Postdoctoral Scholars Program

IQUIST Postdoctoral Scholars Program

The postdoctoral scholar program supports outstanding scientists and offers a unique opportunity for selected scholars to engage in a two-year interdisciplinary research fellowship at the Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center.
Students conducting research in the IQUIST laboratory

The Illinois Quantum Information Science and Technology Center (IQUIST) at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) invites applications for postdoctoral scholar positions in quantum science. IQUIST research addresses a wide variety of experimental and theoretical research topics spanned by UIUC's departments of physics, materials science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science, mathematics, and chemistry. These topics include, but are not limited to, quantum information science, quantum many-body physics in condensed matter and atomic systems, applications of quantum information to high energy physics, topological states of matter, quantum optics and light-matter interactions at the quantum level, quantum cavity-optomechanics, quantum chemistry, and quantum metrology. IQUIST also has active visitor, seminar, and outreach programs.

Review of applications will begin on October 15, 2024. Applications received before December 15, 2024, will receive full consideration.

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Eligibility Requirements

  • Ph.D. degree or equivalent in a quantum-related field within the last five years
  • Relevance of the proposed research plan to the portfolio of IQUIST.
  • All application materials must be received by December 15.

Program Summary

  • Fellows are appointed annually for up to three years.
  • Fellows have greater flexibility to engage in interdisciplinary and collaborative research.
  • Applications open through December 15.

Application Process

The review of applications will begin on October 15 of the current submission year; applicants are strongly encouraged to submit all materials by that date. Full consideration is given for applications received by December 15 of the current program year, but the review will begin on October 15. The appointment is contingent upon the completion of a Ph.D. Several awards are anticipated each year

Questions can be emailed to iquist-info@illinois.edu.

How to Apply

Applications will be accepted through December 15, 2024. 

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  1. Fill out the online application.
  2. Upload copies of your curriculum vitae, publication list, statement of research interests, and two letters of recommendation.
  3. Must have discussed the application with at least one potential IQUIST faculty mentor, in addition to a nomination letter.

2022-2023 IQUIST Postdoctoral Scholars

Scholars Yijing Huang (left), Zhubing Jia (middle), and Zhanzhi Jiang (right)
Scholars Yijing Huang (left), Zhubing Jia (middle), and Zhanzhi Jiang (right)

Yijing Huang completed her Ph.D. at Stanford University and is has joined Professor Fahad Mahmood's lab and is considering a career in academics. Her experience with the scholar program has only made her interest in continuing research stronger. 

Zhubing Jia completed her Ph.D. in physics at Duke University. She has completed several years of research in trapped-ion quantum computing and joined Professor Jacob Covey’s lab to focus on utilizing neutral ytterbium-171 atom tweezer arrays for quantum information processing.

Zhanzhi Jiang is a postdoctoral scholar from the University of Texas – Austin. He studied in the Nanoscale Electromagnetic Lab led by Professor Keji Lai. At UIUC, he is part of the Condensed Matter and Quantum Information Science group led by Professor Angela Kou.