This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST recognizes that its research staff may want to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest and, therefore, requires those institutions to be recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program involves staff from a wide range of backgrounds conducting scientific research across various fields. Individuals in this position will perform technical work supporting the collaboration's scientific research.
Research Title:
Readout/Adaptive Control for NV-Diamond Vector Magnetometry
The work will entail:
The Information Technology Laboratory at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to help build a deployable, calibration-free, SI-traceable vector magnetometer based on diamond nitrogen-vacancy (NV) centers—technology with the potential to enable secure, GPS-free navigation when GPS is degraded, denied, or unavailable. This is a chance to work at NIST, where the mission is to deliver world-leading measurement science and standards with direct national and economic impact, and to do so in a highly collaborative, well-resourced research environment. This project sits at the intersection of quantum sensing, real-time control, and data-driven inference. The postdoc will lead efforts on parallelized readout and real-time adaptive control for high-sensitivity measurement of 3D magnetic fields and temperature—capabilities needed to push magnetic navigation beyond today’s ~km-scale uncertainty toward practical, robust performance. This position is ideal for someone excited to translate cutting-edge quantum sensing into a field-ready instrument, while contributing to NIST’s broader effort to make next-generation navigation and timing technologies more trustworthy, secure, and SI-linked.
Candidates must be eligible to obtain a Department of Commerce background check for facility access.
Key responsibilities will include but are not limited to:
- Developing and implementing real-time, parallel readout schemes for vector magnetometry and thermometry using diamond NV centers
- Designing and deploying adaptive measurement and control algorithms (e.g., Bayesian/adaptive protocols) to improve sensitivity and measurement efficiency
- Building and validating numerical simulations of adaptive sensing strategies, including performance vs. computational-cost tradeoffs
- Integrating adaptive algorithms with experimental hardware for multi-channel, real-time device control and readout
Qualifications
- Ph.D. in physics, computer science, or related field,
- Relevant work experience with machine learning (PyTorch) or physics and programming in Python,
- Excellent communication skills, both oral and written,
- Experience with quantum sensing/NV centers, Ramsey/ODMR control
- Experience with real-time experiment automation, estimation/inference (Bayesian/optimal design)
- Adaptive sensing, signal processing, and performance-driven algorithm–hardware co-design
- Curious mindset with a strong interest in the project.
The university is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer that does not unlawfully discriminate in any of its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.