Postdoctoral Appointee - Accelerator Physics and Free-Electron Laser Science

Argonne National Laboratory • Lemont, IL

3d • $35 - $58

About The Position

The Argonne Accelerator Institute at Argonne National Laboratory seeks a postdoctoral researcher for a multi-year appointment contributing to the conceptual design of a compact, wakefield-driven X-ray free-electron laser (XFEL) for attosecond science. The appointee will play a leading technical role in designing a next-generation compact XFEL capable of producing agile, tunable, coherent X-ray pulses. The project investigates accelerator and FEL concepts that enable flexible control of pulse timing, duration, intensity, temporal structure, and coherence, including multi-pulse and mode-locked operation. The work aims to establish a blueprint for a future compact light source that could complement the Advanced Photon Source and support studies of matter on attosecond timescales.

The researcher will work with a multidisciplinary Argonne team in accelerator physics, beam dynamics, wakefield acceleration, free-electron laser science, and FEL user communities. The appointee will lead technical activities in beam-dynamics and FEL modeling, emphasizing start-to-end simulations of compact XFEL performance. The work also includes contributing to a conceptual design report for a scalable compact XFEL facility and engaging with prospective users and collaborators to align source capabilities with scientific needs in ultrafast X-ray science.

Requirements

• PhD completed within the last 5 years or expected soon in accelerator physics or a closely related field; candidates with degrees in physics, applied mathematics, computational science, electrical engineering, or related disciplines and a strong interest in accelerator and FEL science will also be considered.
• Strong programming skills, including proficiency in Python.
• Working knowledge of UNIX or Linux.
• Demonstrated background in computational modeling, numerical simulation, or scientific software development.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with accelerator physics, beam dynamics, or free-electron-laser science.
• Experience with machine learning, surrogate modeling, optimization, or AI-enabled scientific computing.
• Experience working with complex numerical algorithms and large parameter scans.
• Experience using high-performance computing clusters for simulation and data analysis.
• Experience using accelerator modeling and simulation tools such as ELEGANT, GENESIS, WarpX, ImpactX, RF-Track, or related codes.
• Interest in compact accelerator concepts, high-gradient acceleration, wakefield acceleration, or advanced light-source design.

Responsibilities

• Develop and benchmark numerical models of FEL interactions and radiation generation using tools such as MITHRA, WarpX, and GENESIS.
• Perform beam-dynamics studies of high-brightness, high-charge electron beams in multi-frequency linac architectures using tools such as ELEGANT, RF-Track, and ImpactX.
• Investigate tailored electron-bunch phase-space distributions for generating tunable two-color and mode-locked X-ray pulse formats.
• Study two-beam acceleration concepts, including power-extracting and transfer structures (PETS), for compact high-gradient accelerator designs.
• Carry out start-to-end simulations connecting injector and linac beam dynamics to FEL performance.
• Explore AI/ML methods, surrogate models, and automated optimization strategies to accelerate design studies and parameter scans.
• Contribute to a conceptual design report for a scalable compact XFEL facility, including performance studies, subsystem specifications, and design tradeoffs.
• Engage with prospective users and collaborators to align source capabilities with scientific needs in ultrafast X-ray science.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits are part of the total rewards package.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree