Postdoctoral Fellow: Pressure-Quench Materials Discovery

Carnegie Science; Washington (District of Columbia); On-site; USD 65,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Carnegie Science’s Earth and Planets Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoral position focused on discovering and controlling metastable materials through novel pressure–temperature processing pathways.

The research emphasizes developing experimental strategies to access, quench, and stabilize metastable phases, with the goal of tuning structure–property relationships and functional properties, including superconductivity.

Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in physics, chemistry, materials science, or a related field is required.
• Experience with high-pressure experimental techniques, membranes-driven diamond anvil cells, and low-temperature instrumentation.
• Ability to work independently and in interdisciplinary teams.

Responsibilities

• Explore metastable materials via novel pressure–temperature processing pathways.
• Develop strategies to access, quench, and stabilize metastable phases.
• Collaborate with experimentalists and computational scientists to study structure–property relationships.

Skills

High-pressure techniques

Diamond anvil cells

Cryogenic instrumentation

Electrical transport

Education

PhD in physics/chemistry/materials science

Tools

Diamond anvil cells

Cryogenic equipment

Job description

Carnegie Science: Earth & Planets Laboratory

Location

Washington, DC

Open Date

Sep 09, 2026

Salary Range or Pay Grade

72,280

Description

Carnegie Science’s Earth and Planets Laboratory invites applications for a postdoctoral position focused on the discovery and control of metastable materials through novel pressure–temperature processing pathways. The research will emphasize the development of experimental strategies for accessing, quenching, and stabilizing metastable phases, with the goal of controlling structure–property relationships and optimizing functional properties, including superconductivity. The successful candidate will work in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment alongside experimental and computational chemists, physicists, and materials scientists, with opportunities to develop new synthesis and processing approaches and investigate emergent properties in metastable materials. Please refer questions to [e-mail].

Qualifications

A Ph.D. in physics, chemistry, materials science, or a related field is required. Desired qualifications include experience with high-pressure experimental techniques, particularly membrane-driven diamond anvil cells, low-temperature cryogenic instrumentation and control, and in situ electrical transport measurements. The successful candidate should be able to work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative, interdisciplinary research team.

Carnegie Institution for Science has a long-standing commitment to equal employment opportunity for all employees and applicants for employment. All applicants will receive consideration of employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws.