Applied Physicist - Open Rank (Entry-Junior Level)-EOSL-Onsite

Overview:

The Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit, applied research division of the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). Founded in 1934 as the Engineering Experiment Station, GTRI has grown to more than 2,900 employees, supporting eight laboratories in over 20 locations around the country and performing more than $940 million of problem-solving research annually for government and industry. GTRI's renowned researchers combine science, engineering, economics, policy, and technical expertise to solve complex problems for the U.S. federal government, state, and industry.   

Georgia Tech's Mission and Values

Georgia Tech's mission is to develop leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition. The Institute has nine key values that are foundational to everything we do: 

1. Students are our top priority.
2. We strive for excellence.
3. We thrive on diversity.
4. We celebrate collaboration.
5. We champion innovation.
6. We safeguard freedom of inquiry and expression.
7. We nurture the wellbeing of our community.
8. We act ethically.
9. We are responsible stewards.

Over the next decade, Georgia Tech will become an example of inclusive innovation, a leading technological research university of unmatched scale, relentlessly committed to serving the public good; breaking new ground in addressing the biggest local, national, and global challenges and opportunities of our time; making technology broadly accessible; and developing exceptional, principled leaders from all backgrounds ready to produce novel ideas and create solutions with real human impact.

Project/Unit Description

The Photonics & Microelectronics Division (PMD) in the Electro-Optical Systems Laboratory (EOSL) of GTRI is searching for an entry-level Applied Physicist willing and able to work on multiple projects within the Division, as the need arises, including conducting laboratory experiments, modeling experimental data, and building hardware. The Photonics and Microelectronics Division currently performs advanced research and development that involves the development & packaging of new materials and micro-electronic device technologies, spacecraft hardware, photonic integrated circuits, and RF/millimeter-wave devices. The components and sub-systems are used in a variety of systems and applications, primarily for aerospace and national security platforms. The successful candidate will support work across the Division, as described in the Additional Responsibilities section.

The PMD team is skilled in the synthesis and deposition of advanced materials and semiconductors; materials physics and chemistry; weathering of materials in space; design, simulation, fabrication, packaging and measurement of RF and photonic ICs and subsystems, fiber optics & comms, and building optical & RF subsystems with both discrete components & ICs. PMD is a leader in the Georgia Tech Microelectronics community as well as the Space Technology community. GTRI offers a dynamic, collaborative environment, where research faculty generate new ideas for projects to serve the needs of the warfighter and national security, with opportunities to perform on projects outside their division to broaden their knowledge & experience.

Job Purpose

An applied physicist leverages knowledge and skills from the fields of physics, chemistry, material science, and mathematics to contribute to the research, analysis, design, and development of innovative systems, sensors, materials, and devices. They design and conduct experiments and/or simulations to ascertain physical properties and behaviors. Experiments conducted may involve the measurement, characterization, and testing of equipment and environmental phenomenology using specialized tools. Fundamental physical principles are used to inform the design of systems and sensors, to evaluate their theoretical performance, and to develop algorithms. Areas of application may include: optical systems, energy systems and storage, quantum systems, EO/IR & RF M&S and analysis, and photonics, and new materials. An applied physicist might also contribute to the development and application of new materials related to energy production, harvesting, and storage or to areas as diverse as healthcare, entertainment, or national security.

Key Responsibilities

• Perform basic tests, experiments, calculations, and/or simulations to determine physical parameters/properties and behaviors of materials and systems and conduct basic data analysis on the results of measurements and/or simulations
• Perform literature surveys on research topics
• Generate documentation of experiments and results

Additional Responsibilities

• Conduct benchtop experiments in the optics laboratory using free-space & fiber optics, la