Postdoctoral position in theoretical condensed matter physics or computational materials science

The joint DESY & IFJ PAN theory group at the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science at DESY invites applications for a two-year postdoctoral position in theoretical condensed matter physics or computational materials science within an interdisciplinary project on the interaction of intense X-ray radiation from a free-electron laser (FEL) with solids.

The IFJ PAN carries out basic and applied research in physics, with emphasis on nuclear physics. This research is aimed at explaining the structure of matter from microscopic to cosmic scales, through experiments and/or application of theoretical methods. IFJ PAN's activity extends into interdisciplinary research in a range of related fields and also stimulates technology transfer to the industry and to spin-off companies. DESY is one of the world's leading research centers for accelerator physics, high energy physics and research with synchrotron and FEL radiation, with an international research environment. It is located in the cosmopolitan city of Hamburg in northern Germany. The Center for Free-Electron Laser Science is a novel joint enterprise by DESY, the Max Planck Society (MPG), and the University of Hamburg, designed to significantly advance science with next generation light sources.

The research activity of the joint DESY & IFJ PAN theory group ''X-ray Irradiated Materials: Theory and Computation'' at CFEL encompasses computational studies of X-ray irradiated materials relevant for the areas of materials science, diffractive imaging, plasma, and warm dense matter physics investigated with XFEL and synchrotron light sources, with the focus on possible technology development and potential industrial applications. For more details please see https://xm.cfel.de/research/

Understanding of radiation-induced structural transitions in condensed matter is essential for developing new techniques for manipulating matter on femtosecond timescales at nanoscale spatial dimensions. The postdoctoral project aims at tracing non-equilibrium evolution of electronic and atomic structure within solid materials under strong X-ray irradiation, using and further developing an existing computational modeling tool. With the ab-initio techniques applied, structural changes in solids in low- and highly excited states far from equilibrium will be described, as well as the unexplored intermediate regime between solid state and warm-dense-matter. This work will be performed in an interdisciplinary collaboration with various experimental groups, with strong implications for current and planned experiments with intense femtosecond light sources.