Post-doctoral Scholar in Qubits and Spacetime Unit (Hoehn Unit)

The Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST; see www.oist.jp) is a dynamic graduate university of science and technology in Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. The school is located on 85 hectares of protected forestland overlooking beautiful shorelines and coral reefs. The campus is striking architecturally, and the facilities are outstanding (OIST campus video tour). There are no academic departments, which facilitates cross-disciplinary research. Superb resources and equipment are provided and managed to encourage easy access and collaboration. English is the official language of the university, and the research community is fully international, with more than 50 countries represented. After only ten years, OIST is rapidly gaining recognition in the worldwide academic community as a model for excellence in research, education, and innovation.

Unit summary:

One 3-year postdoctoral position will become available in September 2021 in the Qubits and Spacetime Unit led by Philipp Hoehn. The research of the unit lies broadly at the interface of quantum gravity, quantum information and foundations, focusing on general questions in an around quantum gravity. Current research interests include studying dynamics and observables in a diffeomorphism-invariant context, using quantum reference systems to explore a quantum version of general covariance, equilibrium and non-equilibrium spacetime thermodynamics, the interplay of quantum correlations and spacetime geometry, entanglement in gauge systems, as well as the emergence of classicality from within quantum theory, especially in the presence of chaos. For further information on some of these topics, see https://groups.oist.jp/quast. Candidates with an interest in any of these or related topics are encouraged to apply. 

OIST currently harbors three further units in quantum gravity or related topics in mathematical physics, headed by Shinobu Hikami, Yasha Neiman and Reiko Toriumi. Furthermore, the institute regularly hosts international workshops, seminars and visitors in this area, providing for a stimulating research environment. The unit will provide support for traveling and hosting collaborators.