Ultracold Atom News

A post-doc position is available to work in my research group at the on the quantum-mechanical theory of cold and ultracold molecules, starting as soon as convenient. In collaboration with the experimental group of Professor Simon Cornish, we have recently succeeded in forming and controlling ultracold RbCs molecules in their absolute ground state. The molecules are formed from ultracold atoms by magnetoassociation, transferred to their ground state by STIRAP, and characterised by microwave spectroscopy. We can then use microwave pulses to transfer the molecules coherently between rotational and hyperfine states. The new projects aim to: 1. Explore collisions of ultracold RbCs molecules with ultracold Rb and Cs atoms and with other RbCs molecules; 2. Extend the molecule formation process to bosonic and fermionic KCs molecules. The post-doc will be responsible for developing the theory needed for both these projects, in collaboration with the experimental group. We are also about to start a larger EPSRC project entitled QSUM: Quantum Science with Ultracold Molecules, which involves collaboration with the experimental groups of Ed Hinds, Ben Sauer and Mike Tarbutt at Imperial College London, and the theory group of Dieter Jaksch at Oxford, as well as Simon Cornish's group at Durham. We also collaborate extensively with experimental groups in Innsbruck and elsewhere and with Paul Julienne's theory group at Maryland. The post-doc position now advertised is for 18 months (with some possibility of extension, depending on future developments and funding applications). Cold molecules provide a fascinating playground for molecular quantum mechanics. We develop theory that is closely related to current experiments in this fast-moving field. Applicants will need to have experience in _developing_ theoretical methods in one of the branches of molecular quantum mechanics (collisions, wide-amplitude vibrations, electronic structure, etc. etc.) and will share my fascination with understanding fundamental quantum behaviour in molecular systems. For a description of what we do, look at http://community.dur.ac.uk/j.m.hutson/ and links from there. Further information on our recent research and the proposed projects is available at http://community.dur.ac.uk/j.m.hutson/postdoc-info-2017.pdf. We publish on average about 8 papers per year, which have included 12 papers in Phys. Rev. Lett. since 2009. There's a full publications list at http://community.dur.ac.uk/j.m.hutson/jmhutson-pubs.pdf . For formal information, or to apply, go to https://recruitment.durham.ac.uk/pls/corehrrecruit/erq_jobspec_details_form.jobspec?p_id=006210 The closing date for applications is (noon BST on) 12 June 2017, and applications _must_ be made via the Web site above (though I am happy to answer informal enquiries by email). Jeremy Hutson -- Prof. Jeremy M. Hutson, FRS Dept. of Chemistry University of Durham Durham DH1 3LE England Tel. 0191 334 2147 (UK) Tel. +44 191 334 2147 (International) Web: http://community.dur.ac.uk/j.m.hutson/