Directorate: The School of Engineering and Physical Sciences
Salary: Grade 7 (£36,924-£46,485)
Contract Type: Full Time (1FTE), Fixed Term (24 Months)
Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff (Part time workers should pro rata this by their FTE).
Detailed Description
These are 2-year postdoctoral positions (with possibility of 1-year extension) in the Beyond Binary Quantum Information research group led by Prof Mehul Malik at the Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences (IPAQS) at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland. These positions are associated with two new UK National Quantum Technologies Hubs: Quantum Sensing and Imaging (QuSIT) and Integrated Quantum Networks (IQN). As such, one position will focus on the area of quantum sensing and imaging, and the other on quantum communications. Please specify which role you are interested in at the time of application.
In these roles, you will be involved in cutting-edge research projects focusing on the study of high-dimensional quantum systems and their application in enhancing quantum technologies. Your research will aim at gaining exquisite control over the spatial and temporal structure of light, with the ultimate goal of pushing the information, noise and sensitivity limits of next-generation quantum technologies for communication, sensing and imaging. You will play an integral role in ongoing BBQLab projects as well as in the planning and delivery of upcoming research projects.
This is a role with a significant amount of responsibility. It will involve overseeing all aspects of our group’s research—from supervising the activities of junior group members, to contributing to the planning and writing of external grant proposals. There is plenty of flexibility for pursuing your own research agenda as long as it is aligned with lab activities. You will have a strong support network for the development of your own career through independent grant/fellowship applications. A willingness and ability to travel globally would be an advantage.
For examples of our recent research, please see our group’s publications page: https://bbqlab.org/publications/.
Key Duties and Responsibilities
* Conduct individual and collaborative research projects while making use of relevant research techniques and methods. Use initiative and creativity to identify exciting directions for research, develop new research methods, and extend the research portfolio.
* Supervise the activities of junior group members and PhD students, while assisting in the development of student knowledge and research skills.
* Disseminate results of research through high-quality publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.
* Contribute to the planning of research projects and in the preparation of proposals and applications to external bodies, e.g. for funding purposes.
* Make and develop internal and external contacts with a view towards knowledge-sharing and building relationships for collaborative research.
* Assist in the day-to-day maintenance of the experimental facilities and liaise with companies. A working knowledge of lasers, spatial light modulators, optical fibres and/or cryogenic photodetectors is desirable.
* The successful candidate is also expected to be involved in our outreach activities, with roles that can be tuned to the specific preferences of the candidate.
Education, Qualifications and Experience
Essential
* Applicants should hold a PhD (or a thesis submitted by the start date of the project) in quantum information science, quantum engineering, or a related field.
* A record of high quality, peer-reviewed publications and evidence of contribution to the writing of these publications proportionate to opportunity.
* Sufficient breadth or depth of knowledge in experimental quantum information science, including research methods and techniques.
* Strong theoretical understanding and thorough grounding in quantum information science.
* Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
* Experience planning and leading experiments within an experimental lab.
* Experience of programming for data acquisition and analysis (e.g. MATLAB, Python).
* Experience in public presentation of scientific results, e.g. contributed talks at conferences.
* Ability to work on one's own initiative.
* Must be able to work as part of the BBQ Lab team and more widely with collaborators at other Universities.
Desirable
* Creative approach to research.
* Strong people management skills.
* Experience of research student supervision.
* Experience in leading the writing of scientific papers.
About our Team
The Beyond Binary Quantum Information research group is a dynamic team of researchers working at the interface of quantum information theory and experiment, with a specific focus on exploring high-dimensional quantum photonic systems. We are developing methods to generate, manipulate, and measure complex quantum states of light encoded in the spatial and temporal degrees-of-freedom and applying them in fundamental tests of quantum mechanics for enhancing modern quantum technologies for communication, sensing, and computing.
The BBQ Lab is situated in custom-built, state-of-the-art photonics laboratories outfitted with a wide range of equipment including: femtosecond-pulsed and CW sources of entanglement at telecom and visible wavelengths, superconducting nanowire detectors and arrays, and spatial light modulators (SLMs/DMDs). We are funded by generous grants from UKRI/EPSRC, the European Research Council, and the Royal Academy of Engineering.
How to Apply
Please submit via the Heriot-Watt on-line recruitment system (1) Cover letter describing your interest and suitability for the post; (2) Full CV.
Applications can be submitted until midnight on Thursday 30th January 2025.
We anticipate completing shortlisting by 10.02.2025, and holding interviews in the two weeks following 17.02.25.
At Heriot Watt we are passionate about our values and look to them to connect our people globally and to help us collaborate and celebrate our success through working together. Our research programmes can deliver real-world impact which is achieved through the diversity of our international community and the recognition of creative talent that connects our global team.
Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximizing potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.
Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our University community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website https://www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers https://disc.hw.ac.uk/.
We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g. part-time working and job share options.
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