PhD Position for International Students at Swinburne University of Technology, Australia

Scholarship Provider: Australian Research Council
Scholarship can be taken at: Australia

Eligibility:Eligible candidates must have gained a degree in Physics, and they must also possess a good command of English. Previous research experience in fundamental quantum mechanics would also be desirable.

Scholarship Open for International Students: Yes

Scholarship Description: Swinburne University of Technology PhD Scholarships are open for application now. This PhD position is within the project “Creation, detection, and decoherence of a Schrödinger’s Cat” funded for three years by the Australian Research Council. Understanding the transition from microscopic to macroscopic quantum mechanics remains an important challenge in modern physics. Key issues are whether mesoscopic superpositions can be realized, and, if so, how to resolve the Schrödinger’s cat paradox. The overall ambition of the project is how to generate Schrödinger’s cat superpositions using Bose-Einstein condensates or optomechanical devices, to enable tests of macroscopic quantum mechanics for massive systems. The mesoscopic superposition needs to be characterized, in terms of genuine multiparticle entanglement, violation of Leggett-Garg inequalities, and the potential to test Diosi-Penrose theories. This project is at the intersection of several research areas.

The applicant is expected to investigate in the following themes:
-The Bell and EPR paradox in macroscopic systems
-Signatures of macroscopic superpositions and entanglement
-Applications: phase measurement, quantum memory, and others.

Benefit:The selected candidate will be funded a net salary of AU$23,728 annual, plus AU$2,000 annual to attend international conferences.
Duration: 3 years

How to Apply: Candidates are encouraged to send their updated CV, a student academic record, and two letters of reference to mdreid@swin.edu.au or qiongyihe@swin.edu.au before the 16th of October of 2012.