At a Glance
📍 Location: Saarbrücken
🏛 Institution: Saarland University, Department of Physics
👤 Position: W3 Professorship, Experimental Physics of Quantum Technologies
🔢 Reference no.: W2885
📅 Start date: 1 April 2027
⏳ Application deadline: 31 August 2026
🌐 Apply via: www.uni-saarland.de/berufungen
W3 Professorship Experimental Physics of Quantum Technologies (m/f/x; Reference no.: W2885)
Saarland University is a campus university with a strong international focus and a distinctive research profile characterized by its four core research areas 'Computer Science', 'BioMed – Life and Materials', 'Interdisciplinary European Research' and 'Sustainability'. With numerous internationally respected research institutes situated in the vicinity of the university and dedicated support for start-ups and innovation, Saarland University is an ideal environment for research, teaching and innovation. The proportion of international students studying at Saarland University is well above the national average and is a testimony to the university's strong international focus. Saarland University has been officially certified as a family-friendly university since 2004.
The Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology comprises six departments and promotes interdisciplinary cooperation in both teaching and research. One of the key fields of research at the Department of Physics is quantum engineering, particularly in the areas of quantum information processing, quantum communication and quantum metrology. A new Center for Quantum Technologies (QuTe) has recently been established at Saarland University that pursues interdisciplinary research with the university departments Systems Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science and maintains close collaborative ties with Helmholtz Center 'Forschungszentrum Jülich' and the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI).
The Department of Physics in the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology at Saarland University in Saarbrücken is inviting applications for the following position to commence on 1 April 2027:
W3 Professorship Experimental Physics of Quantum Technologies
(m/f/x; Reference no.: W2885)
The university also invites applications for another professorship in Physics Education with a Focus on Quantum Technologies (m/f/x; Reference no.: W2884).
The person appointed to this position will pursue research in experimental physics on matter-based and photonic quantum systems and their interfaces, focusing particularly on the application of quantum technologies in quantum communication, quantum computing and simulation, or quantum metrology and sensing. Possible platforms may include atomic, atom-like, molecular or hybrid quantum systems for the controlled storage, transduction, transmission or processing of discrete units of quantum information in networks.
The research programme to be pursued should complement, strengthen and broaden the existing research profile within the Department of Physics. We envisage close involvement in the Center for Quantum Technologies (QuTe), as well as participation in the Jülich-Saarbrücken Graduate School 'Quantum Information and Computation' and expect these collaborative relationships to be actively developed further. The successful candidate will be expected to contribute to teaching the full range of courses and modules in experimental physics. The appointee will also be involved in developing and shaping study programmes in physics, particularly the Bachelor's and Master's programmes in 'Quantum Engineering'.
Requirements
Applicants must have a university degree in physics (or equivalent qualification), a doctorate (PhD or equivalent) evidencing research of high originality and significance, and must demonstrate a particular capacity for independent academic research, usually by having obtained an advanced, post-doctoral research degree (Habilitation) or by having published an equivalent volume of peer-reviewed research or by having successfully completed the interim evaluation of a junior professorship or equivalent position.
The appointment will be made in accordance with the general provisions of German public sector employment law. Please refer to Section 41 of the Saarland Higher Education Act (SHSG), current version available at: https://recht.saarland.de/bssl/document/jlr-HSchulGSLrahmen.
Applicants should have an excellent record of publishing high-quality papers in relevant areas and have proven experience in acquiring and managing external research funding. The successful candidate is expected to contribute innovative teaching concepts at all academic levels (state-examined programmes, Bachelor's, Master's and doctoral programmes), to provide dedicated supervision to students working on thesis and dissertation projects, and to support and foster junior researchers. Applicants must also demonstrate an ability to work well in a team – as evidenced, for example, by successful participation in collaborative projects, and must have good communication skills in written and spoken German.
Saarland University views internationalization as a process spanning all aspects of university life. We therefore expect members of our professorial staff to promote and foster further internationalization. Special support will be provided for projects that expand collaboration within existing international cooperative networks, e.g. projects with partners in the European University Alliance Transform4Europe (www.transform4europe.eu) or the University of the Greater Region (www.uni-gr.eu).
In accordance with the objectives of its gender equality plan, Saarland University is actively seeking to increase the proportion of women in this field. Qualified women candidates are therefore strongly encouraged to apply. Preferential consideration will be given to applications from disabled candidates of equal eligibility. Furthermore, we welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of nationality, ethnic heritage or social background, religious beliefs, personal beliefs or values, age, sexual orientation or identity.
Application
Please complete the application form in Saarland University's online professorial appointments portal (www.uni-saarland.de/berufungen) and submit it and your application documents by no later than 31 August 2026. Application documents must be uploaded as a single PDF file (max. size 10 MB) and should include the following documents in the stated order:
- Letter of application (addressed to the Dean of the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology Professor Dirk Bähre)
- CV (including your home address, phone number and email address)
- Three selected recent publications with a summary (max. 1,000 characters each) explaining their impact on your research profile
- A summary of your previous experience in academic teaching and research (incl. teaching evaluations, if available)
- A two-page paper detailing your teaching concept and a two-page research plan
- Types of external funding secured and amounts
- Copies of relevant academic qualifications and degree certificates
- Proof of disability if you declared a disability in your application
- If you hold a university degree from a foreign university, please provide proof of equivalence from Germany's Central Office for Foreign Education (ZAB) if available. If you have not yet requested proof of equivalence from ZAB, you must submit proof at a later date if so requested.
- A list of publications
When you submit a job application to Saarland University, you will be transmitting personal data. Please refer to our privacy notice for information on how we collect and process personal data in accordance with Art. 13 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (www.uni-saarland.de/en/privacy). By submitting your application, you confirm that you have taken note of the information in the Saarland University privacy notice.
The full job advertisement can be found at: www.uni-saarland.de | www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzo6dxr1FWk
