Staff Research Associate
About The Position
The Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory is seeking a Staff Research Associate to lead a multi-modal investigation into the fundamental mechanisms of amorphous superconductivity to develop high-performance materials for next-generation superconducting qubits. This role focuses on conducting high-resolution Scanning Tunneling Microscopy (STM) and Spectroscopy (STS) and establishing a correlative microscopy pipeline to align electronic data with atomic-scale structural motifs via Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). The Staff Research Associate will provide technical leadership to a small team of PhD students, integrating sample fabrication, AI-driven data analysis, and ARPES measurements at the Advanced Light Source (ALS). This position is central to LBNL's strategic mission to advance Quantum Information Science (QIS) by improving qubit uniformity and coherence. We're here for the same mission, to bring science solutions to the world. Join our team and YOU will play a supporting role in our goal to address global challenges! Have a high level of impact and work for an organization associated with 17 Nobel Prizes!
Requirements
- PhD in Physics, Chemistry, or Materials Science.
- Proven expertise in performing and interpreting STM/STS measurements.
- Expertise in air-sensitive sample preparation and the maintenance of vacuum integrity for sensitive superconducting materials.
- Demonstrated ability to lead scientific projects from data acquisition to publication in peer-reviewed journals.
Nice To Haves
- Technical Facility Management: Experience in the operation and maintenance of glovebox systems for the preparation of high-purity materials.
- Advanced Data Analysis: Expertise in MLA based Spectroscopic mapping.
- Machine Learning (ML) analysis of large, multi-dimensional datasets.
- Leadership & Mentorship: Prior experience supervising or mentoring PhD students in a research environment, with a focus on project coordination and technical guidance.
Responsibilities
- Low Temperature Scanning Tunneling Microscope and Spectroscopic mapping and time resolved Scanning tunneling Spectroscopy using a THz STM.
- Hyperspectral STS mapping over large scales using MLA spectrometer and STM mapping of the electronic superconding band gap.
- Coordinate the build up of a state of the art glove box for air sensitive sample preparation.
- Coordinating the preparation of samples where STM/STS mapping and subsequent TEM studies can be performed on the same sample at the same position.
- Oversee AI driven analysis of correlation microscopy measurements.
- Collaborate with the Molecular Foundry team and UC Santa Barbara team on making superconducting Qubits from these amorphous superconducting samples.
- Summarize findings in manuscripts for publication.
- Supervise PhD students and collaborating Postdocs.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
