Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physicist (PhD)

About the work

CritPt is a public benchmark of research-level physics challenges, built to test whether frontier AI models can carry out genuine physics research reasoning rather than textbook problem solving. The benchmark paper is arXiv:2509.26574 and we recommend reading it before applying. It will tell you quickly whether this work interests you.

We are engaging physicists to work on research-level physics problems in their own subfield. Depending on where your publication record fits, that can mean creating problems, solving them, reviewing completed work, or auditing it. We agree the specific assignment with you once you are matched to an area.

This is research-grade work rather than volume work. Whatever you produce has to be complete enough for another specialist in your subfield to follow and verify independently, so written reasoning is part of every assignment.

Research areas in this panel

Seven areas. We match narrowly: you need to have published on one of these specific phenomena, not in AMO broadly. Each area lists the methods it requires.

1. Strong-field and high-harmonic generation, structured light and angular momentum: High-harmonic generation, orbital angular momentum of structured light, spin angular momentum and optical helicity, angular momentum conservation selection rules, self-torque of light, strong-field light-matter interaction.

2. Levitated optomechanics: optical binding and dipole-dipole coupled oscillators: Levitated optomechanics, optical tweezers, optical binding, light-induced dipole-dipole interactions, Rayleigh point-dipole approximation, Gaussian beam propagation, nonreciprocal coupling, coupled harmonic oscillator normal modes.

3. Levitated optomechanics: torsional and librational modes of anisotropic nanoparticles: Levitated optomechanics, torsional and librational modes, anisotropic polarizability of dielectric ellipsoids, optical tweezers, light-induced dipole-dipole torques, rigid-body rotational dynamics, harmonic quantization of small oscillations, beam-splitter coupling Hamiltonians.

4. Precision measurement: Penning-trap quantum cyclotron, cavity QED radiative shifts: Geonium theory of Penning traps, single-electron quantum cyclotron, cavity quantum electrodynamics mode structure, quantization of the radiation field, non-relativistic perturbation theory, dipole approximation, radiative frequency shifts and self-energy subtraction, electron magnetic moment tests of quantum electrodynamics.

5. Ultracold atoms in optical lattices: tight-binding and Wannier parametrization: Optical lattice potentials from laser interference, AC Stark shift and atomic polarizability, tight-binding lattice Hamiltonians, Wannier function formalism, harmonic approximation of lattice wells, s-wave contact pseudopotential, recoil energy and deep-lattice expansion, quantum simulation with ultracold fermions.

6. Cavity QED: Jaynes-Cummings, dark states, open-system steady states: Cavity quantum electrodynamics, Jaynes-Cummings interaction, bright and dark atomic states, Lindblad master equations, spontaneous emission into free space, coherent states of the radiation field, steady states of open quantum systems, photon-number coherences and decoherence.

7. Few-body physics: Efimov effect, hyperspherical methods, zero-range universality: Efimov effect, hyperspherical coordinates and hyperangular channel functions, zero-range Bethe-Peierls boundary conditions, discrete scale invariance in the three-body problem, bosonic permutation symmetrization, universality at large scattering length, wave-function overlap integrals.

Methods we expect to find in your own publications

You should be able to point to your own papers demonstrating at least one of the following families:

• Light-matter: high-harmonic generation, angular momentum conservation selection rules, strong-field light-matter interaction, AC Stark shift and atomic polarizability
• Trap and oscillator dynamics: optical tweezers, Gaussian beam propagation, rigid-body rotational dynamics, harmonic quantization of small oscillations, beam-splitter coupling Hamiltonians
• Open quantum systems: Lindblad master equations, spontaneous emission into free space, photon-number coherences and decoherence
• Precision QED: non-relativistic perturbation theory, dipole approximation, self-energy subtraction, radiative frequency shifts
• Lattice and few-body: Wannier function formalism, s-wave contact pseudopotential, hyperspherical coordinates, zero-range boundary conditions

Who we are looking for

A PhD in atomic, molecular or optical physics or a closely related field. This is a hard requirement. Postdoctoral researchers, research scientists and junior faculty are the strongest fit. Senior PhD students with a strong first-author record are welcome to apply.

Published work on the specific phenomenon above, not the adjacent one. This is the single most common reason we decline otherwise excellent physicists. Command of the methods is not enough if you have not published on the phenomenon itself.

A verifiable publication record. Three to five representative papers with arXiv IDs or DOIs, ideally from the last five years. First author strongly preferred. Every paper you list will be checked against the public record.

Working proficiency with LaTeX, Python, SymPy and Jupyter. Some familiarity with an agentic coding extension in VS Code is useful. Gaps here are acceptable if you declare them honestly.

English at B2 or above, including written reasoning. A large part of the value you add is how clearly you set out your argument.

Application steps

1. Apply and complete the attached form. Basic information, education, research experience, your method self-attestation, and up to five of the areas above that you are the best fit for. For each area you select, give an arXiv ID or DOI of your own paper as proof, with your author position and the methods it demonstrates. A selection without proof is not scored.
2. We verify your papers and authorship against the public record.
3. Then one of two things happens. Either we onboard you directly, or we invite you to a short live alignment call to agree the area and the assignment with you.
4. A brief 30 to 45 minute assessment may be added, but only where we need it. Most applicants will not see one.

Commitment and rate

10 hours per week, sustained across an 8 to 10 week window, starting immediately. Remote and asynchronous with no fixed hours.

$80 to $110 per hour, set by depth of subdomain match.

We consider all qualified applicants without regard to legally protected characteristics and provide reasonable accommodations upon request.

Contract and Payment Terms

• You will be engaged as an independent contractor.
• This is a fully remote role that can be completed on your own schedule.
• Projects can be extended, shortened, or concluded early depending on needs and performance.
• Your work at Mercor will not involve access to confidential or proprietary information from any employer, client, or institution.
• Payments are weekly on Stripe or Wise based on services rendered.
• Please note: We are unable to support H1-B or STEM OPT candidates at this time.

About Mercor

Mercor partners with leading AI labs and enterprises to train frontier models using human expertise. You will work on projects that focus on training and enhancing AI systems. You will be paid competitively, collaborate with leading researchers, and help shape the next generation of AI systems in your area of expertise.