Physics Expert (PhD / Postdoc)

$100–200/hr

rate as listed

Workload: 10–15+ hrs/week
Engagement: Project-based
Location: Worldwide
Field: Sciences

micro1 is contracting physics PhDs and postdocs to write rigorous, fully documented solutions to advanced problems in their own research subfield, formatted in LaTeX and verified with SymPy/Python where useful. The engagement runs roughly 8–10 weeks at 10–15 hours per week, remote and fully flexible, with observed rates in the $100–200/hr range.

What the work actually is

You are handed advanced physics problems drawn from — or adjacent to — your specialization, and you produce the kind of solution you would put in an appendix of a paper: stated assumptions, explicit approximations, every non-obvious step shown, final results with units and limiting-case checks. Output is LaTeX. Where a derivation benefits from symbolic or numerical confirmation, you attach a clean SymPy or Jupyter workflow that a reviewer can re-run without guessing at your environment. A meaningful share of the job is not solving but reading: catching that a problem statement omits a boundary condition, silently assumes a regime it never names, or is dimensionally inconsistent — and then writing down a defensible interpretation rather than quietly picking one.

Solutions go to human reviewers, and revision cycles are normal. Cleanly integrating corrections — rather than re-litigating them or patching the text around them — is part of what gets contractors renewed.

What the screen is looking for

micro1's screening is AI-led and leans on verifiable specifics. Expect to name your subfield precisely, point to two to five arXiv or DOI records from roughly the last five years, and then be pushed on the physics inside them until the follow-ups reach the edge of what you actually did. Generalists who describe their field at survey level tend to stall; the platform is staffing named areas — high energy, mathematical physics, biophysics, statistical physics, condensed matter (moiré, magnetism, PXP/Rydberg), AMO and quantum optics, gravitation, cosmology, astrophysics, quantum information, optical properties of materials — and wants depth in one.

No AI or ML background is required or expected. The tooling bar is LaTeX fluency plus working comfort in Python/SymPy/Jupyter, and honesty about where your computational reach ends is treated as a signal rather than a deduction.

Logistics

Fully remote, worldwide, contractor engagement.
Roughly 10–15 hours a week across an 8–10 week project window; hours are asynchronous, including evenings and weekends.
Pay in the $100–200/hr band as observed on this listing — rates vary with subfield scarcity and task tier and are not guaranteed.
Expect an onboarding calibration task or two before volume ramps up.

What they look for

PhD in physics (awarded or advanced-stage candidacy) with active research in a named subfield
LaTeX fluency for presenting derivations and mathematical arguments
2–5 recent publications (past ~5 years) with accessible arXiv or DOI records
Python, SymPy, and Jupyter for symbolic and numerical verification
Technical writing precise enough to survive expert review
Ability to identify ambiguities, boundary conditions, and dimensional inconsistencies in problem statements

Before you apply

Would you pass this screen?

Drawn from what this listing actually requires. Answered in your browser — nothing is sent to us, and we do not store your answers.

Do you hold a PhD in physics, or are you an advanced-stage PhD candidate in physics?
Doctoral status · required
Can you provide 2–5 publications from roughly the past five years with accessible arXiv or DOI records?
Publication record · required
Do you routinely write mathematical derivations in LaTeX?
LaTeX · required
Have you used Python, SymPy, or Jupyter for symbolic or numerical work?
Computational tools · preferred
Is your active research in one of the listed areas (high energy, mathematical physics, biophysics, statistical physics, condensed matter, AMO/quantum optics, gravitation, cosmology, astrophysics, quantum information, or optical properties of materials)?
Named subfield · preferred
Can you commit approximately 10 hours per week over a continuous 8–10 week period?
Availability · required

0 of 6 answered

Included with this listing

Interview prep — 10 questions

Matched to what this platform's screening actually measures. Answer each out loud in 60–90 seconds: claim → concrete example → implication.

What it tests: Whether you can name a research area at the granularity the project staffs by — e.g. 'moiré flat-band correlated states' rather than 'condensed matter'.
A strong answer: A named subfield, the specific systems or problems you worked on, the methods you personally used, and what your contribution was on the papers you'll cite.
Where people lose it: Listing four or five subfields to appear versatile — this reads as thin coverage and the follow-up questions will drill into whichever one you know least.

Summary, eligibility guidance and screening preparation are prepared by Sidequest from the platform's posting. Check the source listing before applying.