applied physics or a related field.
• Have a strong foundation in machine learning and experience with frameworks such as TensorFlow or PyTorch.
• Are familiar with python programming and data analysis techniques.
• Possess good problem-solving skills and can work independently as well as in a team.
• Have an interest in quantum technologies and a willingness to learn about NV-based sensing (Familiarity with quantum sensing concepts is a plus, but not mandatory).

What you'll get in return

You will, of course, be properly supervised during your work placement and be given the scope for you to get the best out of yourself. Furthermore, we provide:

• A highly professional, innovative internship environment, within a team of top experts.
• A suitable internship allowance (615 euro for wo-, hbo- and mbo-students, for a full-time internship).
• Possibility of eight hours of free leave per internship month (for a full-time internship).
• A free membership of Jong TNO, where you can meet other TNO professionals and join several activities, such as sports activities, (work-related) courses or the yearly ski-trip.
• Use of a laptop.
• An allowance for travel expenses in case you don’t receive an OV-card.

TNO as an employer

At TNO, we innovate for a healthier, safer and more sustainable life. And for a strong economy. We are driven to push boundaries. There is all the space and support for your talent and ambition. You work with people who will challenge you: who inspire you and want to learn from you. Our state-of-the-art facilities are there to realize your vision. What you do at TNO matters: impact makes the difference.