Postdoctoral Appointee - Superconducting Devices

About the role

Argonne National Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoral research position in experimental physics and superconducting device development, with a focus on advancing multipixel single-photon camera technology and multiplexed readout for quantum information science applications. As part of a multidisciplinary team spanning multiple Argonne divisions, you will contribute to the design, fabrication, and characterization of superconducting devices based on high kinetic inductance materials, while having the opportunity to shape a new research capability with broad impact across quantum networking, communications, and computing.

Research Focus

• Design and fabricate superconducting devices exploiting the nonlinear kinetic inductance of thin superconducting films, including microwave resonators for frequency-domain multiplexed readout of single photon detectors (kinetic inductance current sensors)
• Develop and characterize superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs) using high kinetic inductance materials such as NbN, TiN, and NbTiN, targeting high detection efficiency from visible to telecom wavelengths
• Implement and test scalable readout architectures for nanowire arrays, including multiplexing concepts based on superconducting cryogenic switches (hTron, fTron)
• Perform low-noise cryogenic measurements of device performance, including timing jitter, dark count rate, detection efficiency, and resonator quality factors
• Iterate rapidly on fabrication processes and readout circuit designs informed by device characterization and electromagnetic simulations
• Contribute to the development of complete instrument systems for characterization of solid-state single-photon emitters, including photon correlation and spectroscopy measurements

About The Team

You will join a collaborative team of physicists and engineers drawn from Argonne's High Energy Physics (HEP), X-ray Science (XSD), and Materials Science (MSD) divisions. The team brings together deep expertise in superconducting detector arrays, thin-film materials development, nanofabrication, cryogenic instrumentation, quantum communications, and solid-state quantum emitter systems. The project leverages existing Argonne infrastructure including dilution refrigerators, adiabatic demagnetization refrigerators, low-noise DC and RF measurement equipment, and cleanroom fabrication facilities including at the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM).

Position Requirements

• Recent or soon-to-be-completed PhD (within the last 0-5 years) in physics, electrical engineering, materials science, or a related discipline
• Demonstrated experience with superconducting devices or similar quantum/low-temperature technologies, particularly design, fabrication, and/or measurement
• Proficiency in low-noise cryogenic measurement techniques at millikelvin to few-kelvin temperatures
• Ability to model Argonne's core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity, and teamwork

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, And Experience

• Experience with superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors (SNSPDs), transition-edge sensors (TESs), or kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs)
• Experience with cleanroom microfabrication processes, including thin-film deposition (e.g., magnetron sputtering), electron-beam or optical lithography, and dry/wet etching
• Familiarity with microwave resonator design, characterization, and RF/microwave measurement techniques
• Electromagnetic simulation experience (e.g., Sonnet, Ansys HFSS/Lumerical, or similar tools)
• Experience with data acquisition, instrument control, and data analysis in Python or similar languages
• Knowledge of quantum optics measurements such as photon correlation functions or photon-number-resolved detection
• Familiarity with aspects of condensed matter and BCS superconductivity theory applicable to high kinetic inductance superconducting materials