PhD Student – Computer Architecture

About this role

SoftQuantus is building AI and quantum compute infrastructure where the bottleneck is no longer algorithms — it is architecture. We are looking for a PhD Student in Computer Architecture who wants to apply their research to real systems: inference pipelines, memory hierarchies, custom accelerators, and compute efficiency at scale. This is not a traditional internship. It is a research partnership with direct impact on the product roadmap.

Focus Areas

• •Computer architecture for AI inference (GPU, NPU, custom accelerators)
• •Memory hierarchy design: cache, HBM, bandwidth optimization
• •Processor microarchitecture and pipeline design
• •Performance modeling and simulation (gem5, Accel-Sim, or similar)
• •Energy efficiency and performance-per-watt for compute-intensive workloads

Responsibilities

• Research and prototype hardware architecture improvements for AI inference workloads
• Develop performance models and simulations to validate architectural decisions
• Analyze memory bandwidth bottlenecks and propose microarchitectural optimizations
• Collaborate with systems and AI engineering teams to translate research into product
• Contribute to publications, technical reports, and patent applications
• Present findings to technical leadership and potential investors

Requirements

• Enrolled in or recently completed a PhD program in Computer Architecture, Computer Engineering, or related field
• Strong fundamentals in processor microarchitecture, memory systems, and digital design
• Experience with performance simulation tools (gem5, Accel-Sim, Sniper, or equivalent)
• Programming skills in C++, Python, or SystemVerilog / VHDL
• Research mindset with measurable outputs: papers, benchmarks, or prototypes

Nice to Have

• ○Familiarity with GPU architecture (CUDA, ROCm) or ML accelerator design
• ○Knowledge of HBM, LPDDR5, or other high-bandwidth memory technologies
• ○Experience with RISC-V or open-source hardware platforms
• ○Understanding of AI/ML workloads and inference requirements
• ○Prior internship or research project in industry or national lab

Skills & Keywords