Ultrafast EUV Metrology Postdoc - Nanoscale Heat Transport

Job Summary

The Physics NIST-PREP Department invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate or Research Associate ! This position focuses on developing and applying ultrafast extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and ultraviolet (UV) based metrology to understand and untangle the mechanisms involved in thermal transport at the nanoscale. Film-level and patterned arrays will be measured using a pump-probe method to measure the time dependence of heat flow allowing an estimation of the local thermal conductivity.

Geometric, material and nonequilibrium effects on thermal transport will be investigated. These measurements will be correlated with theory and models being developed by collaborators. This position requires knowledge and skills in ultrafast optics and all associated alignment procedures, data analysis, and instrument/optics design as well as semiconductors and wide-bandgap systems.

This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology's (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST recognizes that its research staff may want to collaborate with researchers at academic institutions on specific projects of mutual interest and, therefore, requires those institutions to be recipients of a PREP award. The PREP program involves staff from a wide range of backgrounds conducting scientific research across various fields.

Individuals in this position will perform technical work supporting the collaboration's scientific research.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

PREP is a special partnership between the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the University of Colorado Boulder. PREP provides research opportunities to CU undergraduate and graduate students, as well as researchers with a Bachelor's, Master's, or PhD in NIST labs to gain research experience alongside NIST scientists.

The particular group that needs a researcher is the Spin Electronics Group at NIST.

• Designing, building, maintaining, and applying pulsed lasers to measure the dynamic change in reflectivity or diffraction of thin films and patterned nanostructures. This can include EUV diffraction and transient grating with UV systems.
• Analyzing data to relate the data to the thermal response.
• Working with collaborators to design experiments and sample systems.
• Presenting results at internal and external meetings.
• Ensuring that results, protocols, software, and documentation have been backed up and archived.

This position requires the successful completion of an NAIS agreement and federal security clearance as mandated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Employment is contingent upon approval of these requirements as determined by NIST.

• Anticipated start date is October 22, 2026.
• Anticipated end date is September 30, 2027.

Authority: 15 U.S.C. § 278g-1(e)(1) and (e)(3) and 15 U.S.C. § 272(b) and (c)

Purpose: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) hosts the Professional Research Experience Program (PREP) which is designed to provide valuable laboratory experience and financial assistance to undergraduates, post-bachelor’s degree holders, graduate students, master’s degree holders, postdocs, and faculty.

PREP is a 5-year cooperative agreement between NIST laboratories and participating PREP Universities to establish a collaborative research relationship between NIST and U.S. institutions of higher education in the following disciplines including (but may not be limited to) biochemistry, biological sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, electronics, materials science, mathematics, nanoscale science, neutron science, physical science, physics, and statistics. This collection of information is needed to facilitate the administrative…