2025-2115556 Post PHD Position-LACE Project-development of transparent polycrystalline ceramics[...]

Université de Limoges; France; Sur place; EUR 40 000 - 60 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A French university is seeking a post-doctoral fellow to join their research team on a 48-month project focused on the development of technologies for High Energy Lasers. The role involves optimizing the manufacturing process of transparent ceramics and characterizing their optical properties. Applicants must have a PhD degree and excellent English skills. The position requires participation in innovative research and collaboration within an international consortium.

Qualifications

• PhD degree obtained no later than three years before the beginning of the contract.
• 1-4 years of research experience in a relevant field.
• Experience in ceramics or materials science is advantageous.

Responsabilités

• Optimize the transparent ceramics manufacturing process.
• Develop experimental setups for characterizing optical properties.
• Conduct studies on microstructural defects and their impact.

Connaissances

Excellent English communication

Basic French communication

Formation

PhD degree

Description du poste

Organisation/Company Université de Limoges Department DRH-RECHERCHE Research Field Chemistry » Other Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Positions Postdoc Positions Country France Application Deadline 4 Jan 2026 - 23:59 (Europe/Paris) Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Offer Starting Date 1 Apr 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by the EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

This post-doctoral position is proposed in the framework of a 48-month European LACE project. The LACE (Lacer CEramics) project aims to the development of technologies to design the first technological bricks for High Energy Lasers (HEL). In particular, the LACE project proposes a new approach to develop solid-state laser architectures based on transparent polycristalline ceramics that can provide better thermal managing, higher compacity or even higher laser performance. The post-doctoral fellow will be hired by the IRCER (Institut de Recherche sur les Céramiques), in which he will be responsible for optimising the transparent ceramics manufacturing process. He will also participate to the development of an experimental setup and procedures allowing characterizing optical properties of transparent ceramics (including UV-Vis spectroscopy and light scattering measurements, identification and quantification of microstructural defects by optical confocal microscopy, fluorescence imaging, etc.). The elaboration processes that will be used are based on the formulation of colloidal suspensions, their shaping by various techniques, and finally on the use of non-conventional sintering techniques (SPS, HIP, etc.) which have been developed within the IRCER for several years, and in which our expertise is internationally recognised, in particular for the production of laser transparent ceramics. Two research axes will be carried out in parallel. The first will be more specifically dedicated to the study of residual microstructural defects after sintering, which is very well known to have a strong impact on optical quality of the material, the objective being to determine their origin and to define and test adapted counter measures. The second will consist in optimising the shaping and sintering conditions in order to produce dopant-graded ceramics with a controlled concentration of luminescent dopants over the whole piece. During this work, the ceramics produced will be characterised in order to determine their dopant concentration gradient in regards with the targeted geometry. These characterizations will be done within the IRCER thanks to the developed experimental optical setup by fluorescence imaging or in collaboration with the members of the LACE consortium.

This post-doctoral position is proposed in the framework of a 48-month European LACE project. The LACE (Lacer CEramics) project aims to the development of technologies to design the first technological bricks for High Energy Lasers (HEL). In particular, the LACE project proposes a new approach to develop solid-state laser architectures based on transparent polycristalline ceramics that can provide better thermal managing, higher compacity or even higher laser performance. The post-doctoral fellow will be hired by the IRCER (Institut de Recherche sur les Céramiques), in which he will be responsible for optimising the transparent ceramics manufacturing process. He will also participate to the development of an experimental setup and procedures allowing characterizing optical properties of transparent ceramics (including UV-Vis spectroscopy and light scattering measurements, identification and quantification of microstructural defects by optical confocal microscopy, fluorescence imaging, etc.). The elaboration processes that will be used are based on the formulation of colloidal suspensions, their shaping by various techniques, and finally on the use of non-conventional sintering techniques (SPS, HIP, etc.) which have been developed within the IRCER for several years, and in which our expertise is internationally recognised, in particular for the production of laser transparent ceramics. Two research axes will be carried out in parallel. The first will be more specifically dedicated to the study of residual microstructural defects after sintering, which is very well known to have a strong impact on optical quality of the material, the objective being to determine their origin and to define and test adapted counter measures. The second will consist in optimising the shaping and sintering conditions in order to produce dopant-graded ceramics with a controlled concentration of luminescent dopants over the whole piece. During this work, the ceramics produced will be characterised in order to determine their dopant concentration gradient in regards with the targeted geometry. These characterizations will be done within the IRCER thanks to the developed experimental optical setup by fluorescence imaging or in collaboration with the members of the LACE consortium.

Specific Requirements

The experimental work will take place at the IRCER and will therefore have to make a request for access to a ZRR (Restrictive Regime Zone).

Languages ENGLISH Level Excellent

Languages FRENCH Level Basic

Research Field Chemistry » Other Years of Research Experience 1 - 4

Additional Information

Eligibility criteria

According to French legislation, the applicant must have received a PhD degree no later than three years before the beginning of the contract