Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Experimental Quantum Nanomechanics (POSTECH, South Korea)
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in experimental quantum physics at the Department of Physics, POSTECH (Pohang University of Science and Technology), South Korea, funded through the QuantERA project ENTUNE – “Entangled and Tunable Nanomechanical Quantum Systems.”
The successful candidate will join the group of Prof. Junho Suh to help realize a fundamentally new class of superconducting device: the vacuum-gap Josephson junction (vJJ), a mechanically compliant weak link whose Josephson coupling is tuned directly by nanometer-scale motion of a suspended superconducting island. By replacing the conventional oxide tunneling barrier with a true vacuum gap, vJJs allow mechanical displacement to couple coherently to the superconducting phase. ENTUNE aims to establish vJJs as a new quantum resource, demonstrating voltage-driven mechanical quantum states and mechanically encoded Schrödinger cat states of a nanomechanical oscillator.
ENTUNE is a QuantERA-funded, five-partner European–Korean consortium (POSTECH, Pukyong National University, University of Zagreb, Charles University, University of Gothenburg) coordinated by POSTECH, which leads the experimental effort within a tightly integrated theory–experiment collaboration.
Role: The postdoc will work at the experimental core of ENTUNE: nanofabrication of suspended vJJs, millikelvin cryogenic characterization, integration into superconducting circuits for voltage-driven quantum-state generation, and quantum-limited microwave detection and tomography, in close collaboration with the project’s theory partners.
Starting date: After September 1, 2026; flexible, with a latest possible start of March 1, 2027.
Duration: Appointed on an annual basis, extendable year to year up to 3 years total, subject to satisfactory performance and continued availability of funding.
Requirements: A PhD in experimental condensed matter physics, quantum physics, or a closely related field, completed by the starting date.
Preferred background: Nanofabrication (e.g. e-beam lithography), dilution refrigerator measurement techniques, and familiarity with superconducting circuits, Josephson junctions, or nanoelectromechanical systems. Experience with quantum-limited microwave detection and prior international research collaboration are pluses.
Compensation: Per the standard POSTECH postdoctoral scale, competitive with comparable international positions.
Application materials: Send the following, combined into a single PDF where possible, to junhosuh[at]postech.ac.kr with the subject line “ENTUNE Postdoc Application – [Your Name]”: (1) a cover letter, (2) a CV with publication list, (3) a short research statement, and (4) contact information for two references.
Deadline: Review of applications begins immediately and continues until the position is filled.