Postdoctoral Appointee - Free-Electron Lasers driven by Laser-Plasma Accelerators

The Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to contribute to the theoretical and numerical modeling of a compact X-ray free-electron laser (FEL) driven by an electron beam produced by a laser plasma accelerator (LPA).

We have recently joined a collaboration with the BELLA lab at Berkeley to model the electron beam transport and FEL radiation generation of their LPA-produced beams.  The selected candidate will closely collaborate with the experimental team at BELLA to develop a detailed simulation of the beam transport and diagnostic measurements, with the goal to better understand and optimize the FEL performance.  The simulation efforts will be coupled with simplified theoretical models to better understand the physics, and also to project future efforts towards a compact facility capable of producing intense X-rays for science.

The successful candidate will work with a multi-disciplinary team at Argonne, Berkeley Lab, UCLA, and ASU working in accelerators, diagnostics, and radiation generation.  The postdoctoral candidate will take a leading role in numerically and theoretically modeling the LPA-driven FEL at Berkeley Lab.

Research activities will include:

• Developing a detailed numerical model of the BELLA-lab experiment using accelerator tracking and FEL codes such as ELEGANT, IMAPCT, GENESIS, etc.
• Performing beam-dynamics studies of the propagation and subsequent manipulation of the high-brightness, ultra-short beams produced by LPAs.
• Developing techniques to optimize the LPA beam for radiation generation in the FEL, such as manipulating the longitudinal phase phase and/or tailoring/tapering the undulator strength.
• Investigating applications at shorter X-ray wavelengths.
• Preparing technical notes to guide future studies of a LPA-based FEL facility, and writing up research findings for peer-reviewed publication.

• PhD in accelerator physics or closely related field within the past 0-5 years.  Candidates with PhDs in physics, computational science, or related fields with interest in accelerator physics and FELs will also be considered.
• Programming skills including a familiarity with the UNIX environment, scientific computing languages such as python or C.
• Demonstrated background in computational modeling or numerical simulation for science.
• Ability to work within a multi-lab collaboration and with a wide range of scientific and engineering experts.

• Familiarity with established accelerator and FEL simulation tools.
• Experience with high-performance computing clusters for numerical modeling.
• Experience with laser-plasma accelerators, conventional accelerators, or X-ray generation.

Please note that the pay range information is a general guideline only. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as, but not limited to, the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, business considerations, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs. Additionally, comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package.

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