Postdoctoral Research Scientist
 Columbia University | |
 United States, New York, New York | |
| 535 West 116th Street (Show on map) | |
 Jan 28, 2026 | |
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The Department of Physics at Columbia University invites applications for a position in atomic, molecular, and optical (AMO) physics at the rank of postdoctoral research scientist. The successful candidate will work under the supervision of Prof. Zhenjie Yan and is expected to play a leading role in the development of a new ultracold neutral-atom quantum processor. In this experimental apparatus, quantum information will be stored in both the motional and internal degrees of freedom of atoms cooled to near absolute zero temperature. Efficient measurement-based feedback and long-range interactions will be enabled by coupling the atoms to a high-finesse optical cavity. The group aims to pioneer resource-efficient, noise-resilient approaches to quantum computation and simulation, including fermionic quantum processing, quantum error correction, long-range multi-qubit gates, and the use of destructive interference to suppress loss processes. The successful candidate will design and construct the laser systems, control electronics, and vacuum hardware that constitute the ultracold-atom experimental apparatus, and design and implement quantum simulation and computing protocols on the platform.
Prof. Zhenjie Yan is also interested in exploring near-term applications on commercially available quantum platforms. Example directions include Rydberg-atom interactions and collective decay, quantum many-body dynamics, and implementing fault-tolerant quantum algorithms on neutral-atom processors. The successful candidate will have opportunities to contribute to these efforts.
A Ph.D. in physics or a related field at the time of appointment is required. Candidates with a strong background in experimental AMO physics research will be given priority. Strong candidates with related but different expertise will also be considered. Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran Pay Transparency Disclosure The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. | |