Quantum Sensing / Engineering and Physical Sciences Researcher - Mid to Experienced Level (Maryland)

The NSA invites you to be part of an elite team that's making a global impact by researching and developing revolutionary ideas. As a Quantum Sensing Researcher at NSA, your creativity and that of your team is essential to investigating and implementing effective technical solutions for our Nation. Your efforts will drive global impacts that may include saving the lives of U.S. and allied soldiers, providing U.S. policy and decision makers with critical, timely intelligence, ensuring the continued safety of U.S. citizens and residents by thwarting foreign adversaries, and defending vital networks. You can learn more about LPS and its mission by visiting https://www.lps.umd.edu. The qualifications listed are the minimum acceptable to be considered for the position.

Degree must be in either (1) Engineering, (2) Physics or Astronomy from an accredited college or university, or (3) a relevant professional technical field (for example, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, hydrology, geology).

For Engineering degrees, if program is not ABET accredited, it must include specified coursework.*

• Specified coursework includes courses in differential and integral calculus and 5 of the following 18 areas: (a) statics or dynamics, (b) strength of materials/stress-strain relationships, (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics, (d) thermodynamics, (e) electromagnetic fields, (f) nature and properties of materials/relating particle and aggregate structure to properties, (g) solid state electronics, (h) microprocessor applications, (i), computer systems, (j) signal processing, (k) digital design, (l) systems and control theory, (m) circuits or generalized circuits, (n) communication systems, (o) power systems, (p) computer networks, (q) software development, (r) Any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, or soil mechanics.
  
  

Relevant experience must be in one or more of the following: performing engineering or physical sciences work, or conducting academic or independent research in a technical field (for example, mathematics, engineering, cognitive sciences and physical sciences).

FULL PERFORMANCE

Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 3 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 1 year of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree and no experience.

SENIOR

Entry is with a Bachelor's degree plus 7 years of relevant experience, or a Master's degree plus 5 years of relevant experience, or a Doctoral degree plus 3 years of relevant experience. NSA is home to one of the largest and most established in-house research organizations within the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC), employing scientists with world-class skills in fields such as mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, and cybersecurity. We collaborate with leading industries, universities, and national laboratories to advance core competencies, leverage work in overlapping disciplines, and solve some of the most challenging national security problems thought to be intractable by adversaries and commercial industry.

NSA's Laboratory for Physical Sciences (LPS) attracts top technical talent who not only solve the nation's urgent intelligence problems, but also invent what hasn't been invented and concentrate on what will be needed five, ten, fifteen years down the road. Through its partnership with the University of Maryland (UMD), LPS offers a unique environment where university, industry, and federal government scientists collaborate on research in advanced communication, sensing, and computer technologies. To learn more about LPS, visit: https://www.lps.umd.edu

LPS is currently seeking experienced Engineering and Physical Sciences Researchers to lead advanced research efforts in the areas of: quantum systems for sensing and/or transduction. LPS Researchers are expected to contribute to their technical fields by publishing in high-impact, peer reviewed journals; collaborating and contributing broadly with academia, industry, and the national laboratories; and supervising students and postdoctoral fellows. In addition, researchers must demonstrate an ability to work well in a team environment toward mission-oriented research goals, to provide unique and sometimes extraordinary subject matter expertise to the Intelligence Community (IC) and wider U.S. Government (USG), and to, when appropriate, bring their inventions to prototype or practical implementation.

In Addition, Lead Researchers Are Expected To

• Perform scientific research to include planning, designing, and constructing specialized equipment, while ensuring adherence to sound engineering and scientific standards and principles.
• Understand the IC problem space to create and execute a research strategy that contributes to IC mission needs.
• Pursue research funding and build a team to include student and postdoc positions.
• Collaborate with UMD Physics, JQI, etc. and across academia and industry to advance NSA research interests.
• Serve as a subject matter expert to support research and development efforts to propel mission efforts to other parts of the Agency and USG.
• Attend conferences and communicate with professionals in the technical field to keep abreast of new technologies and information.
  
  

LPS Has The Below Position Available

Lead Researcher: Quantum Systems for Sensing and/or Transduction. LPS is seeking a highly motivated experimentalist to lead a new laboratory dedicated to exploring quantum systems for sensing and/or transduction. LPS has a long tradition of pioneering research in novel optical, cryogenic, superconducting, and quantum devices and materials for future information technologies, with quantum computing being a particularly strong investment over the last twenty years. This new lab will seek to expand on that base of expertise by pursuing fundamental research in quantum systems with potential application in, for example, near- or far-field sensing of electromagnetic fields, high-fidelity transduction of qubit modalities or frequencies, and/or integrated photonics/opto-mechanics. This new research area is expected to provide new opportunities for internal Agency and external community collaboration, especially for technical challenges and applications requiring high sensitivity and precision.

Although LPS Researchers Are Encouraged To Collaborate And Pursue Research Funding Opportunities Internal To The Agency And Across The USG, Many LPS Research Projects Are Self-funded. This New Lab Is Expected To Be Provided With Start-up Funds, Including Multi-year Support For 1-2 Students Or Postdocs. The Ideal Candidate Has a Proven Track Record Of Innovative Research In Technical Areas Of Direct Relevance To Sensing And/or Transduction With Quantum Systems. Preferably, The Demonstrated Expertise Should Be In Several Of The Following Technical Areas, And Complementary To LPS Interests And Existing Research Direction

• Demonstrated experience in fundamental research with the capability of integrating into an interdisciplinary team studying the usage of quantum sensors to probe novel materials, including two-dimensional materials and emerging magnetic materials.
• Experience with interdisciplinary materials research, including two-dimensional materials, magnetic materials, bulk semiconductors, etc., including their usage in quantum sensors/sensing, resonators (optical, electrical, phononic, etc.), and novel nanooptoelectronic systems.
• Quantum diamond imaging, widefield magnetometry, and next-generation spin qubit/emitter (hBN, SiC, other quantum emitters, etc.) measurements.
• Scanning probe microscopy and/or single-defect scanning magnetometry.
• AC magnetic field imaging in sub-Hz frequency domains.
• Demonstrated experience in experimental efforts to extend decoherence times of quantum states for quantum sensing applications.
• Coherent averaged synchronized readout (CASR) techniques for quantum magnetometry.
• Design and experimental implementation of novel dynamical decoupling sequences for quantum sensing.
• Microfabrication techniques including lithography, reactive ion etching, and metal deposition.
• Experience with nanofabrication, including electron beam lithography.
• Deep knowledge of semiconductor technologies, including fabrication, design, and practice.
• Microwave electronics design, such as for quantum diamond microscopy and quantum sensing.
• Design, assembly, and usage of laser scanning confocal microscopes for the purpose of photoluminescence measurement of quantum defects.
• Experimental instrumentation control and analysis with programming languages such as Python, LabView, etc.
• Experience in field-programmable gate array programming and usage.
• Novel research explorations for sensing (e.g., electric, magnetic, or other near-field sensors) with quantum systems (e.g., defects in solids, nano/optomechanical devices, superconducting or other systems).
• Studies of quantum-controllable optical defects in solid-state materials (i.e., two-dimensional materials, diamond, silicon carbide, hexagonal boron nitride).
• Methods and techniques for fast quantum measurement and control (e.g., optical spectroscopy of defects, precision quantum control and readout).
• Confocal microscopy and spectroscopy, including laser scanning methods (i.e., with galvanometer mirrors).
• Single photon counting methods, such as time correlated single photon counting for characterization of quantum emitters or spin qubits.
• Experience with aligning and employing high power and/or tunable laser systems for measurements of quantum defects in materials.
• Cryogenic optical measurement techniques, including system construction and operation at or below 4 K.
  
  

Other Skills Include

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Desire to guide and influence a broad research community.
• Apply knowledge of mathematics, engineering, cognitive sciences, and physical sciences to analyze problems and determine technical solutions.
• Work effectively across several different functional areas in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.
• Handle and prioritize multiple assignments.
• Synthesize information to solve complex problems.
• Ability to work in an interdisciplinary team spanning multiple domains of physics/engineering (i.e., quantum sensing and magnetism, optics and electronics, etc.).