The position is part of the CELLEX-ICFO-MPQ Research Fellows Program, a strategic research collaboration for which the CELLEX Foundation, a non-profit private philanthropic foundation created by Dr Pere Mir i Puig, ICFO - The Institute of Photonic Sciences, and MPQ - Max-Planck-Institute for Quantum Optics, are teaming up. The program aims at offering top-class postdoctoral researchers the opportunity to join ambitious ICFO-MPQ collaborative projects at the forefront of science and technology. The Fellows will be associated to both an existing ICFO and a MPQ research group, reporting to the corresponding Group Leaders who will be responsible for the Fellows’ research activities and the coordination of Fellows’ tasks at ICFO and the MPQ.

In this scope, we are inviting applications for a Postdoc position in the project “Cavity-enhanced detection of single rare earth ions”. The project is a joint effort of the Cavity Quantum Optics project in the group of Prof. T.W. Hänsch/Dr David Hunger at MPQ/LMU and the Quantum Photonics group of Prof. Hugues de Riedmatten at ICFO.

The project focuses on realizing an efficient optical interface for individual rare earth ions in solids with open-access optical microcavities. Rare earth ions provide exceptional optical and hyperfine coherence, which renders them promising candidates for quantum optical applications, ranging from quantum memories, quantum-nonlinear optics and quantum processing. However, the dipole-forbidden nature of the narrow transitions result in ultra-low emission rates, limiting most experiments to macroscopic ensembles. We want to gain efficient access to individual ions and small ensembles by coupling them to a high finesse optical microcavity. Purcell enhancement can boost the emission rate by several orders of magnitude, thereby making the weak transitions bright and enabling efficient state readout. We use microcavities based on laser-machined optical fibers as mirror substrates, which combine high finesse with small mode cross sections and full tunability.

We seek for an experienced, creative and motivated individual to advance this research project. Experience in at least one of the following fields is required: quantum optics, optical microcavities, cavity QED, cryogenic spectroscopy, single emitter detection. The position is for two years and will involve experimental work both at MPQ/LMU and ICFO.

Applications should be submitted via www.cellex-mpq.icfo.eu before October 15th 2015

For further inquiries please contact Dr David Hunger, MPQ (david.hunger@physik.lmu.de) or Prof Hugues de Riedmatten (hugues.deriedmatten@icfo.es