PostBac Researcher

We are seeking to hire a post-baccalaureate researcher to participate in SuperCDMS SNOLAB and/or our effort to develop phonon-mediated dark matter detectors using kinetic inductance detectors.

Essential Job Duties

Commissioning, operations, and science analyses for SuperCDMS SNOLAB. Our group anticipates playing a significant role in the following areas:

• Early science with the SuperCDMS SNOLAB detectors in the CUTE facility at SNOLAB.
• Commissioning of the SuperCDMS SNOLAB cryostat.
• Detector commissioning for SuperCDMS SNOLAB.
• Science run operations and analysis, with a focus on profile-likelihood techniques for background subtraction for the SuperCDMS HV detectors.

Development of phonon-mediated dark matter detectors using kinetic inductance detectors (KIDs) and quantum capacitance detectors (QCDs).

• In these detectors, phonons created by a particle interaction or drifting electron-hole pairs in a crystalline substrate are sensed using KIDs and/or QCDs, which offer excellent radio-frequency multiplexability and, eventually, sensitivity to production of single phonons.
• We are developing two architectures: a gram-scale format intended to achieve the lowest possible thresholds for sub-GeV nucleon-scattering dark matter and sub-MeV electron-scattering dark matter; and a 25-gram-scale format that will use drift phonon production to discriminate nuclear from electron recoils down to the production of single electron-hole pairs in order to reach the neutrino fog in the 0.5-5 GeV mass range.

Basic Qualifications

Applicants should have:

• Completed or near completion of an undergraduate degree in astronomy, physics, applied physics, electrical engineering, materials science, or any other field relevant to the above work.
• Experience in some (but not necessarily all) of the following areas: mechanical design using CAD software, electronics design, python coding, data analysis, sub-Kelvin cryogenics, sub-Kelvin cryogenic detectors, and/or superconducting qubit design/testing.
• The ability to work independently, set priorities, and seek technical input from diverse sources.

Required Documents

• Resume or CV
• Contact information for three references

Hiring Range

$18.00 - $24.00 Per Hour

The salary of the finalist(s) selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to, internal equity, experience, education, specialty and training.