PhD position in integrated photonics for levitation optomechanics

We are seeking for a curious and motivated PhD student to join our optomechanics team and work at the interface between integrated photonics /nanophotonics and optical levitation of nanoparticles in ultrahigh vacuum.

Optical levitation in vacuum is an emerging branch of optomechanics exploiting lasers, optical cavities and RF traps for trapping and manipulating nanoparticles’ dynamics in engineered potentials. Motivated by both, exploring the limits of quantum mechanics, and exceptional sensitivity to inertial and force sensing, Levitodynamics is striving for miniaturization to both increase the robustness of experimental platforms and enter unexplored physical regimes. Hereby, one essential milestone is the development of on-chip levitation platforms integrating state of the art integrated photonics and RF control.

The project aims at conducting experiments for cavity quantum optomechanics with levitated nanoparticles. In this context, you will be involved in the design, fabrication and characterization of new cavity platforms that allow for a robust and repeatable interfacing of levitated nanoparticles with optical nearfield potentials, enabling new parameter regimes and hence a manifold of unique experiments, including quantum experiments beyond the weak coupling regime.

The successful candidate shares our passion for cutting edge research, brings in their motivation and creativity, can clearly communicate, enjoys working closely and respectfully within a team and has basic experience in laboratories and in data analysis. Prior experience in nanofabrication, optics, optomechanics, vacuum technology, programming for experiment control and data evaluation is highly valued but not mandatory.

We are an international and interdisciplinary research group at the ETH Zürich that has made pioneering contributions to optical levitation. During your PhD, you will get exposed to a multitude of technologies including nanofabrication, optics, lasers, data analysis, vacuum technology and numerical simulations.