Postdoc (M/F) in ultrafast photoionization dynamics in molecules

CNRS - National Center for Scientific Research; France; On-site; EUR 36,000 - 47,000; Full time

Job summary

CNRS - Institut Lumière Matière in Lyon invites applications for a Postdoctoral Researcher position in attoscience. You will work within the DYNAMO group, exploring shaped XUV pulses and orbital angular momentum transfer to complex molecules, aiming to advance ultrafast electron dynamics studies.

The role requires a PhD in a relevant field and proven expertise in ultrafast optics and charged-particle spectroscopy, with responsibilities spanning setup optimization, data analysis, and active

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant field awarded within the past two years.
• Proven expertise in experimental ultrafast optics and charged-particle spectroscopy.
• Experience with data analysis and collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Optimize the existing experimental setup and develop new methodologies.
• Analyze and interpret experimental data in collaboration with group and external researchers.
• Contribute actively to meetings, discussions and collaborative initiatives.
• Foster collaborations at national and international levels.

Skills

Ultrafast optics

Charged-particle spectroscopy

Data analysis

Education

PhD in a relevant field

Job description

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Institut Lumière Matière Research Field Physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 26 Oct 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 2 Nov 2026 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

Over the past decade, the field of attoscience has revolutionized our ability to observe the fundamental building blocks of matter, such as electrons, in 'real time'. At its core are light sources based on high-order harmonic generation (HHG), which produce attosecond (1 as = 10^-18 s) pulses in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) range, with photon energies usually spanning from few tens of eVs to few hundred eVs. These ultrashort pulses serve as a powerful tool for studying light-matter interactions, especially relaxation dynamics in the excited states. At the Multiscale Structure & Dynamics of Complex Molecules (DYNAMO) group in Lyon, we use these XUV pulses to investigate ultrafast photoionization dynamics in a diverse range of systems, from atoms and small molecules to complex biomolecules such as peptides and proteins.

Most of these studies utilize linearly polarized, ultrashort light pulses. In the project, the successful candidate will investigate how shaped XUV pulses carrying orbital angular momentum can influence electron dynamics in complex molecules - specifically, whether the orbital angular momentum of the light can be transferred to the system under investigation and how this transfer can be controlled.

The successful candidate will be expected to optimize the existing experimental setup, develop new methodologies to conduct the proposed experiments, analyze and interpret experimental data in collaboration with fellow researchers in and outside the group, and contribute actively towards meetings, discussions, and other collaborative initiatives.

Institute Lumière Matière (iLM) is a CNRS - Université Lyon 1 research unit located on the Lyon Tech La Doua campus. With over 300 staff members, including around 100 doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, iLM is a major player in physics and chemistry research in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and is internationally recognized for its research excellence.

In the DYNAMO group, the postdoctoral fellow will have access to advanced equipment, including a commercial femtosecond laser system serving a highly stable Mach-Zehnder interferometer, a state-of-the-art velocity map imaging (VMI) spectrometer, and an electron time-of-flight spectrometer. The position provides rigorous training in attosecond science and offers opportunities to develop interdisciplinary expertise in topics ranging from atomic and molecular physics, to ultrafast optics.

The DYNAMO group fosters well-grounded scientific collaborations at both national and international levels, offering strong networking opportunities to the postdoctoral fellow.

The candidate must have a PhD in a relevant field awarded within the past two years. The candidate must possess proven expertise in experimental ultrafast optics, and charged-particle spectroscopy (electron/ion).