Assistant Scientist, Associate Scientist, Scientist in Large Nonlinear Computational Dynamical Syste

About the role

The University of Central Florida (UCF) seeks a 12‑month, non‑tenure‑earning assistant scientist, associate scientist, or scientist to conduct research in the College of Optics and Photonics. The position is based on the UCF main campus with an anticipated start date in Spring 2027. UCF is experiencing rapid growth in external research funding, academic stature, and student/faculty populations, and benefits from Central Florida’s emergence as a technology hub. The College of Optics and Photonics houses CREOL (Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers), the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence (FPCE), the Townes Laser Institute (TLI), and the Institute for the Frontier of Attosecond Science and Technology (iFAST). It offers MS and PhD degrees in optics and photonics and a BS in photonic science and engineering. Faculty research spans lasers, optical fibers, semiconductor and integrated photonic devices, nonlinear and quantum optics, imaging, sensing, and displays, with strong collaborative ties to the College of Medicine’s Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. More information is available at www.creol.ucf.edu.

Applications are invited for a position focused on computational nonlinear dynamics and large‑scale numerical modeling of semiconductor laser arrays within CREOL. The research program examines collective dynamics, synchronization, and self‑organization in large arrays of coupled semiconductor diode lasers, combining experiments with computational and theoretical modeling of nonlinear dynamical systems featuring time‑delayed interactions. A key objective is to develop and implement efficient numerical methods for increasingly large and complex systems of coupled nonlinear delay‑differential equations (DDEs). Models range from single‑mode semiconductor laser arrays described by Lang‑Kobayashi‑type equations to larger multimode systems that include multiple optical modes, carrier dynamics, nonlinear interactions, heterogeneity, and delayed nonlocal coupling. As the scale grows, direct numerical simulation becomes computationally demanding, so the successful candidate will also develop, optimize, and accelerate computational approaches to treat large laser networks efficiently.

Responsibilities

• Numerical integration of large systems of nonlinear delay‑differential equations
• Modeling of single‑mode and multimode semiconductor laser arrays
• Optimization and acceleration of existing simulation codes
• Parallel computing and high‑performance computing (HPC)
• GPU acceleration, where appropriate
• Development of scalable numerical algorithms for systems containing large numbers of lasers and optical modes

Requirements

Ph.D. from an accredited institution in Applied Mathematics, Computational Mathematics, Computational Science, Physics, Optical Science, Electrical Engineering, or a closely related discipline.

Qualifications

• Strong experience in numerical methods for ordinary and delay‑differential equations
• Experience in scientific computing and numerical analysis
• Experience with large‑scale dynamical systems
• Experience in high‑performance computing
• Experience with parallel numerical algorithms
• Experience with GPU computing
• Strong programming skills
• Experience with C/C++, Python, Julia, MATLAB, CUDA, or comparable scientific‑computing environment
• Semiconductor‑laser experience is not required; relevant background can be developed during the project
• Ability to work closely with experimental researchers and to acquire