Department of Physics

Location: Egham
Salary: £35,931 per annum - including London Allowance
Closing Date: Monday 31 August 2020
Interview Date: To be confirmed

Full-Time, Fixed-Term

Applications are invited for post of Postdoctoral Research Assistant in the Department of Physics (School of Engineering, Physical and Mathematical Sciences).

The successful applicant will join a three-year project in the field of theory of intertwined order in quantum many-body systems. The project is funded by Leverhulme Trust, and is joint with Imperial College London. An active research team is working on the project, which includes two members of staff from RHUL and Imperial, and one PhD student at Imperial. The successful applicant will be based at RHUL, but will have a Visitor status with weekly visits and access to Imperial resources including high performance computing facilities.

We expect applicant to have the following qualification and knowledge:

• PhD or equivalent in a related field of study;
• Work experience in the theory of strongly correlated quantum many-body physics;
• Either A): Theoretical analytical skills: Methods in field theories and/or microscopic models of quantum many-body systems and group theory;
• And/or B): Computational skills in quantum condensed matter theory.
• Knowledge of current theories and experiments in at least one of the following systems: helium superfluid/solid, trapped ultracold atoms, strongly correlated electronic systems such as cuprates, iron-based superconductors;
• Work experience (e.g. data modelling, phenomenology) desirable in at least one of the following systems: helium superfluid/solid, trapped ultracold atoms, strongly correlated electronic systems such as cuprates, iron-based superconductors;
• Work experience in advanced analytical methods

Main duties and accountabilities of the post:

• To undertake analytical or computational calculations for models of quantum many-body systems;
• To develop a general framework for intertwined order;
• To calculate observable properties of such quantum many-body models, and interact with experimentalists at RHUL and beyond, to analyse and interpret research data, to model and apply to current experimental systems, such as helium superfluid/solid, trapped ultracold atoms, strongly correlated electronic systems;
• Using creativity to attempt to design new experimental setups and/or probes of properties of these correlated many-body systems;
• Writing up papers for publication in scientific journals;
• Making presentations at international conferences and scientific events;
• Using initiative and creativity to identify areas for research, develop new research methods and extending the research portfolio.

In return we offer a highly competitive rewards and benefits package including:

• Generous annual leave entitlement 
• Training and Development opportunities
• Pension Scheme with generous employer contribution 
• Various schemes including Cycle to Work, Season Ticket Loans and help with the cost of Eyesight testing. 
• Free parking

The post is based in Egham, Surrey where the College is situated in a beautiful, leafy campus near to Windsor Great Park and within commuting distance from London. Also, as part of a collaboration, approximately weekly visits to Imperial College London are required and budgeted for.

For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Dr Andrew Ho Andrew.ho@rhul.ac.uk or +44 (0)1784 443196, or Dr Derek Lee on dkk.lee@imperial.ac.uk. For more information about the project, please consult the webpage of the Condensed Matter Theory Group (RHUL):

https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/research-and-teaching/departments-and-schools/physics/research/research-groups/condensed-matter-theory/

(Click on the Opportunities tab on the page.)

To view further details of this post and to apply please visit https://jobs.royalholloway.ac.uk. For queries on the application process the Human Resources Department can be contacted by email at: recruitment@rhul.ac.uk

Please quote the reference: 1019-405-R
Closing Date: Midnight, 31 August 2020 
Interview Date: TBC