Postdoc en instrumentation optique M/F

CNRS; France; Sur place; EUR 40 000 - 50 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

A leading research institute in France is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to develop an imaging Mueller polarimetric system aimed at improving the detection of abiotic stress in plants. The successful candidate will design and build a prototype and will be involved in characterizing optical systems and collecting data using advanced imaging techniques. Candidates should hold a PhD and possess strong skills in optical imaging and programming. This role offers an opportunity to work in a demanding interdisciplinary environment with a focus on high-quality scientific results.

Qualifications

• Strong expertise in advanced instrumental development.
• Proven experience in Mueller polarimetry and optical system characterization.
• Solid programming skills in Python, Matlab, or CUDA.

Responsabilités

• Develop a miniaturized Mueller polarimetric imaging system.
• Characterize polarization-sensitive camera.
• Optimize illumination and detection arms for instrument miniaturization.
• Collect and process polarimetric images.

Connaissances

Expertise in advanced instrumental development

Design and integration of complex optical systems

Signal and image processing

Programming skills (Python, Matlab, CUDA)

Experience in Mueller polarimetry

Familiarity with optical metrology

Formation

PhD in optical imaging, applied physics or related fields

Description du poste

Offer Description

Climate change is increasing pressure on agriculture through extreme weather events and the redistribution of plant pathogens, while the transition to sustainable practices requires a reduction in the use of pesticides and fertilizers. Addressing these challenges requires advanced sensing systems that complement visual crop inspection and enable precise, plant-level phenotyping. MULTIFUSE aims to develop a multisensory system by combining expertise in plant sciences, optical technologies, and data processing. The existing imaging Mueller polarimeter, which is sensitive to the microstructural properties of biological tissues, will serve as the basis for a new, compact, and robust system using a polarization-sensitive camera along with polarizers and waveplates to modulate the polarization of incident light. Polarimetric measurements on the plants Arabidopsis thaliana will generate maps of depolarization, retardance, dichroism, and optical axis azimuth, which will feed machine learning models developed by the project partners to identify the most informative polarimetric parameters and optimal wavelengths for detecting abiotic stress. This approach will contribute to more accurate digital phenotyping, supporting sustainable crop monitoring

The main objective of the postdoctoral fellow's work is to develop an imaging Mueller polarimetric system for improving the detection and quantification of abiotic stress in plants. The post-doctoral fellow will design and build a first prototype of a miniaturized Mueller polarimetric imaging system using a polarization-sensitive camera. This work will include:

• Characterization of polarization-sensitive camera
• Design of a new optical system for polarization modulation of incident light
• Development of electronic control for the image acquisition
• Optimization of the illumination and detection arms for the instrument miniaturization
• Collecting data on simple test system, and processing the acquired polarimetric images

The main activities of the Applied Optics and Polarimetry group at LPICM, Ecole polytechnique are focused on the development of new optical characterization techniques exploring the polarization of light, such as spectral, angularly-resolved and imaging Mueller polarimetry for the metrology in microelectronics, studies of nanomaterials, and optical diagnosis of various biological tissue including plants.

The candidate should hold a PhD in optical imaging, scientific instrumentation / applied physics / biomedical imaging, or a closely related fields. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strong expertise in advanced instrumental development, including the design and integration of complex optical systems, signal and image processing, as well as proven experience in Mueller polarimetry and optical system characterization. Proficiency in numerical modeling approaches, combined with solid programming skills (Python, Matlab, CUDA or equivalent), is expected. The demonstrated ability to tackle multiscale problems and to contribute to the development of innovative imaging prototypes is highly desirable. Familiarity with optical metrology, with calibration of acquisition chains, and with the design of high-precision experimental setups will be particularly valued. Experience in the validation or automation of instruments dedicated to the study of complex media will also be appreciated.

The successful candidate will join a demanding interdisciplinary scientific environment and contribute to ambitious research objectives, requiring autonomy, rigor, creativity, and ability to produce high-quality scientific results