The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) seeks to appoint a postdoctoral scholar to work on exciting challenges related to the development of a variety of astrophotonic instrumentation and their on-sky testing with applications to astronomy and beyond. 

The postdoc will work with the research group of incoming professor Dr. Pradip Gatkine (webpage: https://gatkine.astro.ucla.edu ). The postdoc will have an excellent opportunity to lead the development and on-sky demonstration of various innovative astrophotonic devices, including on-chip photonic spectrographs, photonic beam combiners, Mach-Zehnder interferometers as well as fiber-based devices such as photonic lanterns. While the main application is for astronomy and exoplanet science, several broader applications (such as telecom, sensing, etc.) are possible. The postdoc will be involved in the design, simulation, fabrication, as well as lab-based and on-sky testing/demonstration of these devices to make challenging high-precision measurements. They will disseminate the results of their research through presentations at international conferences and publications in peer-reviewed journals.

Education: Candidates with strong skills in integrated photonics, nanofabrication, optics, fibers, adaptive optics, astronomical instrumentation in UV/optical/IR, and/or application of machine learning for precision measurements are all encouraged to apply. Some background in astronomy is a plus, but not a requirement. Applicants must have completed a PhD in astronomy/astrophysics, photonics, optics, physics, engineering, or a related field at the time of appointment. The appointment is for two years with a possibility of renewal for a third year, depending on performance. The expected start date is on or after March 1, 2024, but is flexible. 

Opportunities: The postdoc will have the opportunity to work on nanofabrication at the state-of-the-art UCLA NanoLab and the broader California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA. In addition, UCLA has access to the world-class Keck I and Keck II 10-meter telescopes (Hawaii) and Lick 3-meter telescope (California). The postdoc will have several opportunities to work with and learn from collaborators across the world, mentor graduate/undergraduate students, and develop their independent ideas/projects. Further, UCLA offers several professional development resources for postdocs for academic and industry careers. 

The key selection criterion for this position is a demonstrated experience in developing photonic/optical instrumentation. Additional desirable but not essential criteria are:  experience with optic/photonics design tools (such as RSoft/ Lumerical/ Fimmwave/ Fimmprop/ Zemax/ Code V, etc.), hands-on experience with testbench assembly, nanofabrication, and/or data analysis. Please highlight any past experience in mentoring students in your CV and/or cover letter. 

Applicants should submit: i) a 2-3 page statement of past research with your specific contributions, future research directions, and career goals; ii) detailed CV and publication list; iii) a brief cover letter (optional). Please provide the contact information of three letter writers, who will be contacted after the initial screening. All application materials should be emailed in PDF format to pgatkine@astro.ucla.edu with the subject ‘Astrophotonics postdoc application: ’. Applications will be considered until the position is filled. However, for full consideration, the material should be submitted by November 20, 2023 . 

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.