NIST Superconducting Quantum Interference Device Development
Developments in superconducting SQUID tech for cryogenic detectors and other applications, focusing on improved noise, bandwidth, and readout techniques.
This grant is no longer accepting proposals
NRC Research Associateship Programs has archived this opportunity.
Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: $82,764 stipend plus $3,000 travel allowance; typical appointment duration 2 years.
Summary: Postdoctoral fellowship to develop superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) circuits and related superconducting electronics for cryogenic detector arrays and electromagnetic signal measurement.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens with a Ph.D. earned within the last 5 years; research conducted onsite at NIST in Boulder, CO; application requires contacting a research adviser prior to applying.
Description
This fellowship opportunity at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) focuses on advancing superconducting electronics, specifically the development of superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) circuits. The primary goal is to create SQUID multiplexers that can efficiently multiplex signals from superconducting microcalorimeters and bolometers, which are essential for large-format cryogenic detector arrays used in x-ray microanalysis and millimeter-wave astronomy.
Research areas include:
- Improving noise performance and bandwidth of SQUID devices.
- Developing novel microwave reflectometer readout techniques for arrays of non-hysteretic radio-frequency SQUIDs (rf-SQUIDs).
- Fabricating SQUID circuits using NIST’s state-of-the-art superconducting fabrication facilities.
- Creating high-performance room-temperature electronics to interface with superconducting circuits.
- Exploring the fundamental device physics of SQUID circuits.
- Investigating novel applications such as SQUID operational amplifiers and susceptometers for magnetic calorimeters.
This fellowship provides a unique opportunity to work at the Physical Measurement Laboratory, Quantum Electromagnetics Division in Boulder, Colorado, collaborating with leading experts and utilizing cutting-edge facilities.
