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Research Associate in Quantum Technology

Employer
Imperial College London, Department of Materials
Location
London (GB)
Salary
£36,694 - £49,210 per annum*
Posting live until
20 Sep 2021

Job Details

Department/Division/Faculty: Materials, Faculty of Engineering.

Contract: Fixed term, Full-Time post until 30 June 2023 with further possible extension

Salary: £36,694 - £49,210 per annum*

Recent research within the Maser Group in the Department of Materials at Imperial College London has demonstrated the world’s first continuous-wave room-temperature MASER based on nitrogen-vacancy (NV) colour centres in diamond [1]. This new type of spintronic device works like a laser but at microwave frequencies and has exciting applications in sensing, communications, time-keeping and quantum technologies [2].

Applications are invited for a Research Associate to assist in the development of the diamond maser and of other spin-defect materials (e.g. silicon carbide and hexagonal boron nitride) for applications in quantum technology. The project will take place as part of a long-term, £9.6M EPSRC Programme Grant, Nanoscale Advanced Materials Engineering (NAME), together with collaborators at the University of Manchester, the University of Leeds and 20 industrial partners. Work will focus on developing new spin-defect materials through the deterministic creation of vacancy centres in isotopically purified samples and exploring how these materials might be exploited for applications as masers, quantum sensors and quantum memories.

A researcher is sought with a PhD in physics, materials, electronic/electrical engineering, physical chemistry or related disciplines and a passion for constructing experimental hardware and instrumentation coupled with an understanding of the underlying physics and the ability to perform simulations.

The successful candidate should have a strong record of preparing research for publication preferably in the fields of quantum optics, quantum technology or spin physics and will be able to provide examples of ingenuity and initiative.

[1] Breeze et al. Continuous-wave room-temperature diamond maser. Nature 555, 493–496 (2018).

[2] Breeze et al. Room-temperature cavity quantum electrodynamics with strongly coupled Dicke states. npj Quantum Information 3, 40 (2017).

Duties and Responsibilities

  • Your research role will primarily involve the development and characterisation of spin[1]defect materials for use in quantum technologies.
  • Characterisation and control of vacancy centres using analytic techniques: pulsed optically-detected magnetic resonance (ODMR), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and optical spectroscopy.
  • You will be a key member of a team and will be responsible for designing and developing laboratory experiments.
  • You will be expected to publish in high profile journals, participate in the dissemination of results and liaise with academic and industrial collaborators.

Skills, knowledge and experience

This research will be conducted at a nexus where optical, RF/microwave and spin physics meet. You will preferably have practical and theoretical experience in optical, microwave /radio[1]frequency physics and quantum technology. Skill and experience in the following would be advantageous:

  • Quantum optics.
  • Nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond or other spin defects.
  • Pulsed optically-detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). HR Division
  • Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR).
  • Simulation, design and test of microwave cavities and circuits.
  • Optical systems and instrumentation in a laboratory setting.
  • Computational modelling, analysis methods and tools (such as finite-elements, finite[1]difference time-domain methods etc.)
  • Programming using languages such as Python (preferably) or equivalent.
  • Electronics and instrumentation.

In addition to research, there is the opportunity to develop teaching experience, for example delivering undergraduate or masters lectures/tutorials, organising undergraduate lab experiments, supervising research projects and helping with the supervision of PhD students on linked projects.

*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant within the salary range £36,694– £39,888 per annum.

Closing date: 20th September 2021

Please apply via our website searching for job number ENG01844 https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/

Further guidance may be sought from Mrs Darakshan Khan (d.khan@imperial.ac.uk).

Should you have any queries regarding the post, please contact, Dr Daan Arroo (d.arroo14@imperial.ac.uk).

For technical issues when applying online please email. support.jobs@imperial.ac.uk

The College is a proud signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions, we evaluate applicants on the quality of their work, not the journal impact factor where it is published. For more information, see https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research[1]evaluation/

The College believes that the use of animals in research is vital to improve human and animal health and welfare. Animals may only be used in research programmes where their use is shown to be necessary for developing new treatments and making medical advances. Imperial is committed to ensuring that, in cases where this research is deemed essential, all animals in the College’s care are treated with full respect, and that all staff involved with this work show due consideration at every level. http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research[1]integrity/animal-research/

We are committed to equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We therefore encourage candidates to apply irrespective of age, disability, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion and belief, gender identity, sex, or sexual orientation. We are an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Disability Confident Leader and a Stonewall Diversity Champion.

Company

Why choose Materials at Imperial?

Materials scientists exploit their understanding of the properties, structure and processing of materials, and the relationship between these elements, to provide solutions for and improvements to technological applications.

You'll join an outstanding research community with world-leading expertise and have access to cutting-edge equipment and advanced tools to design and develop materials for applications in a wide range of industries including aerospace, renewable energy and medicine.

We maintain an extensive network of contacts with industry around the world, providing you with exciting opportunities for your development.

Where could your degree take you?

The developmental and research skills gained from our courses, along with the strong emphasis on practical experience, are highly valued by employers in a range of industries.

You could enter a wide variety of sectors, from chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing to nanotechnology to biomedical materials. The skills from our courses could also be applied to other settings, such as finance or design.

Recent graduates have become...

  • Graduate Engineer, Multinational automotive company
  • Software Development Engineer, Amazon
  • Management Consultant, EY
  • Material Scientist, Rolls-Royce
  • Quality Excellence Engineer, Johnson & Johnson
Company info
Website
Telephone
+44 (0)20 7589 5111
Location
Department of Physics
South Kensington Campus
London
SW7 2AZ
GB

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