A scanning electron microscope from the Keck Lab

JILA provides abundant professional and recreational opportunities for prospective graduate students and postdoctoral research associates. The interdisciplinary institute is operated jointly by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado (CU). JILA offers a broad range of research topics in the fields of astrophysics, atomic and molecular physics, biophysics, chemical physics, chemistry, materials science, optical physics, and precision measurement. JILA's world-class faculty includes three Nobel laureates, two John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur "genius" award winners, seven members of the National Academy of Science, and many fellows of the American Physical Society, the Optical Society of America, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. JILA has some of the world's best experimental fabrication facilities and research programs. Its research is well funded and our faculty members are renowned for their exploration of the frontiers of the physical sciences.

Interested? Please see either Graduate Students or Postdocs.

Get information about JILA in print.

Here are the scientific benefits of selecting JILA for your graduate or postdoctoral studies:

Wayne Halsey and Graduate Student Ashley Carter in the Perkins Lab.

(1) JILA's interdisciplinary atomic, molecular, and optical physics programs offer you the chance to study the interaction of ultracold atoms and ultrafast light pulses as applied to:

• Bose-Einstein condensation,
• nonlinear and quantum optics,
• precision measurement,
• coherent control of atoms and molecules, and
• laser design.

(2) JILA's programs in materials science, chemical physics and biophysics offer you the opportunity to

• probe chemical reactions at the quantum mechanical level,
• study the structure and dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids,
• investigate the fractal kinetics of artificial atoms,
• elucidated the behavior of semiconductors and optical fibers, and
• use extreme ultraviolet and x-ray probes to investigate materials.

(3) JILA's astrophysics program offers the chance to learn about

• cool stars,
• black holes that influence galaxy formation,
• the formation and migration of planets around stars,
• cosmology, and more.

(4) JILA provides opportunities for students to engage in multi- and cross-disciplinary investigations that would not be possible in the parent departments at CU. For instance, JILA students have the opportunity to collaborate with the world-class scientific investigations underway at CU's Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology. This interaction will likely increase as CU invests in its new biotechnology initiative.

(5) JILA's astrophysics faculty work in close collaboration with CU's Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA) and Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP) as well as ground- and space-based astronomical observatories around the world.

(6) JILA has unparalleled scientific research support services, including exemplary instrument fabrication and electronics shops plus classes in electronics or scientific writing and presentations.

(7) The close relationship between JILA and NIST provides graduate students and postdoctoral research associates access to state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment at NIST. These include NIST's renowned time scale and fabrication facilities.

(8) JILA's awarding-winning faculty members are among the best scientists in the world.

(9) JILA faculty and students collaborate with scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, located just a few miles south of the institute, and maintain cordial relationships with researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

(10) Students and postdoctoral research associates trained at JILA are in demand in industry and academia. Most of them readily secure postdoctoral, faculty, research, or management positions in academia, government and private research organizations, or industry.

(11) Many of the high-tech companies that hire our graduates are located in the Boulder/Denver area. These companies also provide access to many high-tech products and services such as optical components or custom-designed software.

If you're sold on JILA's scientific prospects, here are some things you might want to know about Boulder:

Mingming Feng visits the Rocky Mountain National Park.

(1) Boulder, Colorado, is in one of the most beautiful areas of the country, with hiking, camping, skiing, rock climbing, mountain biking, and running among the region's popular outdoor activities.

(2) Boulder is a fun and interesting town, with many cafes and restaurants, a downtown pedestrian mall, a traditional teahouse built by artisans from Boulder's sister city Dushanbe (Tajikistan), and hundreds of miles of bike and pedestrian paths linking it with nearby communities and open space.

(3) Boulder's artistic and cultural resources include the Boulder Philharmonic orchestra, the Chautauqua Summer Music Festival, the Takács String Quartet (artists in residence at CU), the CU Artists' Series, the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, the Boulder History Museum, the CU Art Galleries and Museum, the NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) Gallery, the Women of the West Museum, the Ars Nova a capella singers, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival, the Dairy Center for the Arts, and more!

(4) The Boulder Valley School District and other nearby school districts collaborate with JILA Fellows working to improve K–12 science education through the Physics Education Technology project and the Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics – Teacher Preparation project.

Want to Learn More? Please see either Graduate Students or Postdocs.