Microsoft Research Cambridge (UK) is searching for exceptional researchers from the fields of Optics to join our interdisciplinary two-year Residency Program in the Cloud Systems Futures team.
The Cloud Systems Futures team is engaged in several cutting-edge research programs to revolutionise storage, computing, and networking at cloud scale using advanced optical technologies. To this end we have assembled an interdisciplinary team ranging from optical and computer scientists to machine learning and signal processing experts.
We are seeking an optical materials scientist to join our research team developing advanced optical cloud storage technologies. During the residency you will directly work with the researchers in Project Silica (microsoft.com).
Project Silica is developing a revolutionary storage technology by using femtosecond lasers to store data in glass. The project provides an unprecedented opportunity to completely re-think how storage systems are built, and build a storage technology that’s end-to-end optimized solely for the cloud, from the materials level up to the user interface.
The Project Silica team is highly multi-disciplinary, comprising computer scientists, physicists, optical scientists, electrical and mechanical engineers, and designers.
Contract duration: 2 years.
Responsibilities
As an optical materials scientist, you will be responsible for operating, characterizing, and optimizing the critical hardware components of the Project’s Silica storage system including media, writers, and readers. You will need to work effectively within a highly multidisciplinary team, in areas spanning over ultrafast laser materials processing, material fabrication and characterization, high-resolution microscopy, image processing and data analysis. You can expect to advance in your own field and learn how cutting-edge machine learning and computer science are applied to optical system design.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
The candidate should have a PhD in optics / materials science / experimental physics or degree plus equivalent professional experience. The candidate must have enthusiasm to learn new skills outside their main field and must be able to demonstrate the ability and humility to work in a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary environment. The successful candidate must be skilled and bring a strong background in one or more of the following areas:
- Laser material processing
- Free space optics, e.g., spectroscopy, optical microscopy, and imaging
- Novel optical materials – synthesis, engineering, characterization
- Materials informatics for solid materials
- Material properties and photoexcitation dynamics from the first principle.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experimental background with at least 2-5 years’ experience working in an optical laboratory environment.
- Building and testing free-space optical experimental setups, run experiments and logging/analysing results.
- Experience operating automated optical systems.
- Experience fabricating and/or engineering optical materials.
- Experience in theoretical and computational physics/chemistry, modelling novel materials.
- Experience in programming or scripting.
- Strong publications record in peer reviewed Journals and top conferences.
- Good presentation and communication skills.
Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.
Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.
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