Erika Janitz, PhD

• Assistant Professor in Electrical Engineering and Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Quantum Hardware Engineering (2023–present), University of Calgary
• Adjunct Assistant Professor in Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary
• Quantum City Fellow, University of Calgary
• NSERC Postdoctoral Fellow in Physics (2021-2023), ETH Zurich
• Postdoctoral Fellow in Medical Physics (2019-2021), McGill University & Montreal Jewish General Hospital
• PhD in Physics (2019), McGill University
• Visiting Research Fellow in Physics (2018-2019), Technical University of Denmark
• MASc in Electrical Engineering with Quantum Information (2013), Institute for Quantum Computing, University of Waterloo
• Visiting Research Fellow in Applied Physics (2012-2013), Harvard University
• BASc in Honours Electrical Engineering (2012), University of Waterloo
Erika Janitz

Areas of Research

Quantum sensing
Please visit the lab website at https://qutelab.ca for an overview of our research. The QuTE Lab builds quantum sensors and qubits from defects in solids. These are atomic-scale imperfections in crystals such as diamond and silicon, whose electron and nuclear spins can store quantum information or act as extremely sensitive probes of magnetic fields, electric fields, strain, and temperature. The lab develops nanoscale magnetic resonance and thermometry techniques, including portable, field-deployable NMR sensors, with applications in chemistry, biology and clean energy. In recent work, Janitz used single near-surface nitrogen-vacancy centers to detect fluorine-labeled DNA tethered to diamond nanopillars, a step toward NMR of individual biomolecules.
Solid-state qubits
In solid-state qubits, the team engineers near-surface defects in diamond, including group-IV color centers, and in silicon. The goal is spin–photon interfaces that combine bright, spectrally stable optical transitions with long-lived spins.
Quantum devices
In quantum devices, the lab designs and fabricates nanophotonic devices that collect and enhance defect-emitted light. Together, these efforts aim to turn quantum discoveries into practical technologies for sensing and quantum communication.

Supervising degrees

Electrical and Computer Engineering - Doctoral: Accepting Inquiries
Electrical and Computer Engineering - Masters: Accepting Inquiries

Working with this supervisor

My goal is to train students with the technical and interpersonal skills they need for successful careers in academia or industry. I place great importance on an open, collaborative, and equitable group environment.

In the QuTE Lab, students work across theory, simulation, and hands-on experiments. Depending on their project, trainees:

  • model diamond and silicon defects and plan experiments using numerical tools such as Python
  • design and build experiments spanning quantum optics, electronics, and cryogenics
  • develop nanofabrication processes for quantum devices, including in UCalgary's upcoming qLab cleanroom
  • stay current with the field through regular journal clubs and literature reviews

This combination of skills is valued by leading quantum labs and by industry, from photonics companies to quantum sensing start-ups. Students are also encouraged to explore commercialization of the technologies they develop.

Beyond the lab, students are part of UCalgary's Institute for Quantum Science and Technology (IQST) and can take part in Quantum City programming, including industry-focused seminars and entrepreneurship workshops. Students present their work at national and international conferences and are encouraged to build collaborations within and beyond the university.

Interested in joining? Email me at erika.janitz@ucalgary.ca with a brief description of your interests, your CV, and your transcript. More details are on the lab website at qutelab.ca/jobs.

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