Lawrence Berkeley National Lab’s (LBNL) Accelerator Technology and Applied Physics Division has an opening for a Postdoctoral Researcher to join the BELLA Center team.

In this exciting role, you will develop ultrafast fiber laser technologies and their coherent combining and control. This position will train under the direction and supervision of faculty mentors in preparation for academic or research careers. The Postdoctoral Fellow will explore novel methods in the field, including coherent combination of laser pulses in temporal, spectral, and spatial domains, state-of-the-art high-power fiber amplification, nonlinear pulse compression, and advanced digital control of laser systems to include machine learning. 

What You Will Do:

• Design and perform experiments to investigate spatial, temporal, and spectral combinations of ultrashort pulses from fiber chirped-pulse amplifiers (FCPA).
• Study and apply feedback control methods to stabilize coherent combinations of amplified, ultrashort laser pulses. Explore advanced digital control concepts, including machine learning, for laser systems.
• Investigate pulse dynamics (including nonlinearity, gain narrowing and saturation, dispersion) in multi-stage, high-power FCPA systems, their interplay with coherent combination processes for amplified pulses, and methods to control and optimize them.
• Characterize different kinds/designs of large-mode-area fiber amplifiers in temporal and spectral regimes, and use data to refine numerical models for system design and optimization.
• Document and communicate the results of work in reports and oral presentations, including participation in meetings, reviews, conferences and publications in refereed journals.

Additional Responsibilities as needed:

• Assist in building and testing optical systems (fiber and free-space) to spectrally broaden and temporally compress energetic ultrashort laser pulses to the few-cycle regime, by manipulating optical nonlinearity and dispersion.

What is Required:

• PhD in Physics or Engineering, in the field of lasers, optics, or electrical engineering.
• Experimental experience with coherently combined ultrafast fiber laser systems, or digital feedback controls, or the design, characterization, operation of high-power FCPA lasers.
• Ability to work closely in a team with other scientists, postdocs, graduate students and technicians.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experimental experience with nonlinear ultrashort laser pulse compression.
• Experience with simulations or modeling of ultrafast laser systems.
• Experience with programming and machine learning.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Salary:

The monthly salary range for this position is $4,636-$7,371 and is expected to start at $6,477 or above. Postdoctoral positions are paid on a step schedule per union contract and salaries will be predetermined based on postdoctoral step rates. Each step represents one full year of completed post-Ph.D. postdoctoral experience.

Notes:

• This is a full-time 2 year, postdoctoral appointment with the possibility of renewal based upon satisfactory job performance, continuing availability of funds and ongoing operational needs. You must have less than 3 years of paid postdoctoral experience. Salary for Postdoctoral positions depends on years of experience post-degree.
• This position is represented by a union for collective bargaining purposes.
• This position may be subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Work will be primarily performed at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA.

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