Postdoctoral RF Phononics & Microsystems Research

Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; Albuquerque (NM); On-site; Full time

Job description

About Sandia

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation's premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation, with teams of specialists focused on cutting‑edge work in a broad array of areas. Some of the main reasons we love our jobs:

• Challenging work with amazing impact that contributes to security, peace, and freedom worldwide
• Extraordinary co‑workers
• Some of the best tools, equipment, and research facilities in the world
• Career advancement and enrichment opportunities
• Flexible work arrangements for many positions include 9/80 (work 80 hours every two weeks, with every other Friday off) and 4/10 (work 4 ten‑hour days each week) compressed workweeks, part‑time work, and telecommuting (a mix of onsite work and working from home)
• Generous vacation, strong medical and other benefits, competitive 401k, learning opportunities, relocation assistance and amenities aimed at creating a solid work/life balance*

World‑changing technologies. Life‑changing careers. Learn more about Sandia at: http://www.sandia.gov

*These benefits vary by job classification.

What Your Job Will Be Like

Our team is hiring multiple Postdoctoral Appointees to advance next‑generation technologies at the intersection of piezoelectric acoustic wave physics, phononic signal processing, and radio frequency engineering. These positions will focus on understanding and engineering device physics in advanced heterostructure material platforms, with an emphasis on acoustoelectric interactions and integration into radio frequency microsystems. Research activities may include device design and modeling, mask layout, characterization using automated and custom probe stations, and development of new phononics‑based signal processing architectures. In this role, you will have the opportunity to lead research efforts and publications while working closely with a multidisciplinary team of physicists, materials scientists, and engineers.

On any given day, you may be called upon to:

• Design radio frequency phononic devices and oversee related fabrication
• Develop and execute experiments to study phononic and electron‑phonon physics in advanced materials
• Evaluate piezoelectric acoustic wave device performance in new heterostructure material platforms
• Characterize and qualify devices for integration into radio frequency microsystems
• Communicate research results through publications and conferences
• Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team, including experimentalists and theorists

Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite. Relocation will be provided for those that qualify.

Qualifications We Require

• PhD, conferred within 5 years prior to employment in Physics, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science, or related discipline
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE L clearance

Qualifications We Desire

• A record of technical achievement, as evidenced by first‑author publications in scientific journals.

About Our Team

The III‑V Optoelectronics Department develops compound semiconductor and RF devices, photonics, and microsystems for national security applications including high‑performance computing, communications, renewable energy, sensing and imaging. As part of Sandia's Microsystems Science, Technology and Components Center, we research, design, fabricate, prototype, test and deliver novel RF and photonics devices, including lasers, photonic integrated circuits, and sensors. We focus on R&D of high performance technology platforms and customized microsystems. We leverage state‑of‑the‑art materials and fabrication capabilities within the Microsystems Engineering Sciences and Applications (MESA) cleanroom complex to serve a broad mix of internal and external customers. Core capabilities include: Optical, optoelectronic and electronic modeling and simulation, Epitaxial design, materials growth (MOCVD/MBE) and materials characterization, Design, microfabrication and testing of III‑V photonic devices, RF devices and photonic integrated circuits, Heterogeneous microsystem integration and prototyping, High‑speed and harsh‑environment optoelectronics, and device reliability.

Posting Duration

This posting will be open for application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the "posting date". Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Security Clearance

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre‑employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE L‑level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by the DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

EEO

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

NNSA Requirements for MedPEDs

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug‑releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on‑site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.