Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Ultrafast and High-Intensity Laser Science (CXFEL Labs)

Description

We invite you to apply to our Postdoctoral Research Scholar position focused on developing and implementing cutting-edge ultrafast and high-intensity laser science and its applications at the Compact X-ray Free-Electron Laser (CXFEL) Labs at Arizona State University (ASU).

ASU has embarked on a multi-phase project to develop novel femtosecond X-ray sources, which combine state-of-the art high-intensity ultrafast optical lasers with compact accelerator technology.  Of these, the Compact X‑ray Light Source (CXLS) is under final commissioning of its beamline after producing first X-rays (https://news.asu.edu/20230205-discoveries-firstofitskind-instrument-officially-ushers-new-era-xray-science).  CXLS involves a broad range of laser methods, including nonlinear generation of femtosecond UV pulses for electron injection, broadly tunable excitation pulses from the THz to UV ranges, and a cutting-edge 200 Watt Trumpf Yb:YAG thin-disk laser amplifier that delivers intense ps pulses at 1‑kHz repetition rate to drive inverse Compton scattering in the hard X-ray regime.

Construction of a CXFEL in the soft X-ray regime (250 eV - 2.5 keV) is funded by the National Science Foundation via a multi-year Mid-scale Infrastructure implementation project that kicked off in 2023 (https://news.asu.edu/20230308-discoveries-national-science-foundation-awards-908m-asu-advance-xray-science).  CXFEL combines novel electron accelerator and next-generation laser technologies including thin-disk amplification and nonlinear pulse broadening via Joule-class Herriott-cell technology to generate multi-TW pulses for X-ray conversion.  Moreover, CXFEL aims to generate soft X-ray pulses down to the attosecond regime – requiring laser schemes for precise timing metrology, CEP-stable streaking, as well as broadly tunable excitation pulses based on next-generation OPCPA and/or pulse compression schemes based on stretched fiber, thin plate, or multi-pass cell technologies.

The unique ultrafast X-ray sources will form a future user facility, utilizing 12,000 sq. ft. of state-of-the-art laboratory space in the recently built Biodesign C building on the ASU Tempe campus.  CXFEL Labs will enable novel time-resolved and structural studies of atomic and molecular processes, quantum materials, chemical dynamics, and biological phenomena. For additional details, please see https://biodesign.asu.edu/cxfel.

Essential Duties:

In this position, you will take on a key role in ultrafast and high-intensity laser science at CXFEL Labs, including the implementation of cutting-edge approaches and their validation in early science applications at the CXLS and later CXFEL ultrafast X-ray light sources.  This includes partaking in the implementation and demonstration of a “Herriott cell” multi-pass pulse compression scheme to generate intense femtosecond TW pulses, based off a 500-W 1-kHz multi-pass Yb-based amplifier system under development with a commercial partner. The novel Joule-class Herriott cell will represent scaling of multi-pass compression into thus far unattained pulse parameter regimes.  Further, you can develop and demonstrate advanced nonlinear optical schemes for tunable ultrashort light pulses spanning UV, visible, mid-IR and THz spectral regions tailored to scientific applications of CXLS/CXFEL. This position will also allow for involvement in other essential areas of laser science at CXFEL Labs – including the development of CEP-stable laser sources and attosecond timing tools, femtosecond synchronization of lasers and accelerator RF systems; optimization of laser-electron beam interactions; metrology of photon and electron beams with ultrafast optical techniques; and integration/application of laser schemes to CXLS/CXFEL science endstations.

 

The postdoc is expected to train and supervise graduate and undergraduate students; be highly skilled in technical writing including lab reports, scientific presentations and publications; and work in multidisciplinary teams that span different research areas and academic units. The successful applicant will join a team of experts in constructing the novel laser and X-ray approaches at CXFEL Labs, carry out initial validation studies at the CXFEL, and participate in commissioning experiments at ASU’s existing hard X-ray CXLS source. The postdoctoral research scholar will also have opportunities to participate in experimental runs at other X-ray facilities and ultrafast laser labs