Postdoctoral Research Associate in Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics

DURHAM UNIVERSITY; North East; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

DURHAM UNIVERSITY in the Chemistry Department invites applications for two Postdoctoral Research Associates in theoretical atomic and molecular physics, to work with Prof Jeremy M Hutson, FRS, on the quantum mechanics of ultracold molecules.

The EPSRC-funded projects involve lattices of CsYb molecules, ultracold polar molecules, and collisions between laser-cooled atoms and molecules, with strong collaborations across the UK and internationally.

Responsibilities

• Understand the dynamics of ultracold collisions and the properties of ultracold molecules.
• Develop quantum-mechanical scattering and bound-state methods for ultracold atomic and molecular systems.

Job description

Organisation/Company DURHAM UNIVERSITY Research Field Chemistry Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3) Application Deadline 1 Oct 2026 - 00:00 (UTC) Country United Kingdom Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

This post is based in the Durham University Chemistry Department but has close links to researchers in the Physics Department.

The Quantum Light and Matter group at Durham includes the research groups of Prof Simon Cornish, Prof Stuart Adams, Prof Ifan Hughes, Prof Matthew Jones, Dr Hannah Williams, Dr Philip Gregory, Dr Alex Guttridge, Prof Simon Gardiner and Prof Robert Potvliege. The group is part of the Durham-Newcastle Joint Quantum Centre (JQC) and has strong collaborations both within the UK and internationally.

Applications are invited for two Postdoctoral Research Associates in theoretical atomic and molecular physics, to work in association with Prof Jeremy M Hutson, FRS, on the quantum mechanics involved in the formation and properties of ultracold molecules. The theoretical work is associated with EPSRC-funded research grants on:

• Leveraging Yb clock states to form lattices of CsYb molecules
• Quantum many-body physics with ultracold polar molecules
• Controlling collisions between laser-cooled molecules and atoms

The grants are in collaboration with the experimental groups of Prof Simon Cornish (Durham) and Prof Michael Tarbutt (Imperial College London), together with many-body physicists in London and Birmingham. We also have active collaborations with leading experimental and theoretical groups around the world. The UK experimental groups have already succeeded in forming ultracold polar RbCs and CaF molecules in their absolute ground states at temperatures around 1 microKelvin, and explored their interactions and collisions. We are now developing the use of these and other ultracold molecules for quantum science.

Further details of the research group are available at https://jmhutson.webspace.durham.ac.uk and a description of recent research achievements and current projects is available in a link from there.

The successful applicants will work to understand the dynamics of ultracold collisions and the properties of ultracold molecules. They will develop quantum-mechanical scattering and bound-state methods and apply them to a variety of ultracold atomic and molecular systems.