Postdoctoral RF Phononics & Microsystems Research

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Our team is hiring multiple Postdoctoral Appointees to advance next‑generation technologies at the intersection of piezoelectric acoustic wave physics, phononic signal processing, and radio frequency engineering. These positions will focus on understanding and engineering device physics in advanced heterostructure material platforms, with an emphasis on acoustoelectric interactions and integration into radio frequency microsystems. Research activities may include device design and modeling, mask layout, characterization using automated and custom probe stations, and development of new phononics‑based signal processing architectures.

In this role, you will have the opportunity to lead research efforts and publications while working closely with a multidisciplinary team of physicists, materials scientists, and engineers.

On any given day, you may be called upon to:

• Design radio frequency phononic devices and oversee related fabrication
• Develop and execute experiments to study phononic and electron‑phonon physics in advanced materials
• Evaluate piezoelectric acoustic wave device performance in new heterostructure material platforms
• Characterize and qualify devices for integration into radio frequency microsystems
• Communicate research results through publications and conferences
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, including experimentalists and theorists

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite. Relocation will be provided for those that qualify.

• PhD, conferred within 5 years prior to employment in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or related discipline
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE L clearance

• A record of technical achievement, as evidenced by first‑author publications in scientific journals.

The III‑V Optoelectronics Department develops compound semiconductor and RF devices, photonics, and microsystems for national security applications including high‑performance computing, communications, renewable energy, sensing and imaging. As part of Sandia's Microsystems Science, Technology and Components Center, we research, design, fabricate, prototype, test and deliver novel RF and photonics devices, including lasers, photonic integrated circuits, and sensors. We focus on R&D of high performance technology platforms and customized microsystems.

We leverage state‑of‑the‑art materials and fabrication capabilities within the Microsystems Engineering Sciences and Applications (MESA) cleanroom complex to serve a broad mix of internal and external customers. Core capabilities include:
Optical, optoelectronic and electronic modeling and simulation, Epitaxial design, materials growth (MOCVD/MBE) and materials characterization, Design, microfabrication and testing of III‑V photonic devices, RF devices and photonic integrated circuits, Heterogeneous microsystem integration and prototyping, High‑speed and harsh‑environment optoelectronics, and device reliability.

This posting will be…