We are seeking students and postdoctoral researchers who are drawn both to fundamental ideas in physics and to the challenge of turning those ideas into physical measurements and experiments. Training in our group combines fundamental physics, optical experimentation, computation, and quantitative analysis. We value people who want not only to make systems work, but to uncover the underlying structure of a problem, develop transferable physical models, and use those insights to create new ways of measuring, designing, and thinking about physical systems.
Who is a strong fit?
We look for students and postdocs who want to pursue ambitious, high-quality research and grow into independent researchers with strong scientific judgment. A strong fit is not defined only by grades, prior publications, or familiarity with a particular technique. What matters most is the combination of physical reasoning, grounded scientific judgment, research ownership, and the ability to turn difficult ideas into finished work.
Physical reasoning means learning to represent a complicated problem at the right level of abstraction. You should enjoy identifying the essential structure of a system, building simple but useful models that guide concrete experiments or calculations, and recognizing when the same underlying structure appears in a different physical setting. Mathematical and computational tools are important, but they should serve physical understanding rather than replace it. Our group is best suited for people who want to understand why something works, not only how to apply a known method or follow a technical procedure.
Grounded scientific judgment means developing judgment that remains anchored to physical reality. Models, simulations, and conceptual frameworks are indispensable, but they are representations rather than reality itself. You should be willing to continually connect them back to observations, experiments, and physical constraints, and to engage with the messy details of real systems when needed. The goal is to understand what the system is actually doing, distinguish essential features from incidental ones, and revise your understanding when reality disagrees. As you become more experienced, that same grounding should inform higher-level decisions: which questions are worth pursuing, what a result would genuinely teach us, what the most informative next step is, and when a direction should be reframed rather than simply pushed harder.
Research ownership means growing into someone who can take intellectual and practical responsibility for a project or experimental platform. Over time, you should learn to anticipate what a project needs next, identify and resolve obstacles, make well-reasoned decisions about priorities, and move the work forward without relying on detailed instructions. As students become more experienced, we increasingly treat them as scientific colleagues: they should be able to lead substantial parts of their research, make and defend their own decisions, and help mentor more junior trainees. We do not expect incoming students to arrive at that stage on day one, but we do look for curiosity, initiative, and the capacity to grow toward it.
Turning ideas into finished work also matters. Many projects require patience and persistence not only to overcome major technical obstacles, but also to carry the final stages through with care. Aligning optical systems, debugging experiments or simulations, analyzing imperfect data, checking assumptions, resolving inconsistencies, and carefully writing papers all require sustained attention to detail. A strong fit is someone who can combine deep reasoning with disciplined execution and stay with a project until the important details are resolved.
Our group aims to be supportive, collaborative, and non-competitive, with a shared commitment to excellent research. Even when projects share experimental platforms or technical resources, we encourage people to help one another rather than compete for credit or opportunities. We also encourage open scientific discussion across the group, where ideas, assumptions, and interpretations can be examined together, and people can contribute their own reasoning and perspectives to one another’s work.
What mentoring looks like?
I stay directly involved in each student’s research through regular subgroup and project-specific discussions, with one-on-one meetings when useful. This includes not only defining the scientific question and deciding what is worth pursuing, but also working through the experimental or theoretical details that determine whether an idea actually works. In experimental projects, I often work closely with students to identify the dominant noise or limitation, design decisive checks, interpret unexpected behavior, and decide which modification is worth trying next, while leaving day-to-day troubleshooting and implementation increasingly in the student’s hands.
Early in a project, I typically work more closely with students to establish the physical picture and a clear research direction. As the project develops, I expect them to take increasing ownership of both scientific decisions and execution. More experienced group members often provide additional technical guidance and scientific discussion, especially when projects share platforms or methods, but this complements rather than replaces my direct supervision. The goal is for students to develop the judgment and independence to identify, diagnose, and drive good scientific problems themselves.
Postdoc positions
We are open to discussing potential opportunities for exceptional postdocs to contribute to our dynamic research group. If you are interested, kindly reach out to Prof. Wang via email and remember to attach your CV along with a list of your publications.
We also welcome discussions on hosting postdocs supported by various postdoctoral fellowships, including but not limited to the Canada Postdoctoral Research Award program (NSERC) and FRQ Postdoctoral Scholarship Program. If you are eligible and are interested to have our group as your host, please contact Prof. Wang at least a couple of weeks before the relevant fellowship application deadline.
Graduate students
We welcome applications for graduate programs twice a year. The starting semesters are either in the fall (September admission) or the winter (January admission). If you wish to join us in September, please ensure your application reaches us before December 15th. For January admission, the deadlines are July 15th for international applicants and September 1st for Canadian citizens and permanent residents.
To apply for a graduate student position in our research group, please follow the application process for the McGill physics PhD or MSc programs. More information can be found here. The application needs to be submitted through the Slate system here.
PhD program
Method 1 (Direct entry)
Students with a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent may directly enter our PhD program. Extensive relevant research experience during undergraduate is needed to be eligible. In this case, the first year of the PhD is referred to as “PhD 1”. Candidates entering PhD 1 must take 6 courses at 500 and 600 levels (or higher), with at least three being at the 600 level or higher. In addition to these courses, candidates must pass the Ph.D. Preliminary Exam, for which they must register and complete within the first 5 academic terms (not counting summer terms) of starting PhD 1.
Method 2
Students already having a Master’s degree or equivalent can be admitted to graduate studies at the PhD level. In this case, the first year of the PhD is referred to as “PhD 2”. Candidates entering PhD 2 must take two courses at the 600 level or higher. In addition to these classes, candidates must pass the Ph.D. Preliminary Exam, for which they must register and complete within the first 3 academic terms (not counting summer term) of starting PhD 2.
MSc program
Two-year research master program: Five courses are required (at least one course at the 600 level or higher); research starts straight away at the beginning of the program toward an MSc thesis.
We also offer opportunities for outstanding MSc students to convert to the PhD program after one year of enrollment (“fast track”).
Both MSc and PhD students will receive financial support during their studies.
We encourage students with relevant educational backgrounds in physics, applied physics, optics, photonics, or optical/electrical engineering to apply to our research group.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your application, feel free to email Prof. Wang directly. Simply send your CV, clearly indicating your cumulative GPA for all stages of higher education, and include a list of your publications if applicable.
Undergraduate summer projects
Each year, we offer a limited number of summer research projects to undergraduate students. If you are a McGill student, the list of available projects will be posted here.
We also welcome exceptional non-McGill undergraduate students who are interested in summer projects. For more information and to explore the available options, please contact Prof. Wang via email.
We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities.
