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University of Texas at Austin

Public research university in Austin, TX

Research Scientist - Laser-Plasma Accelerators and X-ray Sources

Physical SciencesConfirmed live in the last 24 hours
Full-timeAustin, TX, USA$100k

About the Job

Requirements

  • A Ph.D. in Physics, Applied Physics, or a related field and at least six years of post-Ph.D. experience, with at least eight years of total research experience including pre-doctoral university or national-laboratory research, in experimental laser-plasma physics or accelerator science.
  • A demonstrated record of leading experiments on laser wakefield acceleration and laser-driven x-ray generation, such as betatron or inverse-Compton generation, documented by peer-reviewed publications.
  • Experience with x-ray imaging or scattering techniques such as radiography, micro-CT, x-ray diffraction, or phase-contrast imaging, including detectors, optics, and data reconstruction.
  • Experience with high-power Ti:sapphire laser systems of at least 50 TW and executing experiments at external laser facilities.
  • A record of securing external research funding or leading major proposal components, such as NSF mid-scale or multi-institution projects, and supervising researchers and students.

Responsibilities

  • Lead research on laser wakefield electron accelerators and betatron, inverse-Compton, and other laser-driven x-ray sources, including experiments on UT3, the Texas Petawatt, and off-site facilities such as BELLA at LBNL, ELI Beamlines, and ELI-NP.
  • Develop laser-based x-ray diagnostics for semiconductor and medical applications, including 3D micro-CT of packaged chips, x-ray diffraction, phase-contrast imaging, and related techniques; support development of laser-driven VHEE beams for radiotherapy (LaVHEE) in collaboration with industry and clinical partners.
  • Lead the x-ray beamline portion of TeX-Ray, including MIMIX and associated beamlines: design, commission, and operate beamlines, and support facility laser development.
  • Take a leading role in UT’s participation in the LSU LaNeXT project by co-leading UT’s proposal and project work, representing UT with LSU and partner institutions, defining and delivering UT’s laser-driven x-ray contributions, and developing related user-program and funding efforts.
  • Publish research results, present at conferences, and supervise postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, technical staff, and undergraduate research assistants.
  • Work in an academic research environment and laser laboratories, including with Class IV lasers, high-voltage systems, vacuum systems, and ionizing-radiation (x-ray) sources.
  • Travel to and work at off-site facilities, including LBNL, ELI Beamlines, ELI-NP, LSU, and national laboratories, and attend meetings with partners.

Desired Qualifications

  • Experience developing x-ray metrology for semiconductor or medical applications, or collaborating with industry or clinical partners.
  • Experience designing and commissioning beamlines or user end stations at a laser, synchrotron, or accelerator facility.
  • Experience with high-repetition-rate laser-plasma systems, gas-jet and gas-cell targets, and electron and x-ray beam diagnostics.
  • Experience in muon physics, laser-based muon generation, and muon imaging, such as muon tomography.
  • Experience using machine-learning or artificial-intelligence methods for data analysis, tomographic reconstruction, or machine control.
  • Experience with particle-in-cell and x-ray transport simulation, such as WarpX, Osiris, or Geant4, and with Python or C++.

About the Company

University of Texas at Austin

Public research university in Austin, TX

University of Texas at Austin is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It offers undergraduate, graduate, and professional education across a broad range of fields.

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