Postdoctoral Scholar in Applied Physics

Metasurfaces have emerged as a new tool for photonics. Given their versatile optical design space and compact footprint, meta-optics has great potential to miniaturize bioimaging instruments while also being mass-producible at a low cost.

A postdoctoral scholar is sought to build a metalens optical system to image bacteria, including integration with small-pixel sensors, potentially an easy-to-use manual focus system, an integrated light source, and an image capture and transfer system.The candidate will join the group of Prof. Federico Capasso and collaborate with a team at the Harvard Medical School, led by Prof. Johan Paulsson, focused on bacterial detection identification (ID) and antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST), leveraging on this optical system, including interfacing with a microfluidic system.

In addition to the basic instrument, the postdoc will develop more advanced metalens imaging modalities for bacteria, with the purpose of making the AST not only faster and more robust, but also potentially achieving some basic level of species ID. This will include the development of a compact form of quantitative phase microscopy by encoding polarization-dependent optical functions onto a single metasurface to perform full-Stokes image polarimetry.

Ph.D. in optics, applied physics, physics, electrical engineering, or a related discipline

Proficiency in laboratory optics and photonics with particular emphasis on imaging systems such as microscopy. Previous experience in nanophotonics and clean room fabrication would be beneficial but is not strictly required. History of work in polarization and optical polarimetry desirable.

Please submit a current CV with publications listed and a detailed description of research experience, as well as a minimum of two reference letters.

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Anna Frej