William Knoff

Quantum Computing Intern @ MIT Lincoln Labs

Brooklyn, New York, United States

About

Self-driven master's student working towards a career in quantum computing. I am passionate about continuous learning and growth — embodied by the ever-so-slightly corny motto of my university, "Meliora" (Latin for ever better. As a young professional, I am always looking for opportunities to expand my technical skills, soft skills (communication and leadership), and network. I find this mindset permeates my personal life, which I spend pursuing skill-building endeavors in fitness, entrepreneurship, dance, cooking, and whatever else challenges me. In the grand tapestry of my career, I have always envisioned ending up running my own technology-driven venture. I don't know how I'll get there — that's just part of the adventure :)

Experience

  • Superconducting Hardware Intern at MIT Lincoln Laboratory
    May 2026 - Present · 3 mos

    - Engineering a multi-threaded PyQt6 GUI for 24/7 dilution refrigerator monitoring and heater control, enabling simultaneous monitoring of 5 multiplexed temperature channels with automated CSV logging, real-time plotting, and integrated PID heater control for 3 independent heating stages. - Deploying the GUI into Group 89's quantum computing Python framework using Git for application in real superconducting qubit experiments on Leiden dilution refrigerators - Performing a suite of temperature-dependent superconducting qubit experiments to validate the new temperature sensing and heating capabilities.

  • Graduate Lab Assistant at Nichol Group
    Sep 2025 - May 2026 · 9 mos

    - Developing software infrastructure for control pulse sequences using the QICK Python library on a ZCU216 FPGA to perform sweeps for singlet-triplet qubit experiments. - Built a hardware setup that can produce <10 ns-length baseband voltage pulses in place of an arbitrary waveform generator using the FPGA DACs and reworked differential op-amps. - Shadowing dilution refrigerators and cryostats maintenance across the thermal cycle

  • Graduate Lab Technician at The Institute Of Optics
    Mar 2025 - May 2026 · 1 yr 3 mos

    - Engineering a multichannel LED driver system featuring a precision current source and high-speed MOSFET multiplexing for millisecond-scale sequential switching. - Programmed an RPi Pico in C++ to control an RPi GS camera with PWM and execute timed LEDs sequences for multispectral illuminated videography in a medical sensing project.

  • Controls Hardware Engineering Intern at Trane
    May 2025 - Aug 2025 · 4 mos

    - Pioneered the implementation of JTAG boundary scan testing for in-house SoM production, scanning 290 nets on IC interconnects, LPDDR4, and eMMC for faults in under 5 seconds, enhancing quality control efficiency -Supported PCB design by organizing the layout and selecting components during design reviews. - Led the winning intern innovation competition team, beating 45 teams and pitching to management.

  • Electrical Engineering Intern at Thermo King
    May 2024 - Aug 2024 · 4 mos

    - Supported the launch of the first all-electric box truck refrigeration unit on the market by designing, building, and testing an EV CAN emulator for two brand integrations using a Raspberry Pi, Python, SAE J1939, and MOSFETs - Researched abrasion resistant HV harness sleeves, procured candidates to be qualified for use in production units, and modeled parts for the UL2556 standard abrasion resistance testing apparatus