项目介绍

2026年8月7日

Optical clocks have reached a precision of better than 10-18, which enables them to resolve the relativistic time dilation by only 1cm height difference in the gravitational field of earth. They are useful for searches of physics beyond the standard model, exploration of many-body physics, and societal applications, such as navigation. So far, clocks operate in a pulsed manner, preparing a sample of ultracold atoms and then interrogating that sample. Reaching the ultimate precision needs averaging of 10 thousand samples, taking several hours.

This is what you will do

With our team, you will finish building our zero-deadtime clock and make it work. This includes integrating complex laser systems, optics, electronics, debugging and data taking, designing and constructing upgrades to the machines, data analysis, literature research, and article writing. You will also take an active role in group activities, such as bachelor and master student education, presentation of your work, and societal outreach.

What we ask of you

We are looking for someone who is excited about pushing novel types of ultracold atom experiments to new reals of AMO physics. You also should have:

• a recent master in experimental ultracold atom or trapped ion physics;
• great team working skills;
• initiative and good time management skills;
• good communication skills in oral and written English.

This is what we offer you

We offer a temporary contract for 38 hours per week for the duration of 4 years (the initial contract will be for a period of 18 months and after satisfactory evaluation it will be extended for a total duration of 4 years). The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week ranges between € 3,204 to € 4,051 (Scale P). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. The UFO profile PhD candidate is applicable. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants.

The preferred starting date is to be discussed. This employment should lead to a dissertation (PhD thesis). We will draft an educational plan that includes attendance of courses and (international) meetings. We also expect you to assist in teaching undergraduates and master students. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Your application & contact

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. You can apply online via the red button. We accept applications until the position has been filled.

If you have any questions or do you require additional information? Please contact:

• Prof. Dr. Florian Schreck, schreck@uva.nl

Applications should be sent to Florian Schreck by email and submitted via the apply button on this website. They should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file):

• a detailed CV including the months (not just years) when referring to your education and work experience;
• a letter of motivation;
• a list of publications;
• the names and email addresses of two references who can provide letters of recommendation.

A knowledge security check can be part of the selection procedure. (for details: national knowledge security guidelines)Acquisition in response to this vacancy is not appreciated.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

As an employer, the UvA maintains an equal opportunities policy. We value diversity and are fully committed to being a place where everyone feels at home. We nurture inquisitive minds and perseverance and allow room for persistent questioning. With us, curiosity and creativity are the prevailing culture.Read moreStudies show that women and members of underrepresented groups only apply for jobs if they meet 100% of the qualifications. Do you meet the educational requirements but not yet all of the requested experience? The UvA encourages you to apply anyway.

You will join a team building a clock that will overcome this limitation, effectively interrogating the atomic sample continuously. This enables reaching the ultimate precision already after just a few minutes, which is useful for many applications. We want to achieve this by creating a zero-deadtime clock, based on technology that we have developed to achieve continuous Bose-Einstein condensation [Nature 606, 683 (2022)]. We will supply atoms from a continuous ultracold Sr source to four clock interrogation zones that are in one vacuum chamber. Clock interrogation can always be executed in at least one zone, while others are reloaded with atoms, enabling continuous operation.