Postdoctoral position in gravitational-wave instrumentation

Organisation/Company

Université catholique de Louvain (UCL)

Department

IRMP - Institut de recherche en Mathématique et Physique

Research Field

Physics » Optics

Researcher Profile

Recognised Researcher (R2)

Positions

Postdoc Positions

Country

Belgium

Application Deadline

26 Feb 2025 - 23:59 (Europe/Brussels)

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Full-time

Hours Per Week

39

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

The Gravitational Wave (GW) group at UCLouvain (Belgium) is searching for a postdoctoral researcher in GW instrumentation. The successful applicant will contribute to cutting-edge research and development projects for the Virgo interferometric GW detector and the future Einstein Telescope (ET) , as well as instrumentation for other GW detectors and prototypes.

Our group is hosted at the Center for Cosmology, Particle Physics and Phenomenology (CP3 ) of the Research Institute in Mathematics and Physics (IRMP ). The CP3 centre hosts research in physics of the Universe and fundamental interactions both on the experimental and theoretical fronts. The UCLouvain GW group is part of the Virgo and Einstein Telescope collaborations. We also participate actively in two Einstein Telescope research and development facilities, E-TEST and ETpathfinder funded by the EU through its Interreg Europe programme. The group is also active in LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA (LVK) physics data analyses and contributes significantly to the computing effort of the LVK Collaboration via the CP3 computing cluster and by providing GRID-based services. The CP3 centre of UCLouvain, is a highly international, diverse, and stimulating environment that also includes groups working on CERN experiments (CMS and NA62), IceCube, KM3NeT, muography, and on projects in theoretical particle physics and cosmology.

The project. The selected candidate is expected to play a central role in laser and optics related projects. Specific projects could include: investigation of higher-order resonant modes for the future ET project, transverse optical mode control for high power lasers using phase cameras, and developing extremely stable lasers with 1.5 and 2-micrometer wavelengths. The successful candidate will work with Dr A. Goodwin-Jones, prof. C. Lauzin, and prof. G. Bruno. One PhD student and one other postdoc will also be part of the local team. Collaboration with the rest of the Belgian GW community and our international partners at ETpathfinder, E-TEST, Virgo and ET is foreseen. We provide strong support for travel and professional development, anticipating funding for at least one major European conference per year and regular travel to collaborative partner sites.

UCLouvain is located 25 km south of Brussels, easily accessible by public transport, offering a choice between city life in the EU capital or the peaceful countryside surrounding the campus. UCLouvain provides numerous benefits, including reimbursement of public transport and free language courses.

The position. The duration of the appointment can be up to 4 years in total (until December 2028), renewable yearly subject to mutual satisfaction. The position is immediately available, and the selected candidate is ideally expected to start the appointment before October 2025. We strongly encourage applications from women, individuals from underrepresented backgrounds, and other minorities, as we are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive research environment.

Applications must include a curriculum vitae, a personal motivation letter including a research statement, and at least two recommendation letters from senior scientists. Applications must be submitted on-line at https://cp3.irmp.ucl.ac.be/job/105 . A first screening of the applications will be done on 26 February 2025, and new applications will be considered until the position is filled. Applicants should hold, by the time of the start of the appointment, a PhD degree in physics or engineering and they should demonstrate a strong interest and motivation in instrumentation for research in fundamental physics. Additionally, they should not have lived or carried out their main activity (work, study, etc.) in Belgium for more than 24 months in the three years prior to the appointment starting date.

For more information please, contact

• Aaron Goodwin-Jones (aaron.goodwinjones@gmail.com )
• Clement Lauzin (Clement.Lauzin@uclouvain.be )
• Giacomo Bruno (Giacomo.Bruno@uclouvain.be )

Website

https://cp3.irmp.ucl.ac.be/job/105

Research Field

Physics » Other

Education Level

PhD or equivalent

Number of offers available

1

Company/Institute

UCLouvain / IRMP

Country

Belgium

City

Louvain-la-Neuve

Postal Code

1348

Street

Chemin du Cyclotron, 2

Geofield

City

Louvain-la-Neuve

Website

http://cp3.irmp.ucl.ac.be

Street

Chemin du Cyclotron, 2

Postal Code

1348

E-Mail

aaron.goodwinjones@gmail.com
Clement.Lauzin@uclouvain.be
Giacomo.Bruno@uclouvain.be

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