Postdoctoral Position in Stochastic Thermodynamics (M/F)

CNRS - National Center for Scientific Research; France; On-site; EUR 32,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

CNRS - National Center for Scientific Research in France is seeking a postdoctoral researcher for the Laboratoire de Physique at the ENS de Lyon. The project focuses on thermodynamics of micro-mechanical resonators interacting with a thermal bath and external control, within stochastic thermodynamics, combining theory and experiments.

The successful candidate will quantify energy exchanges, study the resonator temperature evolution, and interpret information processing under feedback.

Qualifications

• Deep theoretical knowledge in stochastic thermodynamics, statistical physics, Brownian motion, and information theory.
• Experimental knowledge in low-noise measurements.
• Proficiency in data analysis with Matlab or Python.
• Fluency in scientific and technical English, both written and oral.
• Autonomy in conducting research and writing scientific articles.

Responsibilities

• Optimize the real-time feedback system for coupling the resonator with the external force.
• Measurement campaigns using a very low-noise optical detector.
• Data analysis and interpretation within the frameworks of stochastic thermodynamics and information theory.
• Modeling of experiments and calculation of maximum theoretical efficiencies.
• Writing reports and scientific articles.
• Presentations at international scientific conferences.
• Participation in the supervision of internships and PhD students.

Skills

Stochastic thermodynamics

Statistical physics

Brownian motion

Information theory

Low-noise measurement

Education

PhD in Physics

Tools

MATLAB

Python

Job description

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Laboratoire de Physique Research Field Physics Chemistry » Computational chemistry Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 23 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Feb 2027 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

This postdoctoral position focuses on the thermodynamics of micro-mechanical resonators interacting with a thermal bath and an external control potential (e.g., an electrostatic force). Within the framework of stochastic thermodynamics, the goal is to quantify energy exchanges (work, heat), understand the evolution of the resonator's temperature, and interpret the role of information when the system is subject to feedback. This mission includes both theoretical and experimental components. The fundamental research aims to provide insights for a wide range of applications, such as optimizing the stability of micro-mechanical systems, controlling the energy consumption of logic gates, and proposing efficient energy extraction techniques through feedback.

Main Tasks

• Optimization of the real-time feedback system for coupling the resonator with the external force.
• Measurement campaigns using a very low-noise optical detector.
• Data analysis and interpretation within the frameworks of stochastic thermodynamics and information theory.
• Modeling of experiments and calculation of maximum theoretical efficiencies.
• Writing reports and scientific articles.

Secondary Tasks

• Presentations at international scientific conferences.
• Participation in the supervision of internships and PhD students.

This postdoctoral position is part of the ANR VAST project. The successful candidate will be based at the Physics Laboratory of the ENS de Lyon (staff: 180 people) under the direct supervision of Ludovic Bellon (Research Director). They will have access to a functional experimental setup to begin their work and will be expected to propose improvements to the experiment. Beyond the local team associated with the ANR project, theoretical developments will be carried out in collaboration with international partners (A. Prados, C. Jarzynski, A. Imparato, J. Anders, S. Whitelam, etc.).

Qualifications

• Deep theoretical knowledge in stochastic thermodynamics, statistical physics, Brownian motion, and information theory.
• Experimental knowledge in low-noise measurements
• Proficiency in data analysis with Matlab or Python
• Fluency in scientific and technical English, both written and oral.
• Autonomy in conducting research and writing scientific articles.