Postdoctoral Fellow; PREP
Listed on 2026-07-02
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Science
Research Scientist
General Description
PREP Research Associate
This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST recognizes that its research staff may want to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest and, therefore, requires those institutions to be recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program involves staff from a wide range of backgrounds conducting scientific research across various fields.
Individuals in this position will perform technical work supporting the collaboration's scientific research.
Scanning probe instrumentation and metrology specialist
The work will entailThis work is on the frontier of experimental condensed matter physics, and combines several experimental modalities, including scanning tunneling microscopy, atomic force microscopy, electron transport, and electron spin resonance. For more information about the group, see https://(Use the "Apply for this Job" box below)./scanning
U.S. Citizen Preferred
Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to- Develop novel and cutting-edge instrumentation for scanning probe microscopy.
- Support ongoing operations of scanning probe microscopy experiments.
- Present results at internal meetings and occasional meetings with external stakeholders.
- Ensure that results, protocols, software, and documentation have been archived or otherwise transmitted to the larger organization.
- A PhD degree in experimental condensed matter physics, or a related field.
- Five years of experience in designing and building scanning tunneling microscopes (STM) and atomic force microscopes (AFM) operating in ultra‑low temperatures (10 mK), ultra‑high vacuum (UHV), and high magnetic fields (0‑15 T). This experience should include the following sub‑fields:
- Five years of experience in building piezo‑electric motors and piezo‑electric scanners operating from 10 mK to 300 K.
- Five years of experience in designing and building multi‑contact sample and probe holders.
- Five years of experience in assembling AFM qPlus sensors.
- Five years of experience in preparing atomically sharp probe tips for STM and AFM measurements.
- Five years of experience in characterizing and treating STM probe tips using a field ion microscope (FIM).
- Five years of experience in detailing wiring of STM and AFM modules with thorough documentation of assembly and wiring details.
- Five years of experience in testing and debugging STM and AFM instruments with respect to electrical and vibrational noise.
- Five years of experience in integrating multi‑modal measurements in a single system, including STM, AFM, and electrical transport measurements in a single system operating at ultra‑low temperatures and in UHV.
- Five years of experience in designing and constructing cryogenic preamplifiers for STM and AFM measurements.
- Five years of experience in designing and building UHV vacuum chambers and UHV transfer systems.
- Five years of experience in wiring and operating dilution refrigerators.
- Five years of experience in building gas handling systems for dilution refrigerators.
- Five years of experience in designing, fabricating, and testing RF filters to operate in a dilution refrigerator at ultra‑low temperatures and in UHV.
- Five years of experience in molecular beam epitaxy growth of materials, including 2D materials, van der Waals materials, and superconductor materials.
- Research experience in 2D materials, including graphene‑based heterostructures and related materials, with at least one related publication.
- Research experience in superconducting materials with at least one related publication.
- Five years of experience in developing and programming LabVIEW VIs for spectroscopic mapping of STM and AFM measurements on the Nanonis SPM control system platform.
- Five years of experience in developing and programming LabVIEW VIs for instrument control, including dilution refrigerator and superconducting magnet systems.
- Five years of experience in Python programming for instrumentation control and data analysis.
- Five years of experience in 3D CAD design using Creo Elements Direct Modeling software.
- Five years of experience in maintaining helium recovery systems and operating helium liquefiers.
- Five years of experience in handling cryogens, including liquid helium transfer.
- Five years of experience in 2D and 3D scientific illustration for publication in journals and public media.
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