Postdoctoral Researcher – Controlling Charges in 2D Materials and Plasmonic Nanostructures

Posting Title

Postdoctoral Researcher – Controlling Charges in 2D Materials and Plasmonic Nanostructures

.

CO - Golden

.

Postdoc (Fixed Term)

.

40

.

NLR is located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in Golden, Colorado is the nation’s primary laboratory for energy systems research and development.

Join the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), where world-class scientists, engineers, and experts are accelerating energy innovation through breakthrough research and systems integration. From our mission to our collaborative culture, NLR stands out in the research community for its commitment to an affordable and secure energy future. Spanning foundational science to applied systems engineering and analysis, we focus on solving complex challenges to deliver advanced, secure, reliable, and cost-effective energy solutions.

Our work helps strengthen U.S. industries, support job creation, and promote national economic growth.

At NLR, you’ll find a mission-driven environment supported by state-of-the-art facilities, multidisciplinary research teams, and strong collaborations with industry, academia, and other national laboratories. We offer robust professional development opportunities, and a competitive benefits package designed to support your career and well-being.

The Chemistry and Nanoscience Center is looking for a Postdoctoral researcher to aid in the basic understanding and controlling of charge generation, separation, and recombination within photoactive nanomaterials.

The successful applicant will have expertise in synthesis, manipulation, and characterization of 2D materials and/or plasmonic nanostructures, such as transition metal dichalcogenides or metal nanoparticles, with a focus on probing charge transfer at interfaces by tuning the optoelectronic properties, coupling to plasmonic systems, and/or create unique 2D interfaces. Synthesis of 2D layers via top down (mechanical, surfactant, and chemical exfoliation) and bottom up (chemical vapor deposition, solvo/hydrothermal growth) methods will be leveraged within the postdoctoral research along with wet-chemical synthesis of plasmonic heterointerfaces.

Doping, functionalization, defect engineering, plasmonic interactions, and engineered/dynamically generated strain will be needed to tune optoelectronic properties along with characterization tools. The successful candidate will utilize these experimental design tools to create and probe 2D materials, metal nanoparticles, and heterojunctions to control the generation, separation and recombination of photogenerated charges.

Therefore, the successful candidate should have experience with or see evidence of the ability to quickly learn new techniques such as Confocal Raman/photoluminescence spectroscopy and microscopy, atomic force microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, transient absorption, etc. Additionally, the successful applicant should have expertise in data analysis, experimental design, and writing of manuscripts. The successful applicant will have experience working in a team of material scientists, chemists, spectroscopists, and theorists to probe and understand surfaces and interfaces of newly developed chemistries and architectures.

The initial appointment is for 1 year with extension of up to 3 years total preferred, provided mutual satisfaction and availability of funds.

.

Must be a recent PhD graduate within the last three years.

* Must meet educational requirements prior to employment start date.

• PhD in Chemistry, Material Science, Physics, Electrical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, or related fields.
• Established track record in scientific writing, presentation, publication, and communication.

Candidates should have direct experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Nanostructure synthesis with a focus on 2D materials or plasmonics
• Surface functionalization, phase control, and/or defect engineering of nanostructures
• Designing, making, and modifying heterostructures
• Characterization of the optoelectronic properties of semiconductors
• S…