Electronic Systems Physicist - Laser-Plasma Diagnostics

marvelfusion; München; Vor Ort; EUR 90.000 - 140.000; Vollzeit

Zusammenfassung

Marvel Fusion in Munich seeks an experienced Electronic Systems Physicist to establish and lead the electronics development stream for advanced particle and radiation diagnostics used in ultrashort-pulse laser experiments. You will design detectors and camera systems for ion, electron, neutron, and X/gamma measurements operating in high-field environments.

You will build robust, FPGA-based readout, develop firmware, and collaborate with IT, mechanical engineering and physicists to deliver

Qualifikationen

• MSc or PhD in Physics or Electrical Engineering or closely related field.
• 5+ years hands-on experience developing scientific or industrial electronic systems.
• Demonstrated FPGA firmware development experience (VHDL/Verilog) with vendor toolchains.
• Practical experience with image sensor or detector readout (LVDS/SLVS) and sensor control.
• Board-level design experience covering high-speed digital signalling and power delivery.
• Proficient in C/C++ and Python for instrument control and data analysis.
• Ability to scope open technical questions and defend design decisions with incomplete information.
• Fluent use of lab instruments (oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, JTAG tooling).

Aufgaben

• Investigate, evaluate, and select readout, data link, and processing architectures for detectors in harsh environments; own the system architecture and document trade-offs.
• Design and implement readout electronics for imaging and particle detectors, including CMOS/CCD interfacing and high-speed links.
• Develop FPGA firmware and host-side software for acquisition, control, and visualization.
• Develop robust triggering and gating with sub-nanosecond timing, synced to laser operation up to 10 Hz.
• Engineer EMP- and EMI-resilient electronics with grounding, shielding, and cable considerations.
• Specify and qualify components for long-lived operation; plan and run test campaigns.
• Identify and manage external partners and integrate their deliverables into systems.
• Package diagnostics for beamtime deployment and support field operation at remote facilities.
• Collaborate with IT, mechanical engineers, and physicists to ensure a single system.
• Participate in experimental preparation and execution; provide electronics and readout expertise across diagnostics portfolio.

Kenntnisse

FPGA firmware (VHDL/Verilog)

Image sensor readout

High-speed data interfaces

C/C++ & Python

Independent problem solving

Lab instrumentation

Ausbildung

MSc./PhD in Physics or Electrical Engineering

Tools

Vivado

Vitis

JTAG tooling

Jobbeschreibung

Who we are

Founded in 2019, Marvel Fusion is Europe's leading fusion energy company, uniting 120 scientists, engineers, and entrepreneurs across our locations in Munich and Colorado .

Backed by over €385 million in public and private funding, we're driven by a shared mission: to deliver clean, abundant energy to the world.

Why Marvel Fusion

By joining us, you will be:

• Solving one of the most complex technological challenges known to humanity, harnessing Fusion on Earth
• Part of a highly purpose-driven team working on providing the world with clean, safe and abundant energy
• Working alongside world-leading scientists and entrepreneurs in the field of Fusion
• Part of a start-up where growth on a company and individual level is the default

We are seeking an experienced Electronic Systems Physicist to establish and lead the electronics development stream for advanced particle and radiation diagnostics used in ultrashort-pulse laser-matter interaction experiments. This role focuses on detector and camera systems for ion, electron, neutron, and X/gamma-ray measurements that must operate reliably in high-field experimental environments, where strong electromagnetic pulses and demanding operating conditions render standard analogue and passive instrumentation unreliable.

This role establishes a new technical capability within the company and offers the opportunity to shape it from the outset. Beyond the initial development programme, the successful candidate will continue to develop the next generation of camera and detector systems for harsh experimental environments, extend them towards higher repetition rates and reactor-relevant conditions, and support the wider team across the full diagnostics portfolio. There are clear opportunities to grow the electronics activity into a dedicated sub-team and to take a leading role in the transition of diagnostics from experimental prototypes to deployable, industry-ready systems.

Your responsibilities

• Investigate, evaluate, and select readout, data link, and processing architectures for detectors operating in harsh interaction environments; own the resulting system architecture and document the trade-offs behind it.
• Design and implement readout electronics for imaging and particle detectors, including CMOS/CCD sensor interfacing, high-speed serial data links, and FPGA-based data acquisition.
• Develop FPGA firmware (VHDL/Verilog, Vivado/Vitis or equivalent) together with host-side acquisition, control, and visualisation software.
• Develop robust triggering and gating schemes with sub-nanosecond timing accuracy, including fibre-optic trigger and data distribution, synchronised to laser operation at repetition rates up to 10 Hz and beyond.
• Engineer EMP- and EMI-resilient electronics: grounding and isolation topologies, shielding concepts, cable and connector selection, and mitigation of coupling paths into in-chamber and near-chamber electronics.
• Specify and qualify components and subsystems for sustained, long-lived operation in the experimental environment; define and run the associated test and validation campaigns.
• Identify, evaluate, and manage external partners - specialist component suppliers, design houses, and research institutes - where capability is best sourced externally, and integrate their deliverables into our systems.
• Engineer diagnostics as transportable, beamtime-ready packages, and support their commissioning and field deployment at remote experimental facilities including the communication path from device to database storage
• Collaborate closely with IT, mechanical engineers, physicists to ensure networking, electronics, enclosure, cooling, and vacuum concepts are developed as one system.
• Participate in experimental preparation and execution alongside the rest of the scientific team
• Provide electronics and readout expertise across the wider diagnostics portfolio of the team.

What you bring

• M.Sc. or Ph.D. in Physics, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• 5 years or more of hands-on experience developing scientific or industrial electronic systems.
• Demonstrated experience with FPGA firmware development in VHDL or Verilog, including vendor toolchains, IP integration, and timing closure.
• Practical experience with image sensor or detector readout, including differential high-speed inter-fames (LVDS/SLVS) and sensor configuration and control.
• Board-level design or design specification experience covering high-speed digital signalling, signal integrity, and power delivery.
• Software proficiency in C/C++ and Python for instrument control, data acquisition, and analysis.
• Ability to independently scope open technical questions, conduct structured technology evaluations, and make and defend design decisions with incomplete information.
• Confident use of laboratory instrumentation for debugging high-speed and mixed-signal systems (oscilloscopes, logic analysers, JTAG tooling).
• Ability to work independently in both laborator