Honours students gain rare access to quantum fabrication facilities

Honours students supported by the Sydney Quantum Academy (SQA) are undertaking an industry placement at the Sydney Nano Foundry (formerly known as the Research and Prototype Foundry) at the University of Sydney.  

The six-day placement introduces students from SQA’s partner universities to cleanroom environments – an experience typically reserved for advanced research. During their time in the Foundry, students will work with granular aluminium (grAl) thin films and thin-film deposition and measurement techniques. 

Students also gain practical insights into the pathway from materials fabrication to quantum device evaluation – an area central to the development of superconducting circuits used in emerging quantum computing systems, including components such as resonators, superinductors and parametric amplifiers. 

Students said the experience provided valuable insight into how theoretical concepts are applied in real-world research environments. 

“As a theorist, it was rewarding to learn about the experimental side of my research and to see how the devices that I design are created,” one student said. 

Others pointed to the value of cross-institution collaboration and hands-on exposure to fabrication processes. 

The placements form part of the CSIRO-funded Next Generation Graduates Scholarship Program, delivered by SQA. The program brings together students, researchers and industry to build skills in real-world, problem-based environments, supporting domestic students undertaking quantum-focused projects. 

This initiative reflects a broader push to build a domestic skills pipeline in quantum technologies, as demand grows for expertise beyond traditional research roles. SQA recently announced plans to expand access to these types of industry placements through the SQA Industry Experience Program, which will open similar opportunities to a broader cohort of students beyond postgraduate pathways.