Postdoctoral Scholar in Computational Optoelectronics and Applied Mathematics

About the role

The Lakhtakia research team in the College of Engineering (Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics) at The Pennsylvania State University is seeking a highly motivated and skilled Postdoctoral Scholar to join a collaborative research program in computational optoelectronics, mathematical modeling, and numerical simulation of integrated energy microgenerators (IEMGs) containing compound semiconductors. The postdoctoral scholar will work under the direction of Prof. Akhlesh Lakhtakia in cooperation with Prof. Anna Mazzucato (Mathematics at Penn State), Prof. Peter B. Monk (Mathematics at University of Delaware), and a postdoctoral scholar at University of Delaware. The position will involve developing and analyzing two- and three-dimensional optical and electronic models; implementing high-order numerical methods for semiconductor drift-diffusion and Maxwell systems; modeling grain boundaries, defects, and interfaces; and optimizing material, geometric, and illumination-dependent designs for efficient IEMGs. This is a term position; length of the term will be discussed during the interview process. Continuation past the term length discussed will be based on university need, performance, and/or availability of funding.

Education Requirement

Qualified individuals will hold a Ph.D. by the time of appointment in applied mathematics, computational mathematics, electrical engineering, engineering science, physics, computational science, or a closely related field.

Responsibilities

• Implement and improve high-order finite-element and discontinuous-Galerkin software in Python and related scientific-computing environments, including robust solvers, error assessment, and computational validation.
• Investigate the effects of grain boundaries, defects, interfaces, material properties, and illumination conditions on carrier transport, recombination, and device performance.
• Perform mathematical analysis and computational optimization of bandgap profiles, layer thicknesses, device geometry, and tandem IEMG configurations using gradient-based and derivative-free methods.
• Collaborate with the faculty investigators and graduate students; prepare manuscripts, conference presentations, technical documentation, and research software for dissemination.
• Develop, analyze, verify, and document two- and three-dimensional numerical models for coupled optical and electronic processes in IEMGs, including semiconductor drift-diffusion and Maxwell equations.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience in numerical analysis, scientific computing, partial differential equations, finite-element or discontinuous-Galerkin methods, and computational modeling.
• Experience with semiconductor models, drift-diffusion systems, Maxwell equations, optoelectronics, photovoltaics, optimization, or machine learning is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in Python and familiarity with version control and high-performance computing are preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills; ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research team; demonstrated initiative, organization, problem-solving ability, and commitment to reproducible research.
• Record of peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations, dissertations, software, or other scholarly work demonstrating research capability in a relevant area.

Background Checks

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

Benefits

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being. For more detailed information, please visit the Benefits Page. (Note: For Postdoctoral benefits, please see the Postdoctoral Benefits page.)