Postdoctoral Research Associate

A Postdoctoral Research Associate position is available to pursue experimental research in the field of quantum technologies within the Durham Quantum Light and Matter group. The position is associated with a project funded by the EPSRC.

The post holder will be expected to display the initiative and creativity, together with the appropriate skills and knowledge, required to lead and develop experiments to meet the project goals. The post holder will be expected to be familiar with excitons and solid-state quantum systems, have experience working in quantum optics, quantum technologies, atomic physics or related disciplines. The post holder is expected to be able to work effectively both independently and as part of a small research team. It is expected that the post holder will enhance the international contacts of the group through the presentation of work at international conferences. The post holder will also be expected to aid in the supervision of graduate students within the group as well as contributing to the undergraduate teaching within the Department.

The aim is to explore the use of Rydberg excitons for photonic quantum technologies. The project is in its early stages, and your role will involve developing a cryogenic optical setup to study Rydberg exciton states, designing and fabricating devices as well as testing and characterising these devices.

The aim is to explore the use of reconfigurable arrays of trapped ultra-cold atoms in next generation optical atomic clocks. This post is part of the CoCoRiCo consortium, which consists of 4 National Metrology Institutes and 5 university research groups from across Europe. Your role will be to contribute to the development new techniques for trapping and manipulating atoms, as well as studies of systematic errors in tweezer array atomic clocks.

The successful candidate will be required to take a lead role in all aspects of the project, contributing directly to the experiment and working closely with Dr Liam Gallagher, collaborators, as well as graduate students and other members of the research group. You will be expected to undertake an active role in the laboratory development and activity.

This post is fixed term for 1 year with the possibility of extension based on performance and funding availability.

The post-holder is employed to work on research/a research project which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holder will not be carrying out independent research in his/her own right, the expectation is that they will contribute to the advancement of the project, through the development of their own research ideas/adaptation and development of research protocols.

Successful applicants will, ideally, be in post by 1^st October 2026.

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