Low-Noise Electronics expert Physicist / Electrical Engineer SOLEIL

Lightsources; Saint-Aubin; Remoto; EUR 60.000 - 80.000; Tempo pieno

Vantaggi offerti da questo lavoro

Health insurance

23 RTT jours/année et 26 congés payés

Travel within France/Europe

Provident scheme

Descrizione del lavoro

SOLEIL recherche un physicien ou ingénieur électricien spécialisé en électronique analogique basse bruit pour développer des instruments de beamline à la pointe. Vous travaillerez à l’interface entre physique expérimentale et électronique de précision, en concevant des front‑ends et des chaînes de lecture.

Le poste couvre tout le cycle, de la définition des exigences jusqu’aux tests et à l’implémentation sur les beamlines, avec collaboration étroite avec des scientifiques et techniciens.

Competenze

• Diplôme MSc/PhD en physique, électronique ou domaine équivalent.
• Expérience pratique en instrumentation et électronique de précision.
• Capacité à travailler sur des architectures front-end et à définir des spécifications.

Mansioni

• Prendre en charge des projets de bout en bout, de l’analyse des besoins à la mise en service sur les beamlines.
• Définir les spécifications techniques et tests d’acceptation.
• Concevoir, simuler et caractériser des chaînes d’électronique analogique basse bruit.
• Comprendre l’interface entre front ends et les étages de numérisation tout en préservant la performance.
• Établir des budgets de bruit et sélectionner des composants critiques.
• Évaluer des partenaires industriels pour la conception et la fabrication des systèmes readout.

Conoscenze

Low-noise electronics

Experimental physics

Analytical modelling

Hands-on electronics

Independent working

Communication skills

Anglais

Formazione

MSc/PhD physics or electrical engineering

Strumenti

PCB design

Circuit simulation

DAC/ADC selection

Descrizione del lavoro

Located on the Paris-Saclay plateau, about 20 kilometers from the capital, the SOLEIL synchrotron is one of France’s leading research facilities. Since it began operating in 2008, it has served the national and international scientific communities. Research conducted at SOLEIL covers a wide range of scientific and industrial fields — including physics, biology, chemistry, materials science, environmental science, Earth sciences, and cultural and natural heritage — all connected to current societal challenges. Experiments carried out on the beamlines rely on the use of synchrotron light emitted by electrons accelerated to nearly the speed of light within a storage ring. SOLEIL is jointly supervised by the CNRS and the CEA and offers its staff a dynamic, innovative, multidisciplinary, and international working environment.

At the forefront of technology, SOLEIL II is an ambitious project designed to provide new opportunities for scientific and industrial research. SOLEIL II consists of a major upgrade of the existing infrastructure and aims to significantly improve the performance of electron accelerators and beamlines. It is designed to address major current and future societal challenges, particularly in areas such as advanced materials research, energy and sustainable development, health and well-being, and the environment.

Construction work on the SOLEIL II project began in 2024, marking the start of a phase of development and technological innovation. In parallel, the existing facility will remain operational until May 2029. SOLEIL II is scheduled to start operations in 2030, with a gradual ramp-up phase continuing until 2035.

Context and mission

SOLEIL synchrotron is looking for a physicist or electrical engineer with a strong expertise in low noise analog electronics to develop advanced instrumentation for synchrotron beamlines at fourth generation sources such as ultra-sensitive photocurrent measurement setups or cutting-edge photon beam dynamic control systems.

You will work at the interface between experimental physics and state-of-the-art instrumentation, developing front-end readout electronics for beamline applications.

The role covers the complete development cycle from the understanding of the beamline requirements to the definition of the technical specifications of the electronics chain and the test protocols to characterize its performances.

Some projects may require defining the electronic architecture in-house, as well as designing and building the front-end prototypes; other projects may involve academic and industrial partnerships or outsourcing at different stages of the design and manufacturing process.

Why join SOLEIL?

You will work on instrumentation at the forefront of synchrotron science, where measurement performance directly impacts the scientific capabilities of beamlines.

The position offers the opportunity to develop specialized instrumentation combining experimental physics, precision analog electronics and advanced detector systems, in close interaction with scientists and engineers from a wide range of disciplines.

You will have the opportunity to work on challenging measurement problems where understanding and pushing the fundamental limits of an instrument is at the heart of the work.

Responsibilities and tasks

• Take full ownership of projects from the basic understanding of the measurement, through system prototyping, validation and deployment on beamlines.
• Define technical specifications and acceptance tests for internally developed or outsourced electronic designs.
• Design, simulate, build and experimentally characterize low-noise analog electronics readout chains for the measurement of small currents and voltages.
• Understand and design the interface between analog front ends and digitization stages while preserving the noise performance of the chain.
• Establish noise budgets and identify the fundamental and practical limits of the measurement.
• Select critical electronic components based on system requirements.
• Evaluate and select industrial partners for the design and manufacturing of readout electronics systems.
• Address practical issues arising in low-noise measurements.
• Work seamlessly with beamline scientists, detector scientists, and technicians.

Depending on your interests and expertise, there will be opportunities to contribute to a broader range of detector and instrumentation developments for the SOLEIL II project, including:

• sCMOS-based imaging systems for synchrotron applications.
• Front-end electronics for spectroscopic applications.
• Hybrid pixel detector technologies and their readout electronics.
• Development and characterization of new detector concepts and complete detector systems.

III. Profile

We are looking for a physicist or electrical engineer with strong expertise in low-noise analog electronics, with particular interest in:

• Translating beamline requirements into technical specifications.
• Defining readout electronic architecture for small currents and voltages measurement: low noise front-end design and optimization.
• Circuit and noise analysis and modelling.
• Mixed-signal interface design: DAC/ADC selection and characterization, filtering, clocking and jitter management.
• Hands-on electronics: Design and characterize low noise PCB layouts including component selection, shielding, grounding and power-supply noise management.

We particularly value the ability to understand the physics of a measurement and to identify what ultimately limits its performance. The ideal candidate is comfortable moving between physics, analytical modelling, circuit design and hands‑on experimentation.

The required qualities are :

• Several years’ hands‑on experience in electrical engineering, electronics, instrumentation or a related field
• MSc / PhD level – physics, electrical engineering or related field from top notch university or research institute
• Demonstrated experience in experimental work and simulations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to work independently and take ownership of technically challenging projects.
• Curiosity and willingness to investigate problems in depth.
• Ability to communicate effectively with management, scientists and technicians.
• Good written and spoken English

IV. Working conditions

This is a fixed-term contract. The position is based in Saint-Aubin (Essonne), at the SOLEIL Synchrotron. If you are looking for a position in a company built on the pillars of scientific excellence and technological innovation, SOLEIL offers you the opportunity to:

• Work within an innovative, multidisciplinary, and multicultural research laboratory.
• Be at the heart of the research and development dynamics of the Paris-Saclay cluster.
• Collaborate with national and international experts across diverse scientific and technical fields.
• Take advantage of Paris being only 25 km away, offering rich cultural experiences and a vibrant lifestyle.
• Undertake short trips within France or Europe.

Benefits:

• 26 days of paid vacation + up to 2 additional split days + 23 RTT (reduction of working time) days per full year of work, based on a 40-hour work week.
• Mandatory health insurance (basic plan) costs €20.35 per month for the employee (with an employer contribution of €203.53 corresponding to 90% of the premium), covering household members (spouse/partner + children).
• We also offer an optional supplementary health plan for €28.43 per month covering your household (spouse/partner + children).
• Access to a provident scheme that supplements the benefits of the mandatory French Social Security system, which are often insufficient. It compensates for loss of income in case of inability to work.