Master Thesis - Engineering Josephson Junction Tunnel Barriers for Future Superconducting Qubits

Your Job:

You will fabricate Josephson junctions (JJs) and superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) via a combination of well-established and new technologies:

The devices are patterned via an in situ stencil lithography, which features inorganic on-chip mask and enables surface preparation of the substrate through:

• Electron beam lithography (EBL)
  
• Reactive ion etching (RIE)
  
• Wet chemistry
  

Superconductors and tunnel barriers are grown in an ultra-high vacuum within the Helmholtz Nano-Facility (HNF) Nanocluster using:

• Molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE)
  
• Atomic layer deposition (ALD)
  
• Thermal laser epitaxy (TLE)
  

After the material growth, the mask can be removed via vapor hydrofluoric acid.

Together with your supervising Ph.D. student, you will measure as prepared device at base temperatures (10mK) in one of our dilution refrigerators. More information on the project can be found on: https://go.fzj.de/projektTLE4HSQ
Other tasks will include:

• Cleanroom work: nanofabrication of devices using EBL, RIE and wet and vapour etching
  
• Fabrication of JJs and SQUIDs via stencil lithography on Sapphire substrate in the Nanocluster
  
• Transport measurements at cryogenic temperatures (10mK) and other types of characterization

Your Profile:

• Bachelor`s degree in physics, material science or nanoengineering
  
• Interested in new physics and phenomena
  
• Ability to work in a team and autonomously

Our Offer:

We work on the very latest issues that impact our society and are offering you the chance to actively help in shaping the change! We support you in your work with:

• A pleasant working environment within a highly competent, international team in one of the most prestigious research facilities in Europe
  
• You will be supported by top-end scientific and technical infrastructure like a state-of-the-art cleanroom and one of the largest and most advanced MBE clusters worldwide
  
• You will have the opportunity to work with excited researchers from various scientific fields and take part in the fabrication and characterization of cutting edge topological devices
  
• The master thesis is remunerated
  

We welcome applications from people with diverse backgrounds, e.g. in terms of age, gender, disability, sexual orientation / identity, and social, ethnic and religious origin. A diverse and inclusive working environment with equal opportunities in which everyone can realize their potential is important to us.