Ultracold Atom News

Sandia National Laboratories is the nation’s premier science and engineering lab for national security and technology innovation. We are a world-class team of staff members, technologists, postdocs and visiting researchers. The Combustion Chemistry program at Sandia, under the principal sponsorship of the Department of Energy's Office of Basic Energy Sciences, seeks to reveal the key chemical processes that underlie the complex mechanisms of combustion. The program emphasizes determination of the rates and mechanisms of chemical reactions, characterization of molecular structure and energetics, and measurement and modeling of idealized combustion devices. Researchers in the program employ laser-based pump/probe techniques to interrogate chemical reactivity and structure, ion-imaging to simultaneously measure velocity and internal-state distributions of reaction products, and experiments in the femtosecond-domain to directly probe energy conversion within a molecule. In other work, molecular photolysis is coupled with absorption/fluorescence detection methods to determine the thermal rate coefficients and product distributions for reactions that constitute the individual steps in the combustion chain process. Current computational efforts include ab initio calculations of molecular structure and energetics and computer modeling of the complete kinetics of combustion processes in both laminar and turbulent environments. For more information, visit www.ca.sandia.gov/crf/ .

We are seeking candidates for a post-doctoral appointment position in the area of experimental physical chemistry. This position will work in the laboratory of Dr. David Chandler in the area of production and utilization of ultracold molecules for studies of collision dynamics. The technique of kinematic cooling molecules by a single collision in a crossed atomic and molecular beam arrangement is being developed. Combing this technique with magneto-optical traps (MOT) of atoms is one area of research that is being expanded. The trapping and guiding of the cold molecules for the study of collisional relaxation at ultracold temperatures is to be studied.

Qualified candidates will possess a PhD in the areas of Physics or Chemistry. Experience with magneto-optical Traps (MOT) molecular beam apparatus, hexapole guiding fields, computer programming and high voltage electronics is desired.

The annual salary for this position is $72,100.

Located in Livermore, a bustling Northern California city with a “small, hometown feel,” we enjoy close proximity to San Francisco, Silicon Valley, several world-class educational institutions, and diverse cultural and year-round recreational opportunities. Sandia provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, and a 401K savings plan. Our culture values work-life balance—by offering programs such as flexible work schedules with alternate Fridays off, on-site fitness facilities, three weeks of vacation, and more!

If you are interested in helping us change the world, please apply ONLINE for this position at www.sandia.gov/employment/career-opp. Click on “Career Opportunities,” select job reference # 56311 (click “View All” to see all job postings), and complete an ONLINE application. Sandia is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.