Current job openings

•  PhD position "quMercury project", starting spring 2022

Our mercury experiment is geared towards a measurement of the atomic EDM. Ultracold mercury has a wealth of properties that will also be advantageous for other research lines, such as quantum simulation of solid-state phenomena. We are planning for a second research line on the mercury experiment, geared towards quantum simulation of phenomena that benefit from the short-wavelength transitions (and supreme optical resolution) available in mercury. Potential candidates should have worked in a cold-atom lab before.

• PhD position "Gyroscope project", starting spring 2022 filled

Gyroscopes are used to measure rotations. Ring laser gyroscopes are a very special version: the Sagnac effect induces a frequency difference betweeen two light fields travelling in opposite directions within a closed loop. This beat frequency can be read out electronically and serves as a very sensitive measure of rotations, e.g. the rotation of Earth itself. Most laser gyroscopes today come as fiber-optic gyroscopes or as active, HeNe-based ring lasers. We will explore the potential of passive ring lasers, where an external diode laser is locked to a ring cavity with an insane finesse (> 300,000). With such a device, we will study fundamental physics and find applications in the field of geodesy, where we aim to measure temporal changes in the Earth's rotation rate. This project is in close collaboration with various groups in geodesy, as well as international collaborations on an optimization of the ring cavity.

• PhD position "ZincClock project", starting spring 2022

A multitude of elements are used for optical clocks these days, each of them with their own specific advantages and disadvantages. We strongly believe that the element Zinc, which has not yet been explored in the context of laser cooling or atomic clocks, has some very appealing properties... very broad cooling transitions (for fast and efficient trapping), very narrow cooling transitions (for efficient cooling to low temperatures), combined with a very low BBR-sensitivity. Additionally, laser light for all of the relevant transitions can be derived from high harmonics of telecom lasers, which eases operation. We will take the first steps towards the development of an optical clock using Zinc. We are searching for a PhD student, preferrably with a background in cold atoms or a related subject, to strengthen the team.