RESEARCH FELLOW

To apply, send a cover letter and resume to Professor John Heron at jwheron@umich.edu. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience relevant to this role.

About the Role

We are seeking a motivated researcher (at the postdoc level) to join our team to investigate light–matter interactions and laser-enabled selective material removal. The position will combine fundamental studies of laser–material interactions with the design and development of experimental platforms for rapid, automated materials processing and characterization. The researcher will work at the intersection of optics, materials science, instrumentation, and automation, with opportunities to develop both fundamental understanding and new experimental capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Investigate light–matter interactions, including laser absorption, energy deposition, ablation, and selective material removal.
• Develop and optimize laser processing strategies for controlled modification or removal of materials.
• Design, construct, and align optical systems and beam paths, including lasers, lenses, mirrors, beam-shaping components, and diagnostic tools.
• Design and integrate motorized translation and positioning stages for automated experiments.
• Develop automated control, data-acquisition, and high-throughput testing systems.
• Integrate optical processing tools with materials characterization and metrology.
• Perform quantitative analysis of processing-structure-property relationships to understand the mechanisms governing selective material removal.
• Collaborate with researchers from materials science, physics, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, and related fields.

Requirements

• Experimental problem-solving skills.
• Interest in interdisciplinary research.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.

Qualifications

Applicants with backgrounds in the following areas are encouraged to apply:

• Physics
• Materials Science and Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Electrical Engineering
• Applied Physics, Optics, or related disciplines

Experience in one or more of the following areas is particularly valuable:

• Laser and optical systems, including beam alignment and optical-path design
• Laser–material interactions, laser processing, or laser ablation
• Optical components and diagnostics
• Motorized stages, motion control, and precision positioning
• Experimental automation and instrument control
• Programming for automated experiments and data acquisition
• Feedback and control systems
• Development of custom experimental instrumentation
• Materials characterization and microscopy
• Quantitative data analysis

Candidates are not expected to have experience in all of these areas. We are particularly interested in researchers who are excited to develop new experimental capabilities and work across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

Growth Opportunities

This position is well-suited for someone who enjoys a combination of fundamental science and hands-on experimental development. The researcher will have significant opportunities to design and build new instrumentation, develop automated experimental workflows, and use these capabilities to investigate fundamental questions surrounding laser–material interactions and selective processing. The broader goal is to create high-throughput, automated platforms capable of rapidly exploring laser-processing parameter spaces and identifying conditions for precise and selective modification of materials.

Additional Information

The position will be for a 6-month period and will be located on the University of Michigan North Campus.