Research Associate in Diamond Maser Quantum Electronics

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 optically-pumped nitrogen-vacancy (NV) colour centres in diamond. 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.

Applications are invited for a Research Associate to assist in the development of the diamond maser and related quantum technologies. The focus will be on constructing experimental demonstrator devices that exploit advanced materials, physics and electronic engineering. This work will be done in consultation with our industrial partners towards transferring these demonstrators into commercial prototypes and is funded by the EPSRC. There is therefore the potential to be part of a team producing new intellectual property with excellent prospects for commercialisation.

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 published research preferably in quantum optics, quantum technology or spin physics and will be able to provide examples of ingenuity and initiative. The successful candidate will have the rare opportunity of developing an entirely new device technology and will be involved in shaping the future for room temperature masers.

Duties and responsibilities

• Your research role will primarily involve the design and development of portable diamond maser demonstration devices.
• Characterisation of synthetic diamond containing NV 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-frequency physics and quantum technology. Skill and experience in the following would be advantageous:

• Quantum optics.
• Pulsed optically-detected magnetic resonance (ODMR) and 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-difference time-domain methods etc.)
• Programming using languages such as Python/Matlab/C++/Julia.
• 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.

HR Division

*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant within the salary range £35,477- £38,566 per annum.

Closing date: 13 October 2020

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 Jonathan Breeze (jonathan.breeze@imperial.ac.uk).

Please apply via our website searching for job number ENG01387 https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/.

For technical issues when applying online please e-mail recruitment@imperial.ac.uk.

Committed to equality and valuing diversity, we are also an Athena SWAN Silver Award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident Employer and are working in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people.

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-evaluation/.

Department/Faculty: Department of Materials, Faculty of Engineering
Salary range: £40,215 – £47,579 per annum*
Campus: South Kensington and White City
Contract: Full-Time, Fixed Term appointment until 31 July 2022