Lab Scientist III WPAFB, OH

Research Scientist – Core4ce

Core4ce is seeking a Research Scientist with deep expertise across inorganic chemistry, materials science, and photonics. This unique research effort focuses on the foundational synthesis, advanced sintering, and rigorous characterization of polycrystalline and single crystal halide, chalcogenide, and organic materials.

• Develop, fabricate, and characterize single‑crystal boules for optical characterization.
• Investigate and map the relationships between material atomic structure, chemistry, and resulting optical properties.
• Serve as an embedded contractor supporting an elite, interdisciplinary research team.
• Develop, grow, and evaluate single‑crystal and polycrystalline materials for next‑generation optical applications.
• Contribute to research initiatives supporting the mission and technology needs of the United States Air Force.
• Collaborate with government, academic, and industry partners in a highly collaborative research environment.
• Support high‑impact research efforts that may lead to publications in leading peer‑reviewed journals.
• Participate in and contribute to presentations at national and international scientific conferences.

• Must be a United States Citizen.
• PhD in Materials Science & Engineering, Chemistry, or a closely related science or engineering field.
• 2+ years of postgraduate, postdoctoral, or equivalent research fellowship experience in an elite crystal growth or defense‑adjacent laboratory setting.
• Applicants selected will be subject to a rigorous security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for accessing classified information and environments.
• Must be able to work comfortably in a standard office setting at a desk and computer terminal utilizing a keyboard and mouse. Offers flexibility for structured remote work/work‑from‑home options.
• Must be fully capable of working safely in a wet‑chemistry/physical‑science laboratory environment around furnace equipment and vacuum lines.
• Must be able to safely lift, carry, or position laboratory equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
• May require travel ~10% of the time to attend prominent academic conferences, formal program reviews, defense industry meetings, or alternative multi‑organizational collaborative events. Most or all associated travel will be within the Continental United States (CONUS).

• Melt Growth Expertise:
  Advanced mastery of single crystal growth techniques, with specific, hands‑on experience utilizing the vertical Bridgman method to produce high‑quality, optically transparent single crystals.
• Thermal Profile Optimization:
  Proven ability to systematically design, program, and optimize complex thermal profiles, translation rates, and multi‑zone furnace geometries tailored to novel metal halide and perovskite material systems.
• Ampoule Engineering:
  Proficient handling of high‑temperature vacuum/reaction line operations, including the expert use of a hydrogen/oxygen torch to vacuum‑seal quartz ampoules for air‑sensitive, high‑temperature synthesis.
• Defect Mitigation & Scale‑Up:
  Demonstrated ability to diagnose and engineer structural solutions for common single‑crystal growth challenges, such as mechanical cracking, inclusion/void formation, multiple grain nucleation, and inherent phase instabilities. Experience scaling exploratory crystal volumes (e.g., 7 mm) up to large‑diameter production sizes (38 mm+).
• Zone Refinement:
  Strong background utilizing zone refinement methodologies to achieve ultra‑high purity organic and inorganic starting materials necessary for flawless single crystal propagation.

• Glovebox Mastery:
  Comprehensive experience operating and maintaining inert‑atmosphere glove boxes while handling highly hygroscopic, reactive, and air‑sensitive halide raw materials.
• Chemical Processing:
  Experience or strong technical familiarity with chemical synthesis approaches (e.g., ball milling, melt synthesis) and safe handling of chemical precursors.

• Orientation Verification:
  Proficiency in identifying,…