You will work in a team that develops a new platform for quantum computing, based on trapped ions in combination with optical tweezers. You will explore the use of tightly focused laser beams and their interaction with crystals of trapped ions to realize new ways to prepare and control qubits. We will make particular use of the so-called optical Magnus effect, an optical analogue of the well-known classical Magnus effect that is for instance applied in football, causing ball trajectories to curve. You will explore this phenomenon in trapped ions, and use it to implement state-of-the-art quantum gates. We will also explore the scalability of the scheme by designing ion traps based on integrated photonics for tweezer delivery. The team consists of 2 other PhD students as well as the PIs. Theory support will be supplied by the group of Dr. Arghavan Safavi-Naini of the Quantum Software research center. The work will involve setting up optics, lasers and electronics as well as programming and microfabrication.