Research Technician(s) for Spinoff on Robotic Manufacturing of Optical Circuits

Are you eager to join a startup creation team that will bring robotic manufacturing of optical circuits to the market? Optical circuits manipulate laser light and are crucial for many quantum computers, sensors, and simulators. Nowadays they are built by hand and must be regularly readjusted, wasting a lot of time. We are developing flexible robotic manufacturing of optical circuits that barely need readjustment. Our vision is to make it as easy for our customers to order and use an optical circuit as it is nowadays to order and use an electronic circuit.

This position is offered within the AQuRA project, in which we develop a robust and transportable optical lattice clock, made mostly by industry. The AQuRA project will end in 2026, but if we are successful, you could join our newly created company thereafter (Firefly Quantum). Our optical circuit development is inspired by research done in our Ultracold Strontium Gases Group, which is headed by Prof. Florian Schreck and is part of the Quantum Gases & Quantum Information (QG&QI) cluster at the Institute of Physics (IoP) of the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

What are you going to do?

Within AQuRA, you will work with our team to:

• develop, build, and benchmark optical circuits and their control electronics;
• improve the stability of our circuits;
• improve our robotic manufacturing technology;
• widen the range of optical circuits we can build;
• create a second generation of the AQuRA optical circuits.

If you join our newly created company after AQuRA ends, your tasks could furthermore include:

• developing new optical circuits for customers;
• presenting our products and capabilities to potential customers, for example at conferences;
• listening to the needs of customers and developing ideas for new products;
• explaining the manufacturing and benchmarking process to younger team members;
• ordering and stocking parts for the optical circuits and their control electronics.

The company will grow and you will have the chance to professionally grow with it.

Your profile

Your experience and profile:

• A master's degree and ideally several years of relevant professional experience or a PhD in experimental physics or engineering.
• Strong experience across relevant domains including:
  • Optical systems including AOMs, EOMs, optical fibers, single frequency tunable laser and frequency conversion systems, optical cavities such as those used in ultracold atom or trapped ion physics;
  • Automation and mechatronics such as robotics, python, electronic design including micro controllers, digital and analog circuit design.
• A passion for solving real world industrial problems and developing cost effective creative solutions that meet customer driven requirements.
• Motivation to work within an ambitious and cohesive team in a challenging, but rewarding, cutting edge research field.
• The ambition and drive to join a startup.

• Good command of English

Our offer

We offer a temporary employment contract for 38 hours per week for a period of one year that can be extended up to 4 years. The preferred starting date is October 2024, but other dates can be discussed.

The gross monthly salary, based on 38 hours per week and dependent on relevant experience, ranges between € 3,502,- to  € 5,278,- (scale 9 or 10). This does not include 8% holiday allowance and 8,3% year-end allowance. Depending on experience, a starting scale may apply. A favourable tax agreement, the ‘30% ruling’, may apply to non-Dutch applicants. The Collective Labour Agreement of Universities of the Netherlands is applicable.

Besides the salary and a vibrant and challenging environment at Science Park we offer you multiple fringe benefits:

• 232 holiday hours per year (based on fulltime) and extra holidays between Christmas and 1 January;
• multiple courses to follow from our Teaching and Learning Centre;
• a complete educational program for PhD students;
• multiple courses on topics such as leadership for academic staff;
• multiple courses on topics such as time management, handling stress and an online learning platform with 100+ different courses;
• 7 weeks birth leave (partner leave) with 100% salary;
• partly paid parental leave;
• the possibility to set up a workplace at home;
• a pension at ABP for which UvA pays two third part of the contribution;
• the possibility to follow courses to learn Dutch;
• help with housing for a studio or small apartment when you’re moving from abroad.

Are you curious to read more about our extensive package of secondary employment benefits, take a look here.

About us

The University of Amsterdam is the Netherlands' largest university, offering the widest range of academic programmes. At the UvA, 30,000 students, 6,000 staff members and 3,000 PhD candidates study and work in a diverse range of fields, connected by a culture of curiosity.

The Faculty of Science has a student body of around 8,000, as well as 1,800 members of staff working in education, research or support services. Researchers and students at the Faculty of Science are fascinated by every aspect of how the world works, be it elementary particles, the birth of the universe or the functioning of the brain.

The Institute of Physics is situated in new, purpose-built laboratory and teaching space in the building of the Faculty of Science in the Science Park Amsterdam. This location also plays host to numerous national research institutes such as AMOLF (nanophotonics, biomolecular systems, photovoltaics), NIKHEF (Subatomic Physics) and CWI (mathematics and Computer Science), as well as ARCNL (Advanced Research Center for Nanolithography, which combines the leading Dutch tech firm ASML with both Amsterdam universities and AMOLF) and the Quantum Delta NL Ultracold Quantum Sensing Testbed.

Want to know more about our organisation? Read more about working at the University of Amsterdam.

Any questions?

Do you have any questions or do you require additional information?

Please contact, including your CV as attachment, prof. Florian Schreck, email schreck@uva.nl.

Job application

If you feel the profile fits you, and you are interested in the job, we look forward to receiving your application. Please submit your application online via the button below and by email to schreck@uva.nl. We will invite potential candidates for interviews on an ongoing basis.    

Applications should include the following information (all files besides your cv should be submitted in one single pdf file):

• a CV;
• a short letter of motivation;
• a list of publications;
• the name and email address of a reference who can provide a letter of recommendation.

Due to Dutch legislation, the UvA is for non-scientific positions obliged to recruit within the EU. If you are not a EU-citizen (including Norway and Switzerland) please do not apply for this vacancy.

Only complete applications received within the response period via the link below will be considered.

The UvA is an equal-opportunity employer. We prioritize diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for everyone. We value a spirit of enquiry and perseverance, provide the space to keep asking questions, and promote a culture of curiosity and creativity.

No agencies please