The project is to carry out theoretical research on the physics of atoms coupled to optical photons in waveguides. This research is conducted within the ErBeStA-consortium which is formed by European experimental and theoretical research groups.

The goal of the ErBeStA-consortium is to build a complete Bell-state analyser that is free from measurement errors. The realisation of such an error-proof Bell-state analyser constitutes a milestone for information technologies as it forms the key component for universal optical quantum computers and long-distance quantum communication. Reliable Bell-state detection will immediately impact the development of emerging quantum technologies, facilitate high-precision time-keeping and sensing, and enable future technologies such as secure communication or quantum cloud computing.

The main responsibility of this post will be initially to carry out independent research on the characterisation of atoms coupled to optical waveguides. The focus here is to understand – in collaboration with experimental partners – imperfections and noise sources, and to optimise coupling fidelities. At a later stage the research focus will shift towards characterising many-body effects in atom-light networks, the understanding of collective phenomena and the harnessing of dissipative processes for the manipulation of photons.

The researcher will be an integral part of an interdisciplinary and international team of researchers covering a broad range of topics including statistical physics, condensed-matter theory, computational physics, atomic physics and quantum optics, as well as soft-matter physics. We seek a motivated, skilled and highly independent researcher to complement our team.

The researcher is expected to actively contribute to the research activities of the condensed matter theory group at the School of Physics and Astronomy.

This post is fixed-term an initially for a period of 1 year and commences on or after 1 August 2018.

Salary: £26495 to £38833 per annum (pro-rata if applicable) depending on skills and experience (minimum £29799 with relevant PhD). Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Professor Igor Lesanovsky, email igor.lesanovsky@nottingham.ac.uk. Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.