Postdoctoral position in Physics

We are seeking applicants for a 2 year-postdoctoral position to join us in the Optomechanics group at the Department of Physics and Astronomy in order to work with nanoguitar optomechanical resonators.

Expected start date and duration of employment

This is a 2–year position from 1 August 2026 or as soon as possible.

The aim of the project is to develop “nanoguitar” optomechanical resonators for fundamental optomechanics and practical gas sensing applications. The postdoctoral fellow is expected to contribute to the design, fabrication and optical/structural/mechanical characterization of “string-on-drums” silicon nitride resonators, based on the group’s recent progress in this direction, and their use in various applications for gas sensing and metrology. Skills in nanolithography, atomic force microscopy, optical interferometry, vacuum technology, finite element method simulations will be involved.

Applicants should hold a PhD in Physics, Nano-science, Engineering or similar, experience with optics and/or nanofabrication being a plus.

Who we are

The

Department of Physics and Astronomy

is a department on Natural Sciences. The main objectives of the Department are to carry out research at the highest international level, to offer research based teaching at Bachelor of Science, Master of Science and PhD levels, and to exchange knowledge with other areas of society, e.g. by offering our expertise to the business world.

The Department is an attractive workplace for researchers, teachers, technicians, laboratory technicians and administrators and has a good study environment with many talented and active students at all levels. The research at the Department of Physics and Astronomy is of high quality, attracts significant international attention – in several fields the Department is within the world elite – and is characterized by many international collaborations with other high-ranking universities and research institutions around the world.

What we offer

The department/centre offers:

• a well-developed research infrastructure, laboratories and access to shared equipment
• an exciting interdisciplinary environment with many national, international and industrial collaborators
• a research climate encouraging lively, open and critical discussion within and across different fields of research
• a work environment with close working relationships, networking and social activities
• a workplace characterised by professionalism, equality and a healthy work-life balance.

Place of work and area of employment

The place of work is Department of Physics and Astronomy, Ny Munkegade 120, 8000 Aarhus, and the area of employment is Aarhus University with related departments. 

Contact information

Before applying or for further information, please contact: Associate Professor Aurelien Dantan, +4523987386,

dantan@phys.au.dk .
Deadline

Applications must be received no later than 15 March 2026.

Application procedure

Shortlisting is used. This means that after the deadline for applications – and with the assistance from the assessment committee chairman, and the appointment committee if necessary, – the head of department selects the candidates to be evaluated. All applicants will be notified whether or not their applications have been sent to an expert assessment committee for evaluation. The selected applicants will be informed about the composition of the committee, and each applicant is given the opportunity to comment on the part of the assessment that concerns him/her self. Once the recruitment process is completed a final letter of rejection is sent to the deselected applicants.

Letter of reference

If you want a referee to upload a letter of reference on your behalf, please state the referee’s contact information when you submit your application. We strongly recommend that you make an agreement with the person in question before you enter the referee’s contact information, and that you ensure that the referee has enough time to write the letter of reference before the application deadline.

Unfortunately, it is not possible to ensure that letters of reference received after the application deadline will be taken into consideration.

If you wish to add a referee after you have submitted your application, you must send this person’s details (name, job title, place of work, and email address) as well as the name of the position you have applied for to: HR.Nattech@au.dk

Formalities and salary range

Technical Sciences refers to the

Ministerial Order on the Appointment of Academic Staff at Danish Universities under the Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation

.

The application must be in English and include a curriculum vitae, degree certificate, a complete list of publications, a statement of future research plans and information about research activities, teaching portfolio and verified information on previous teaching experience (if any). Guidelines for applicants can be found here.

Appointment shall be in accordance with the collective labour agreement between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Danish Confederation of Professional Associations. Further information on qualification requirements and job content may be found in the Memorandum on Job Structure for Academic Staff at Danish Universities .

Salary depends on seniority as agreed between the Danish Ministry of Taxation and the Confederation of Professional Associations.

Aarhus University’s ambition is to be an attractive and inspiring workplace for all and to foster a culture in which each individual has opportunities to thrive, achieve and develop. We view equality and diversity as assets, and we welcome all applicants.

Research activities will be evaluated in relation to actual research time. Thus, we encourage applicants to specify periods of leave without research activities, in order to be able to subtract these periods from the span of the scientific career during the evaluation of scientific productivity.

Aarhus University offers a broad variety of services for international researchers and accompanying families, including relocation service and career counselling to expat partners. Read more here . Please find more information about entering and working in Denmark here .

Aarhus University also offers a Junior Researcher Development Programme targeted at career development for postdocs at AU. You can read more about it here .

The application must be submitted via Aarhus University’s recruitment system, which can be accessed under the job advertisement on Aarhus University's website.