Job Details

Postdoctoral Research Associate-Computer and Information Research

Posting Number
req23101

Department
James C Wyant Coll Optical Sci

Department Website Link


Location
Main Campus

Address
Tucson, AZ USA

Position Highlights
The James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences is seeking candidates to fill a Postdoctoral Research Associate position with background in hardware design, development, implementation and testing of a free-space optical laser communication system. The successful candidate will be responsible for leading a government funded research project with a team of faculty members, postdoctoral fellows, and students, along with industrial and university partners.

Outstanding UA benefits include health, dental, vision, and life insurance; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; UA/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; access to UA recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Duties & Responsibilities

• Co-lead research effort on hardware development of
  free-space laser communication system. Design, develop, implement, and
  test transmitter and receiver terminal consisting of a laser source, a
  modulator, a beam steering mechanism and optics such as Galvo mirror, fast
  steering mirror, and MEMS diffractive beam steerer, detectors such as quad
  detectors, high speed detectors, and cameras. The successful candidate
  requires knowledge and track-record practice on opt-mechanical-electrical
  system development and testing.
• Effectively collaborate with faculty, staff, and
  students at University of Arizona. As a responsible point of contact and
  technical lead of hardware development, manage and coordinate efforts
  among the team at University of Arizona, and with external industry and
  university partners.
• Keep track of progress and document. Assist preparation
  of report and presentations to sponsor. Prepare documents for industrial
  and university partners. Prepare journal and conference manuscripts and
  publish and present them.
• Assist PI to prepare proposals to existing and
  prospective sponsors.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge on theory on free space optical
  communication, air turbulence and adaptive optics correction.
• Familiarity with spatial light modulators such as LCoS,
  and DMD, and with beam steering modalities to control such devices.
• Knowledge of interfacing camera and detectors to
  opt-electro-mechanical system.
• Excellent
  verbal and written communication skills.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in optics related disciplines, such as electrical
  engineering, physics, astronomy mechanical engineering upon hire.
• Demonstrated and extensive experience in design,
  development, implementation and testing of
  opt-mechanical-electrical-photonics systems.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with adaptive correction of aberrations by air turbulence.
• Experience with GPU programming, FPGA, and DNN in image recognition is a great plus.
• Track record of publications and conference presentations.
• Experience with hands on lab work.

FLSA
Exempt

Full Time/Part Time
Full Time

Number of Hours Worked per Week
40

Job FTE
1.0

Work Calendar
Fiscal

Job Category
Research

Benefits Eligible
Yes - Full Benefits

Rate of Pay
NIH Salary Guidelines

Compensation Type
salary at 1.0 full-time equivalency (FTE)

Type of criminal background check required:
Name-based criminal background check (non-security sensitive)

Number of Vacancies
5

Target Hire Date
7/21/2025

Expected End Date

Contact Information for Candidates
Lisa ...@optics.arizona.edu

Open Date
6/11/2025

Open Until Filled
Yes

Documents Needed to Apply
Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Special Instructions to Applicant

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