Quantum Technology Executive Search
Providing Quantum Technology Executive Search Services to:
Quantum Technology Executive Search
Providing Quantum Technology Executive Search Services to:
RECRUITING SENIOR TALENT In Quantum Technology
Psirch [pronounced just like “search”] provides Quantum Technology Executive Search services to the emergent global Quantum industry, its strategic partners, and corporations seeking early adoption of Quantum. For those looking to recruit senior talent at the Director level or above, we are Your Quantum Partner. With years of retained Executive Search experience for Fortune 500 companies, Ivy League and large research universities, and private multinationals, as well as an obsession with QuTech, we are committed to supporting the industry, and most importantly, we are Fluent in Quantum.
Visionary Commitment to Quantum
First to market in our industry, Psirch is the first, and currently the only, full division of an established retained executive search firm that is entirely dedicated to Quantum. Our parent company, Berkhemer Clayton, Inc., astutely construed that the future is quantum, and as a result, Psirch was launched. With a strong track record of success spanning almost 30 years serving blue chip companies, Fortune 500s, private multinationals and pre-IPO teams, Psirch brings to bear the full heft of this long and illustrious experience, expertise, and process sophistication to benefit QuTech management.
This transition did not happen overnight. Per our ethos, we thoroughly conducted our due diligence, dived deep into the research, attended conferences, spoke with experts, and attained credentials. As a result, we are fully Fluent in Quantum… fluent in quantum mechanics; fluent in the growing number of companies, university institutes, non-profits, and other joint ventures participating in the industry; fluent in the various technologies involved; and fluent in the technical challenges to be surmounted. As a result, we can confidently offer successful outcomes and exceptional results as Your Quantum Partner.
Fluent in Quantum
Psirch lives on the pulse of the market, understanding Quantum Technology to bring you quantum talent and quantum leadership
Fluent in...
Quantum Computing & QIP
Quantum Information Processing uses quantum mechanics for computation rather than classical physics, which results in processing speeds that would otherwise be unfathomable, and the possibility of solving optimization tasks and other such problems that would otherwise be unsolvable. Just as the world experienced a shift from analog to digital in the late 20th century, today we stand on the cusp of the next major shift in technology: the move from digital to quantum. Sometimes referred to as “the second quantum revolution”, the quantum age is upon us, and Quantum Computing takes center stage as the world braces for this great advancement in our capabilities.
However, it’s not quite that simple: numerous competing technologies have arisen to tackle the vast technical challenges of harnessing quantum phenomena such as entanglement, superposition, and tunneling, all of which materialize almost exclusively at atomic scale. Hardware in development today includes superconducting apparatus, which must be cooled to ultra-low temperatures approaching Absolute Zero, typically via a dilution refrigerator. Another approach uses Trapped-Ion technology, which uses doppler cooling via lasers rather than requiring liquid helium or cryogenics. Photonic is a unique approach that is functional at room temperature. And the list goes on… Neutral Atoms, Silicon Spin Qubits, Topological… all of which face challenges in key areas such as error correction and decoherence.
But even with the all these competing engineering methods, quantum computers would be far from useful without the right software. As such, companies creating quantum algorithms have emerged, many developing quantum software platforms directed at specific industry applications. If your company is in Chemicals, Biotech/Pharma, Materials, Energy, Finance, etc. and it needs a Quantum Lead, knowing where to look is half the battle. Searching for senior talent in this space is highly complex, and an expert recruitment partner is essential.
Quantum Sensing & Metrology
Quantum Sensing & Metrology are perhaps the furthest advanced QuTech and are likely to reach maturity ahead of Quantum Computing. Instruments that use quantum phenomena for exact measurements are already employed today, such as in the medical field with SQUID-based MEG scanners for neuro-imaging. However, limitations in legacy appliances, as well as exponentially increasing precision and sensitivity of enhanced quantum instrumentation in medicine is fast revolutionizing this domain. The applications of quantum sensing and metrology extend well beyond medicine though: navigational capabilities without the use of GPS or reliance on satellites will soon be possible, as will “seeing” around corners and underground – features that will greatly benefit Aviation, Aerospace, Radar, Autonomous Electric Vehicles, eVTOL, and many more industrial uses.
Meeting the sizeable technical challenges of making this a reality is not simple: shielding quantum sensors from the “noise” of the world poses enormous problems, as QuTech is extraordinarily sensitive to disturbances of normal temperature, light, etc., which in essence translate to regular environmental conditions, so mounting a quantum sensor on a car or plane is no mean feat. However, it is envisioned that these sensors will one day be compact enough to fit even on a wearable item, such as a wristwatch or other fashion-tech accessory. By identifying top leaders, assessing and evaluating optimal organizational fit, analyzing and benchmarking across global markets, presenting the story of your organization in the most compelling light, and facilitating the smooth transition of talent, we can help you get there.
Quantum Simulation & Emulation
The most immediate type of problem to be solvable via quantum technology is optimization. Both quantum annealing and gate-based models for computing will allow for optimization well beyond today’s capacity. This will mean solving some of the industry’s greatest challenges. With exponential progress expected over years to come, simulating the world around us to levels of specificity never before achieved will open even more doors and lead to subsequent revolutions in a whole host of industries. Today, even the most basic molecules and chemical processes cannot be simulated with high fidelity. Fields such as computational chemistry and AgTech grapple with gradual, incremental progress. Quantum simulation will instead engender many giant leaps forward in various ways across multiple barriers, as we find ourselves capable of simulating our natural world with ever-increasing detail, thus manipulating our environment with similarly enhanced capacity. Reduced energy consumption will result from increased efficiencies, as global warming, climate change, and sustainability proponents will all have much to celebrate.
While we project continual progress in the near-term, many are understandably impatient and already seek to capitalize on the emerging technology of QuTech, even with today’s devices. Utilization of “quantum-inspired” protocols, “digital annealers,” and hybrid models are therefore bridging the gap as QuTech hurtles forward. Likewise, quantum emulators in various stages of development are a helpful tool, not merely in the production of simulations using current “NISQ” (noisy intermediate-scale quantum) devices, but rather in determining how well any such quantum device may be at actually producing accurate simulations. To plan on capitalizing on quantum simulation and/or emulation, scarce talent is required – we can help with that.
Quantum Communications & Networking
The world is about to become Quantum. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when,” and it will probably be sooner rather than later. Many of the world’s largest telecom companies are already preparing for the shift, developing quantum networking plans, and researching optimal infrastructure to support what will likely be the largest leap in networks since the internet itself. In this, photonics will play a key role, to our luck, as fiberoptics networks are already set up to support photonic transmission. But this is a long way from the whole story. There are many obstacles to overcome for us to benefit from the speed and security of established quantum communications, which will utterly dwarf current facilities. This is because in order to put quantum networks in place, it is not just a matter of transmitting light but doing so one “light particle” (or photon) at a time, without loss of data. Two emergent competing approaches for this are “squeezed light” and single-photon detection. Challenges involve long-distance transmission without decoherence, transferal of quantum states from photons to matter particles, and harnessing the phenomenon of quantum teleportation to overcome some of these obstacles. Billions in the capital are being poured into this, not just for civilian but also for military application, given the inevitable security implications. This means an arms race of sorts will likely be a strong tailwind for the progress of this technology. Space infrastructure also comes into play with this form of quantum technology, as satellite transmission has been found to possess critical advantages over the use of fiber, engendering even greater security implications. As a result, recruiting in this space is fraught with complexity. Choosing a Quantum-Specialist Executive Search firm could make all the difference in the world.
Post Quantum Cryptography & QKD / QRNG
NIST (The National Association of Standards & Technology) has already begun its program to revamp our entire cryptographic ecosystem. This is not surprising, as the most renowned impending capability of quantum computers is their ability to factor large numbers using Shor’s algorithm. Once this happens, the vulnerability of our financial systems may cause catastrophic results unless measures are taken to preempt such an eventuality. This includes overhauling RSA encryption, which is used for credit cards, as well as all asymmetric public key encryption systems, such as elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), which is used for cryptocurrencies. Sensitive government, military, and intelligence agency communications are already being collected today so that when quantum computers mature, they may be decrypted at that later date. The time to take a defensive posture is now, and the urgency is alarmingly high in this particular instance.
Enter Post Quantum Cryptography – the main focus of the efforts of NIST today. A new system will hopefully be identified, which will evade even the supreme processing power of quantum computers. A few candidates have emerged to do this, although none have yet been selected. Any such standard will likely pose challenges of cumbersome and bulky implementation and use, not to mention they may still maintain a level of potential vulnerability, as they rely on mathematical encryption, and thus can never entirely rule out a breach. Thankfully, an even more secure option has emerged, namely QKD, or “Quantum Key Distribution”. This method utilizes properties of quantum mechanics itself to create secure code, and because the encryption is quantum rather than mathematical, it can be proven to a certainty that these methods are not hackable nor vulnerable to quantum attack. As such, this is a quantum technology in its own right, and one that most every organization on the planet may need to adopt for its privacy and security, as well as that of its customers. QKD nonetheless remains controversial, as distance ranges are limited and infrastructure therefore constrained, although proponents of QKD argue that current telecoms fiber optics are already set up to house QKD, while others insist satellites may be the best option. Lastly, QRNG or “Quantum Random Number Generators” are also emerging as advanced symmetric key encryption sources to safely guard against quantum attack. The distribution methods of these AES 128-, 192-, or 256-bit symmetric keys remain at issue, however, as intercepting them upon delivery would revert to the initial vulnerability. We are here to find you the right quantum-capable change agent to guide you.
Quantum Control Electronics & Operating Systems
Different types of Quantum computers are in continual development, and are underpinned by a number of methods, some of which use analog signals, such as radio frequency pulses, to control and manipulate qubits, assemble output readouts, and so forth. Whichever method is employed, control stacks are needed to get the qubits to perform the desired operations. Until recently, legacy equipment has sufficed for this part of the process, but as the technology evolves and improves, more sophisticated and specially tailored equipment has become necessary to reduce latency and enhance other important aspects, leading to a new market for the control architecture of either specific types of quantum computers, or which are hardware agnostic. Similarly in development are hardware abstraction layers for the various kinds of quantum computers, with the goal of resultant operating systems to simplify, ease, and accelerate interoperability and use. Taking into account this dimension of any in-house platform buildout will require a particularly specialized knowledge and skillset.
Quantum Optics & Imaging
Photonics remains one of the most promising and pervasive underlying approaches in a panoply of quantum applications, and as such, development of these technologies will require ever increasing R&D capabilities and instrumentation. To rely on quantum entanglement and the detection of single photons can be a highly frustrating and elusive endeavor, given the extreme sensitivity and precision needed, as well as the fact that it seems to be simply a law of nature that photons do not want, and will not allow, their behavior to be fully known by us. However, we are starting to find ever more clever ways to circumvent this, using techniques such as photon-sparse microscopy, magneto-optical surface-traps, beam splitting tools, ghost imaging, correlated photon pair analysis, and a gamut of laser instruments.
The current state of our capabilities in quantum optics leaves much to be desired. Photons continue to prevent us from learning their deepest secrets, and we remain largely foiled by their mysterious capacity to elude us. In order for QuTech to advance, suppliers of exquisitely precise measurement and manipulation equipment will play a highly important role. For companies developing such equipment, or for organizations in need of this sophisticated expertise, we know where to look, what to ask, and how to market the compelling narrative of your particular business. Let us set you up for success.
Quantum Materials & Condensed Matter Physics
As QuTech gains traction, quantum materials begin to grow both in significance and demand. Design and manufacturing of specialized materials for quantum devices, such as quantum sensors and quantum computers, is just the beginning. Advances in our understanding of how to manipulate matter itself to bring to the fore quantum phenomena is seeing a technological revolution of its own. For example, the cooling and squeezing of gasses such as lithium, potassium, and strontium in order to channel a quantum phenomenon known as “Pauli Blocking” or “Pauli Exclusion Principle” is gaining much attention. This law of nature, discovered by the eponymous physicist, Wolfgang Pauli, elucidates how fermions in a quantum system cannot occupy the same quantum state. As a result, we are now able to prevent certain particles from interacting with light, and thereby essentially making some matter invisible. This feat, which helps us to prevent light from scattering, is another helpful step in our progress of manipulating our environment at the atomic scale.
The domain of condensed matter physics, as well as its myriad and growing applications, whether through Bose-Einstein Condensates (BECs), quantum gasses, time crystals (yes, that’s a thing now), etc., is replete with potential use cases in modern industry and for mass commercialization. Still in its infancy, however, there leaves little doubt that without the top minds in this field, chances of success are greatly reduced. It therefore makes sense to partner with a quantum-specialist executive search firm like us to ensure you hire and retain the best possible talent.
Quantum Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence
As the quantum space heats up, many larger companies are forming dedicated divisions within quantum for ML and AI, and there is a rise in standalone companies focusing on this aspect. It is not surprising to see this transpire in the market, as ML is a highly synergistic area for quantum. Not only can AI be greatly improved by quantum technology, but it will also return the favor and help to build quantum the more this happens, in a cascading trajectory of exponential growth. The challenges, obstacles, and problems to be solved are immense in this area, as are the technical hurdles around scaling, and they thus require nothing short of fully committed laser-focused attention. At the same time, there could not be more promise in any other quantum application, as it is likely that the holy grail for the field lives here. Working with an executive search firm familiar with this area may be of great import in seeking quantum talent and quantum leadership.
Quantum Thermodynamics & Harnessing Entropy
Similar to other quantum technologies, quantum thermodynamics is still very much in its infancy, and perhaps more so than most. Yet the potential applications may very well be of equal or greater magnitude, especially in the development of efficient engines, some of which may be microscopic in size, that could deliver more power than classical engines. The transfer of energy, and study of entropy, with which this field concerns itself, could soon result in enhanced fridges and cooling capabilities, more effective solar panels, Etc. Quantum engines could even run computers at some stage. Projected applications for derivative technologies do not stop there, however, with many more possibilities in the realm of quantum thermodynamics, such as bio-engineering. While still experimental in phase, rather than primed for commercial application, we delight in working with your R&D teams to ensure the optimal leaders are driving the right kind of change.
Quantum Biology & Experimental Design
Quantum phenomena exist in everyday cellular life, or so multiple studies have demonstrated to be the case. Possibly. This area of QuTech is likely the least well understood and furthest from maturity of all the quantum technologies in research today, but that has not stopped many from exploring. Centers of R&D for quantum biology have begun to emerge, with processes as commonplace as photosynthesis, and as complex as avian navigation, under examination for their potential utilization of quantum attributes, even amidst the “noise” of normal uncontrolled conditions. Should any investigations show conclusively the actuation of quantum properties in the functionality of cellular organisms, this will undoubtedly be welcome progress. The implications for healthcare, agriculture, and many other industries may be extensive. While quantum biology is fetal in stage of research, we are here to support the courageous endeavors of the scientific, academic, and corporate communities who seek to pioneer this field.
Quantum Synergies & Connected Systems
Quantum technologies, in this early stage of development and commercialization, tend to be viewed and treated as discrete. However, when envisioning mature quantum systems, this could not be further from the truth. The power of quantum technology is it's exponential, or at very least quadratic, increase in capability as it scales. Difficult though scaling maybe, as quantum technologies mature, they will not only improve, and they will improve each other to considerable degrees. Quantum communications will buttress quantum computing, which will buttress quantum sensing, and so forth. Being able to connect the dots across intricate quantum systems of distinct technologies will become ever more necessary, and therefore talent that spans these various experiential areas will also become a coveted commodity. To find, hire, and onboard such talent with the optimal assortment of expertise, a quantum-specialist executive search firm is invaluable to have as a partner, if not essential to the process.
Quantum Timing & The Future of Quantum
Keeping time may seem like a simple matter, especially when dealing with relatively short distances like those on land and sea, and a small degree of approximation can be afforded. However, as the space economy ramps up, longer distances will become an ever more vital factor in critical space exploration and LEO (low earth orbit) infrastructure (such as GPS, which already utilizes atomic clocks). As a result, the precision of timing will continue to grow vastly in significance, and ever more precise quantum instrumentation and measurement will allow for the accomplishment of mission critical objectives that would otherwise be unachievable.
Quantum timing is on a path to this in the near future. However, if we look beyond to the mid-term and long-term, we can also expect devices and capabilities to proliferate of which we cannot conceive today. As quantum technology develops, not every milestone will have been predicted. This has been the case with so many early scientific breakthroughs in the past. It is because of this that your Executive Search firm must have a close connection with those making the breakthroughs, and must live on the pulse of the market… as we do.
Nanotechnology & Convergent Industries
Many industries beyond quantum itself will at some point begin to converge with QuTech, whether for adoption purposes, to protect digital assets and update cybersecurity, or to implement the technology somehow. A distinct example, however, may be nanotechnology and nanorobotics. With these, it is a much closer relationship for a unique reason: nanoscale materials and devices are being engineered at ever smaller sizes, particularly those envisioned for interaction in the human body. As this “shrinking” progresses, these nano-scale objects move closer and closer to being governed by quantum mechanics rather than classical physics. Once a sufficiently small scale is reached, having a quantum expert on hand to manage the intricate design, manufacturing, and operational challenges will be essential.