PhD-Licentiate in Cold-Electron Bolometers for Radioastronomy, Sweden

July 16, 2010

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Job Description: Applications are invited for a Licentiate student position with possible prolongation for a PhD student position on development of Cold-Electron Bolometers. We are looking for highly motivated candidate with MSc degree in Physics, who is interested to do a PhD project on ultrasensitve Cold-Electron Bolometers (CEB) with focus on research and development of CEBs for radioastronomy projects. The current application is a balloon telescope BOOMERanG. In the case of successful implementation, the bolometer system could be developed for a MILLIMETRON space observatory and a B-Pol space polarometer. The position will be placed at the Bolometer Group of the Quantum Device Physics Laboratory at MC2. The Laboratory consists of more than 40 senior and young researchers including PhD working on development of ultimate sensors and quantum electronics. The research at the Bolometer Group is focused on development of a new generation of ultra-sensitive bolometers based on direct electron cooling of absorbers and application of these bolometers for high-performance cosmology instruments. The field of interests at the Group covers also thermoelectric effects in superconductors, creation of bias-free bolometers based on thermoelecric effects, development of Andreev interferometer with SN contacts and application of this interferometers for bolometer readout.

Job description
The project will concern developing the next generation of ultra-sensitive superconducting detectors for submillimetre-wave and far-infrared space telescopes. These wavelength ranges relate to measuring the polarisation state of the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (BOOMERANG, B-Pol), to studying star and galaxy formation , and to space interferometry (MILLIMETRON). You will play a leading role in fabrication, testing, and modelling the behaviour of ultra-low-noise Cold-Electron Bolometers (CEBs). The focus of the project is to fabricate these devices, to demonstrate the greatest possible sensitivities, and to construct real system of 90 CEBs for the BOOMERanG balloon telescope. The work is funded by the Swedish National Space Board, and involves a close collaboration with Cardiff, Rome, Oxford and Cambridge Universities. The work will take place in the Bolometer Group, which has a comprehensive range of facilities for modelling, fabricating, and test ing superconducting devices including cryogen-free refrigerators for DC and RF testing.
Required qualifications
Expert knowledge in superconducting technology, nanofabrication, and electronics is desirable.

Application procedure

The application shall be written in English and include the following items:

1. An application of a maximum of one A4 page containing your specific qualifications for the position
2. Attested copies of education certificates, including grade reports and other documents
3. Curriculum Vitae
4. Letters of recommendation and name of reference persons (optional)

The application shall be sent electronically as pdf or zipped documents.
Application Deadline 23July2010

For further information

Scholarship Tags: Bolometres, PhD, radioastronomy, scholarships, Sweden, Technology