Advanced Technology Development for Future UV Missions

ORAU; Pasadena (CA); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The ORAU offers a unique opportunity through the NASA Postdoctoral Program to engage in advanced research related to the development of UV instruments. Candidates will work with innovative technologies and develop solutions for enhancing detector performance. Applicants should possess a Doctoral Degree and have a strong background in nanotechnology and materials science. Position is based at Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, with responsibilities including publishing research and collaborating with prestigious institutions.

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant field, specifically related to nanotechnology or optics.
• Experience with atomic layer deposition (ALD) techniques.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a team environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop chemistry and physics necessary for ALD to improve detectors and optics.
• Interact with collaborators at JPL, Caltech, and other institutions.
• Publish results in peer-reviewed journals and present at conferences.

Education

Doctoral Degree

Job description

Organization

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Reference Code

0091-NPP-NOV26-JPL-TechDev

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted in Zintellect.

Please visit the NASA Postdoctoral Program website for application instructions and requirements.

A complete application includes:

• Research proposal
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official doctoral transcript documents

Application Deadline

11/1/2026 6:00:59 PM Eastern Time Zone

Description

The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique research opportunities to highly talented scientists to engage in ongoing NASA research projects. These one‑to‑three year fellowships are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, Earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology.

Major advances in technology are required to enable the next generation of UV instruments for discoveries beyond HST, GALEX, and Cassini. Two elements with high impact on UV instrument performance are high‑efficiency detectors and improved optical coatings. Solid‑state photon‑counting detectors developed in our laboratory can dramatically increase the QE (greater than 5×) and significantly enhance fabrication yield and reliability compared to flight‑ready microchannel plate (MCP) sealed tubes. Similar gains are possible by improving optical coatings. Nanoscale control and manipulation of materials and device surface interfaces are required to overcome challenges associated with UV technology. Advances in nanotechnology and materials tools can overcome these challenges. Powerful new techniques such as atomic layer deposition (ALD) can form ultrathin, high‑quality layers suitable for antireflection coatings, improve detector QE, and high‑performance optical coatings to improve optics efficiency. ALD can also be used as a detector passivation technique to reduce noise.

Successful candidates will develop the chemistry and physics necessary for ALD to improve detectors and optics, interact with collaborators at JPL, Caltech, University of Colorado, Columbia and other institutions, work in a team environment and contribute to the team’s expansion into new directions. They will publish results in peer‑reviewed journals and present results at technical conferences.

Location

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, California

Field of Science

Technology Development

Advisors

Shouleh Nikzad
[e-mail]
818-354-7496

Eligibility

Applications with citizens from Designated Countries will not be accepted at this time unless they are Legal Permanent Residents of the United States. A complete list of Designated Countries can be found at: https://www.nasa.gov/oiir/export-control.

Eligible applicants are:

• U.S. Citizens
• U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents (LPR)
• Foreign Nationals eligible for an Exchange Visitor J‑1 visa status
• Applicants for LPR, asylees, or refugees in the U.S. at the time of application with a valid EAD card and I‑485 or I‑589 forms pending

Questions

Please email [e-mail]

Point of Contact

Mikeala

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Doctoral Degree