Postdoctoral Scholar (Physics)

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS:

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CURRENT PENN STATE STUDENT (not employed previously at the university) and seeking employment with Penn State, please login to Workday to complete the student application process. Please do not apply here, apply internally through Workday.

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Approval of remote and hybrid work is not guaranteed regardless of work location. For additional information on remote work at Penn State, see Notice to Out of State Applicants .

This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

POSITION SPECIFICS

The Department of Physics is seeking a postdoctoral research associate with exceptional research potential. Research activities will be related to two federally funded projects at The Pennsylvania State University, University Park: the 2DCC (2D Crystal Consortium), a National Science Foundation Materials Innovation Platform (MIP) user facility, and LATTICE (Layered and Thin Film Technologies with Intelligent Cloud Experimentation), a National Science Foundation Programmable Cloud Laboratory.

The research activities will center on the synthesis of two-dimensional quantum materials by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and in vacuo characterization using angle resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES) and a 4-probe LT-Nano scanning probe.

• •2DCC-related activities will involve operation and maintenance of the 2DCC MBE/ARPES/LT-Nano cluster tool in support of 2DCC user projects.
• •LATTICE-related activities will center on integrating 2DCC MBE/ARPES capabilities into the LATTICE ecosystem, with emphasis on in situ feedback and control, autonomous operation of deposition tools, and AI/ML workflows for synthesis and characterization. An accompanying goal is the integration of experimental data and model outputs into the Lifetime Sample Tracking database, contributing to cloud-lab interfaces for external users of the LATTICE platform. This position will involve close collaboration with equipment vendors, AI researchers developing agentic workflow frameworks, data scientists, and future users of the LATTICE cloud laboratory.

Education & Experience

• •Ph.D. in Physics, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or Chemistry with experience in ARPES and related characterization techniques and/or MBE growth of thin films.
• •Strong track record of related research as evidenced by publications list.
• •Experience maintaining and operating ultra-high vacuum thin film deposition equipment and cryogenic ultrahigh vacuum surface characterization tools.
• •Excellent communication skills and ability to work as part of a team.

A Ph.D. in one of the disciplines mentioned above by the date of the appointment is required.

Applicants must complete the Penn State application. Please include the following materials for the applications to be complete:

• •Curriculum Vitae
• •At least three reference letters sent to physicsapply@psu.edu .
• •Publication List
• •Research Statement

Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.

BACKGROUND CHECKS/CLEARANCES

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

BENEFITS

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.

For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see our Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

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