Junior Research Fellow in Room-Temperature Quantum Photon Sources, IIT Kharagpur (Prof. S. K. Varshney)
Job Description
This JRF in quantum photonics at IIT Kharagpur works on single-photon and entangled photon-pair sources that run at room temperature. The sources are meant for quantum communication and quantum key distribution. Apply online by 15 October 2026.
At a glance
- Post: Junior Research Fellow (JRF), one post
- Where: Department of Electronics and Electrical Communication Engineering, IIT Kharagpur
- Principal Investigator: Prof. Shailendra Kumar Varshney
- Funded by: Telecom Centres of Excellence
- Fellowship: ₹37,000 a month, consolidated (depending on qualification and experience)
- Duration: One year, extendable up to four years
- Age limit: 28 years
- Apply by: 15 October 2026
The advertisement is IIT/SRIC/R/SRT/2026/110, dated 5 October 2026. The project is titled “Indigenous Development of Quantum Sources (Single photon and Entangled Photon Pair) at Room Temperature for Quantum Communication, Key Distribution Applications”.
About the quantum photonics JRF at IIT Kharagpur
- Research on single-photon sources that work at room temperature
- Research on entangled photon-pair sources
- Work aimed at quantum communication and quantum key distribution (QKD)
- Photonics and electromagnetic simulation, where your background fits
The ad names the project and the useful experience. It does not list duties; the points above follow those.
Why this role matters
Secure quantum links need photon sources that are cheap, stable and made in India. Room-temperature sources would cut the cost of QKD systems, and this JRF works on that problem under the national push for quantum communication.
Eligibility
- A postgraduate degree in basic science, or a graduate or postgraduate professional degree, with selection through CSIR-UGC NET (lectureship counts) or GATE, or through a national exam run by DST, DBT, DAE, DOS, DRDO, MoE, ICAR, ICMR, IIT, IISc, IISER, NISER and similar bodies
- Useful: prior experience in quantum technology, photonics or electromagnetic simulation
- Upper age limit: 28 years
Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee an interview call. The advertisement lists no application fee. The appointment is for one year to start, and can be extended up to four years in total or until the project ends, whichever is earlier, based on performance. The same PI has a second JRF advertisement on a photonic-qubit project (IIT/SRIC/R/QRA_SKV/2026/114), also closing on 15 October 2026.
Pay and duration
- ₹37,000 a month, consolidated, depending on qualification and experience
- One year to start, extendable up to four years or until the project ends
How to apply
Apply online through IIT Kharagpur’s SRIC staff recruitment portal, using the Apply Online button on the official advertisement. The advertisement lists no application fee. Apply before 15 October 2026 and watch your email for the interview details. Other current SRIC project openings are on the SRIC recruitment page.
Key dates
- Advertisement dated: 5 October 2026
- Last date to apply: 15 October 2026
Please read the official IIT Kharagpur advertisement before applying, and browse more Junior Research Fellow jobs on ResearchJobs.in.
Hiring institution: Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur
Official advertisement: erp.iitkgp.ac.in
How to prepare for this application
- Know how photon pairs are made: spontaneous parametric down-conversion and four-wave mixing, phase matching and periodic poling.
- Revise single-photon basics: heralding, the g(2) test, and why room-temperature sources are hard.
- Learn QKD in one page: BB84, entanglement-based E91, and how source quality limits the key rate.
- Show a simulation: COMSOL, Lumerical or FDTD work on waveguides or resonators. Explain the mode you modelled.
- Read the group's papers: look at Prof. Varshney's recent work on fibre and integrated photonics. Use our Find a supervisor page to compare quantum labs.
About IIT Kharagpur and SRIC
IIT Kharagpur, founded in 1951, was the first of the Indian Institutes of Technology. Its Sponsored Research and Industrial Consultancy (SRIC) unit manages externally funded research projects and recruits the temporary staff, such as JRFs, SRFs and project associates, who work on them. These posts last for the tenure in the advertisement, or until the project ends.
