A fully funded Ph.D. studentship is available in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at the Howard University, Washington D.C., U.S.A. The position is open till filled.

Brief Project Description: Deep defects are a class of defects within semiconductors that are of interest in the field of quantum technologies. The negatively-charged NV center in diamond is a prototype of such defects. This defect has been used successfully in different quantum applications such as quantum computing and quantum sensing. Nevertheless, the NV-center in diamond suffers from several shortcomings, restricting its use as proof-of-principle system. The current project will focus on defects in different polytypes of silicon carbide that are promising qubit candidates. This is a collaboration between faculty members in the Physics departments at the Howard and Virginia Tech Universities. The focus of our group at the Howard University is on the use of first principles techniques and group theoretic considerations to investigate the physics and dynamics of defects in silicon carbide.

This project will provide opportunities to work closely with other theorists and experimentalists. It will train the student in the emergent field of quantum technologies, preparing the student for careers in academia and/or industry.

Qualifications: The candidate should have (or be close to obtaining) a Master’s degree in Physics and be in good academic standing. Good computational skills and research experience in calculating electronic structure properties are very desirable. The candidate is expected to have a good understanding of solid state physics and quantum mechanics. A strong desire to explore new physics and to learn new techniques, as well as good communication skills are necessary for success in this project.

There are no restrictions on the nationality of the student. Further enquiries can be directed to Dr. Pratibha Dev (email: [email protected]), accompanied with a CV and a cover letter.