Postdoctoral Appointee - Ultrafast Chemical Dynamics, Onsite

What Your Job Will Be Like

We are seeking a motivated experimental postdoctoral appointee to join the Ultrafast Chemical Dynamics Laboratory led by Dr. Krupa Ramasesha. The scientific focus of this appointment is to understand how coupled electronic and structural dynamics shape early photochemical events, including bond dissociation, conformational evolution, and charge transfer, in complex molecular systems. The postdoctoral appointee will apply advanced time-resolved methods to probe electronic excited-state dynamics, with an emphasis on ultrafast core-level spectroscopy enabled by an in-house table-top high-harmonic generation source of femtosecond extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray pulses. The position also offers opportunities to help develop and participate in user-facility campaigns using ultrafast electron diffraction and free-electron lasers. Working closely with theorists and experimentalists, the successful candidate will interpret time-resolved measurements by connecting experimental observables to coupled electronic and nuclear dynamics. This position provides an opportunity to develop deep expertise in excited-state molecular dynamics and cutting-edge time-resolved measurements, while building advanced technical skills in ultrafast lasers, nonlinear optics, XUV/soft X-ray spectroscopy, optical systems, and vacuum instrumentation.

On any given day, the postdoc may be called on to:

• Operate high-power femtosecond lasers, and design, build, and optimize optical and vacuum systems.
• Perform ultrafast core-level spectroscopy using a high-harmonic generation source of femtosecond soft X-ray pulses.
• Acquire, analyze, and interpret time-resolved experimental data in collaboration with theorists and other experimentalists.
• Contribute to the development of user proposals and participate in experiments at ultrafast electron diffraction and free-electron laser user facilities.
• Document research findings in peer-reviewed publications.

The postdoctoral appointee is expected to publish research in peer-reviewed scientific journals, present at national and international conferences, and contribute to a collaborative research environment. Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant must be able to work onsite.

Qualifications We Require

• Ph.D. in chemistry, physics, or other related fields
• Significant experience with femtosecond amplified laser systems, nonlinear optics, and instrumentation

Qualifications We Desire

• Strong background in ultrafast spectroscopy and excited-state dynamics
• Experience with high-harmonic generation of XUV/soft X-ray pulses
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare peer-reviewed publications, evidenced by a strong publication record
• Demonstrated ability to address complex problems creatively
• Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a collaborative team
• Experience with MATLAB, LabVIEW, Python, and related software

About Our Team

The Gas Phase Chemical Physics Department is part of Sandia's Combustion Research Facility (CRF) in Livermore, California, where over 100 scientists, engineers, and technologists conduct basic and applied research to improve our nation's capabilities in gas-phase chemical physics. Under the principal sponsorship of the Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences, the Gas Phase Chemical Physics Department conducts fundamental experimental, theoretical, and modeling research to develop a foundational understanding of the complex chemical reactions that occur either directly in the gas phase or influenced by it. Research areas include chemical dynamics and spectroscopy, advanced diagnostics, ultrafast physics and chemistry, chemical kinetics, multi-phase chemical physics, high-pressure combustion, and gas-surface interactions.