Location

We want to strengthen our team. Therefore, we offer an open

PhD position

at the 3rd Physical Institute of the University of Stuttgart (Chair: Prof. Wrachtrup), which is available immediately.

The project: Magnetometry at the nanoscale

The subject of our research is the NV defect in diamond. This system can be thought of as a single atom trapped in the diamond lattice. Its quantum mechanical behavior can be observed under ambient conditions with a simple confocal microscope. One of the most promising applications of this system is magnetic field sensing. Suitable quantum logic protocols can turn the center into a magnetic field sensor [1]. Such a single-atomic sensor could sense magnetic fields with sub-nanometer resolution. Thereby, it might enable magnetic-resonance imaging of single electron and nuclear spins, with exciting applications in material science and biology. Technically, we want to turn this vision into reality by integrating such a nanoscale spin sensor into an atomic force microscope. We have successfully made proof-of-principle experiments with this technique [2]. However, the first detection of single spins remains to be done.

Your task:

As a successful candidate, you will push two of our existing setups towards this goal. This work will include multiple, theoretical, experimental and technical steps: You will design and test new quantum logic protocols [3], which allow to suppress decoherence of the sensor. You will perform magnetometry on simple systems, such as impurities on the diamond surface, where the new technique can be demonstrated and benchmarked without a scanning-probe setup. Finally, you will improve our atomic force microscope by developing special modes of operation for this new scanning-probe technique. In the course of this work, you will acquire broad skills, mainly in optics, electronics, microwave and software engineering. To meet these challenging tasks, we are looking for highly motivated people, with a strong theoretical background and love for technology. Excellent communication skills are essential. We offer you a lab with extraordinary equipment and a lot of space for own ideas.

For further information, or to send in your application, please contact Friedemann Reinhard

+49 (0)711 685 65228
f [dot] reinhard [at] physik [dot] uni-stuttgart [dot] de

[1] J.M. Taylor et. al., Nature Physics 4, 810 (2008)
[2] G. Balasubramanian et. al, Nature 455, 648 (2008)
[3] P. Neumann et. al., Science 329, 542 (2010)