PDRA in Quantum Light and Matter, Physics Department

Durham University

Durham University is one of the world's top universities with strengths across the Arts and Humanities, Sciences and Social Sciences. We are home to some of the most talented scholars and researchers from around the world who are tackling global issues and making a difference to people's lives.

The University sits in a beautiful historic city where it shares ownership of a UNESCO World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral, the greatest Romanesque building in Western Europe. A collegiate University, Durham recruits outstanding students from across the world and offers an unmatched wider student experience.

Less than 3 hours north of London, and an hour and a half south of Edinburgh, County Durham is a region steeped in history and natural beauty. The Durham Dales, including the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, are home to breathtaking scenery and attractions. Durham offers an excellent choice of city, suburban and rural residential locations. The University provides a range of benefits including pension and childcare benefits and the University's Relocation Manager can assist with potential schooling requirements.

Durham University seeks to promote and maintain an inclusive and supportive environment for work and study that assists all members of our University community to reach their full potential. Diversity brings strength and we welcome applications from across the international, national and regional communities that we work with and serve.

The Department

The Department of Physics at Durham University is one of the leading UK Physics departments with an outstanding reputation for excellence in teaching, research and employability of our students.

The Department is committed to advancing equality and we aim to ensure that our culture is inclusive, and that our systems support flexible and family-friendly working, as recognized by our Juno Champion and Athena SWAN Silver awards. We recognise and value the benefits of diversity throughout our staff and students.

The Role

Several Postdoctoral Research Associate positions are available to pursue experimental research in the field of atomic, molecular and optical physics within the Durham Quantum Light and Matter group. The positions are associated with a new five-year Programme Grant  on "Quantum Many-Body Physics with Ultracold Polar Molecules'' funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).  The research builds upon our expertise in creating ultracold RbCs molecules in the rovibrational ground state and trapping them in rotationally magic traps. The post holders will work directly with Prof. Simon Cornish and other members of his research group within the Durham Quantum Light and Matter research section.

The goal of the research is to synthesise and study artificial quantum materials using ultracold molecules arranged in regular arrays to probe novel quantum phenomena in strongly interacting quantum systems. The use of molecules is motivated by their rich internal structure, combined with the existence of controllable long-range dipole-dipole interactions, long trap lifetimes and strong coupling to electric and microwave fields. The post holders will be expected to display the initiative and creativity, together with the appropriate skills and knowledge, required to work with Prof. Cornish to deliver the research goals. These include (1) the encoding synthetic dimensions in molecules confined in rotationally magic traps and (2) the creation of many-body quantum states of

molecules in optical lattices for quantum simulation (3) the production of strongly dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates of molecules. The post holders are therefore expected to have experience and familiarity with the techniques used in the study of ultracold gases, including the operation of magneto-optical traps, the production of quantum degenerate gases, optical trapping and optical lattices. The post holders are expected to be able to work effectively both independently and as part of a small research team. It is expected that the post holders will enhance the international contacts of the group through the presentation of work at international conferences and exchange visits to collaborators connected with the project. The post holders 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.

Responsibilities :

• To understand and convey material of a specialist or highly technical nature to the team or group of people through presentations and discussions that leads to the presentation of research papers in conferences and publications.

• To prepare and deliver presentations on research outputs/activities to audiences which may include: research sponsors, academic and non-academic audiences.

• To publish high quality outputs, including papers for submission to peer reviewed journals and papers for presentation at conferences and workshops under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.

• To assist with the development of research objectives and proposals.

• To conduct individual and collaborative research projects under the direction of the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder.

• To work with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and other colleagues in the research group, as appropriate, to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extend the research portfolio.

• To deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines by discussing with the Principal Investigator or Grant-holder and offering creative or innovative solutions.

• To liaise with research colleagues and make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and understanding to form relationships for future research collaboration.

• To plan and manage own research activity, research resources in collaboration with others and contribute to the planning of research projects.

• To deliver training in research techniques/approaches to peers, visitors and students as appropriate.

• To be involved in student supervision, as appropriate, and assist with the assessment of the knowledge of students.

• To contribute to fostering a collegial working environment which is inclusive and welcoming and where everyone is treated fairly with dignity and respect.

• To engage in citizenship to support the department and wider discipline.

• To engage in continuing professional development by participation in the undergraduate or postgraduate teaching programmes or by membership of departmental committees, etc. and by attending relevant training and development courses.   

The post is for an initial fixed term of 24 months, but may be extended to up to 60 months.

The post-holders will be employed to work on research projects which will be led by another colleague. Whilst this means that the post-holders 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 January 2026.

The Requirements

Essential:

Qualifications

• A good first degree in physics.

• A PhD (or be close to submission) in atomic physics or a closely related area.

Experience

• Experience in conducting high quality academic research.

• Demonstrable ability to write material of a quality commensurate with publication in highly-ranked journals.

• Demonstrable ability to present research findings at meetings or conferences and to communicate complex information to specialists within the wider academic community.

• To have experience in the experimental study of ultracold atomic or molecular gases.

• Experience of experimental techniques relevant to the research is essential. This may include, but is not limited to: (i) laser cooling of atoms; (ii) magnetic trapping (iii) optical trapping; (iv) evaporative cooling; (v) magnetoassociation.

Skills

• Demonstrable ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, including participating in research meetings.

• Ability to work independently on own initiative and to strict deadlines.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• Skills relevant to the trapping and manipulation of ultracold gases. Examples include basic electronics, development of FPGA devices, development of narrow-linewidth lasers, laser frequency stabilisation and control, image analysis, data acquisition, optical design and Gaussian beam propagation.

Desirable:

Experience

• Demonstrable ability to develop research proposals and designs in collaboration with other academics.

• Experience of overseeing students with respect to the development of their practical/research skills e.g. acting as a demonstrator; supervising student projects/practicals.

• Demonstrable ability to model experiments using a range of software packages, such as Python, Matlab or Mathematica.

• Experience of experimental research in the field of ultracold molecules is highly desirable, especially the study of molecules formed by associating ultracold atoms.

How to Apply

For informal enquiries please contact Prof. Simon Cornish (email )   All enquiries will be treated in the strictest confidence. 

We prefer to receive applications online via the Durham University Vacancies Site. As part of the application process, you should provide details of 3 (preferably academic/research) referees and the details of your current line manager so that we may seek an employment reference.

Applications are particularly welcome from women and black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in academic posts in the University .

What to Submit

All applicants are asked to submit:

• A CV detailing your education and research experience including publications.

• A covering letter that explains how you fulfil the essential requirements for the posts detailed above.

Next Steps

The assessment for the post will include a short presentation of your previous research and an interview. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interview and assessment as soon as possible following the closing date.