Postdoctoral Researcher - Quantum Dot Carrier Dynamics

About the role

Location: Golden, Colorado. Working at NLR, located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado, the nation's primary laboratory for energy systems research and development. Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions. Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth. At NLR, you'll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

Responsibilities

• Support research exploring the photodynamics of quantum dots (QDs) supported by DOE Office of Science Basic Energy Science.
• Focus on understanding the fundamentals of photogenerated charge/spin separation and transfer using synthetic chemistry to change the QD composition and morphology.
• Perform spectroscopic characterization of QDs to identify the impact of structural changes on primary photochemical events and surface chemistry to modulate interfacial spin/charge/energy transfer properties.
• Engage in team science leveraging steady-state (UV-vis, IR, Raman, PL, EPR) and time-resolved (IR, EPR, transient absorption, microwave, terahertz) spectroscopies to understand the impact of manipulations on photochemical pathways.
• Have experience in one or more of these characterization techniques and a passion for devising experiments to deeply understand systems, not optimize them for performance.
• Work in a cross-disciplinary team of physical chemists, inorganic chemists, material scientists, and theorists to probe and understand surfaces, interfaces, and durability of newly developed chemistries and architectures.
• Demonstrate proven expertise in data analysis, experimental design, presentations, and writing of manuscripts.

Requirements

• Recent PhD graduate within the last three years.
• Meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.
• PhD in Chemistry, Material Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related fields.
• Established track record in scientific writing, presentation, publication, and communication.

Skills

• Direct experience in synthesis of