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PREP Graduate Research Assistant Position at NIST in the Sources and Detectors Group (PREP0004672)

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST recognizes that its research staff may wish to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest and, therefore, requires those institutions to be recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program involves staff from a wide range of backgrounds conducting scientific research across various fields. Individuals in this position will perform technical work supporting the collaboration’s scientific research.

The Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) is a special partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder. PREP provides research opportunities to CU undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers with a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in NIST labs to gain research experience alongside NIST scientists.

Research Location:

At NIST in the Sources and Detectors Group

Summary of the Position:

The individual will work with scientists in the Sources and Detectors Group in the Applied Physics Division on advanced metrology for single photon detection.  The student will advance experimental calibration of single photon detectors through optical setup, testing, data collection, and uncertainty analysis.  The student will investigate the development of detector tomography with the goal of expanding NIST’s existing single photon detector calibration services to include additional quantities needed by the quantum industry.  The project is primarily experimental and involves experimental quantum optics, python programming and electronics development.  It is expected that this work will demonstrate detector tomography with low uncertainties and will provide the base knowledge upon which the measurements can be incorporated into a new calibration service.  The work is on-site at the NIST Boulder campus. 

Key Responsibilities: 

  • Contribute to design of new experiments to provide low uncertainty measurements of the performance of single photon detectors. 
  • Build designs using lasers, optics, mechanical and electrical components, and both fiber-coupled cryogenic and free-space single photon detectors.
  • Analyze data to determine measurement uncertainties and develop error budgets.
  • Communicate results through internal meetings, conference presentations, and peer reviewed papers.

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Applicants must be enrolled full-time at the University of Colorado Boulder master’s degree or doctoral degree program in physics, mathematics, engineering, or closely related program.
  • Must currently possess a 3.0 GPA or higher.
  • Must be a degree seeking student through CU Boulder.

Qualifications:

  • Graduate student enrolled in Physics Ph.D. program with first year completed.
  • Three (3) years of relevant experience with single photon detector efficiency measurements.
  • Experience operating superconducting nanowire single photon detectors and single photon avalanche
    photodiodes. 
  • Experience with Python programming for instrument control.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in fusion splicing of single mode optical fiber.
  • Ability to develop software needed to analyze data, evaluate measurement uncertainty, and develop error budgets.
  • Interest in metrology and uncertainty quantification for quantum optics.

Currently Funded:

  • Fall 2026 – Summer 2027

Salary (contract pay format): - Rates may increase beginning Fall 2026

  • Pre-comps: $3,163 per month
  • Post-comps: $3,330 per month

Benefits:

  • Graduate Research Assistant contract pay based on pre-comps/post-comps rate.
  • Tuition, fees, and insurance paid for by PREP during the academic year while in PREP.

If interested, please send your resume/CV to Lisa Valencia at recruitprep@colorado.edu. The finalist will be required to submit their resume/CV and transcript.


This position requires the successful completion of an NAIS agreement and federal security clearance as mandated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Employment is contingent upon approval of these requirements as determined by NIST.

Privacy Act Statement

Authority: 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)

Purpose: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor’s degree holders, graduate students, master’s degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate administrative functions of the PREP Program.

Routine Uses: NIST will use the information collected to perform the requisite reviews of the applications to determine eligibility, and to meet programmatic requirements. Disclosure of this information is also subject to all the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notices: NIST-1: NIST Associates.

Disclosure: Furnishing this information is voluntary. When you submit the form, you are indicating your voluntary consent for NIST to use of the information you submit for the purpose stated.