Far-Infrared Detectors for Space-Based Low-Background Astronomy

ORAU; Greenbelt (MD); On-site; USD 60,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading aerospace research organization is offering a competitive Postdoctoral Research opportunity in astrophysics. Candidates will engage in groundbreaking research at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. The selected individual will contribute to multi-disciplinary projects allowing advances in space science, particularly in ultra-low noise detectors necessary for future telescopes. Applicants must possess a Doctoral Degree and meet specific eligibility requirements, including U.S. citizenship or lawful residency.

Qualifications

• Eligible candidates must have a doctoral degree.
• U.S. Citizens or U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents are preferred.

Responsibilities

• Engage in ongoing NASA research projects across multiple fields.
• Contribute to the development of astronomical focal plane instrumentation.
• Aid in increasing the energy resolution of Near-IR kinetic inductance detectors.

Education

Doctoral Degree

Job description

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code

0245-NPP-NOV26-GSFC-Astrophys

How To Apply

All applications must be submitted in Zintellect. Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements: How to Apply | NASA Postdoctoral Program (orau.org).

A complete application to the NASA Postdoctoral Program includes:

• Research proposal
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official doctoral transcript documents

Application Deadline

11/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly-talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institute. These one‑to‑three‑year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

The next generation of space‑based far‑IR astronomical telescopes require ultra‑low noise detectors for background‑limited observations with cooled optics. Detectors arrays with tens of thousands of pixels spanning the 20–600 µm waveband and having high optical coupling efficiency will be needed to support this vision. A detector technology has yet to be identified that can meet these requirements, which would enable revolutionary science from a future space mission such as a far‑IR Probe as recommended by the 2020 Decadal Survey. We address this technology gap with focused development programs in absorber‑coupled transition‑edge sensor (TES) bolometers. The successful candidate will contribute to a multi‑disciplinary research effort that encompasses the development of astronomical focal plane instrumentation, frequency‑selective electromagnetic coupling structures (photonics), superconducting detectors, as well as coherent (phononic) and non‑coherent (thermal) phonon transport at low temperatures. These and other related methods are used to reduce dark noise, and increase detector coupling efficiency, detection bandwidth, and array multiplexing factor.

We also have a focused effort to increase the energy‑resolution of Near‑IR kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) for ultra‑low‑background observations of exoplanet atmospheres. The KID is a promising technology that is effectively immune to the effects of particle radiation and thermal drift in a spacecraft.

Location

Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland

Field of Science

Astrophysics

Advisors

Karwan Rostem
[e-mail]
[phone]

Eligibility Requirements

Degree: Doctoral Degree.

Eligibility is currently open to:

• U.S. Citizens;
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR);
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J‑1 visa status; and,
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with 1) a valid EAD card and 2) I‑485 or I‑589 forms in pending status

Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time, unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States. A complete list of Designated Countries can be found at: https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control.

Contact

Questions about this opportunity? Please email [e-mail].