The Department of Physics is seeking to recruit a Doctoral Researcher within the newly funded Research Council of Finland project DopCool (Doppler and Sympathetic Cooling for Ultra-High Precision Mass Measurements of Short-Lived Radioactive Ions), hosted at the IGISOL facility within the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä. The position will start in January 2027, or as soon as possible thereafter, for a period of 3.5 years. The position is fixed-term, as it is expected to lead to the completion of the doctoral thesis.
The project will pioneer laser-based cooling techniques for short-lived radioactive ions and establish a new experimental paradigm for ultra-high-precision mass measurements at the IGISOL facility and beyond. Using lasers, the ions will be slowed and cooled close to absolute zero before injection into the JYFLTRAP Penning trap mass spectrometer. The ultra-high-precision mass measurements will be key to testing the limits of the Standard Model of particle physics and to exploring possible new physics. Mass measurements will also be performed to improve decay heat calculations in nuclear reactors and to refine dose estimates in targeted radionuclide therapy, a highly promising and rapidly emerging form of cancer treatment. Furthermore, the doctoral researcher will have opportunities to participate in mass measurements for nuclear structure and nuclear astrophysics studies and to collaborate with researchers from all over the world.
The doctoral researcher will work in an international environment at the IGISOL facility, within the Accelerator Laboratory of the University of Jyväskylä. The facility is used to conduct research at the intersection of fundamental symmetries, nuclear and atomic physics using techniques in laser spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and ion trapping. The position offers extensive hands-on training in laser systems, ion trapping, precision instrumentation and data analysis, in the environment of a large-scale experimental facility. The position will provide excellent preparation for careers in academia, research institutes/laboratories and high-technology industries. Depending on the candidate’s interest and expertise, the work will include:
- Develop laser-cooling techniques for trapped ions including the setup and operation of laser systems
- Optimize the laser-cooling trap built by our collaboration partners from KU Leuven, Belgium
- Design, commission and optimize beam-manipulation devices for optimal ion injection into the Penning trap
- Integrate the laser-cooling trap with the JYFLTRAP Penning-trap mass spectrometer
- Study ultracold ion ensembles and their application to precision mass spectrometry
- Analyze and interpret high-precision mass measurements
- Participate in experiments at the IGISOL radioactive-ion-beam facility
- Develop and apply simulation tools for an improved understanding of the ion motion and cooling dynamics
- Present scientific results at international conferences and publish in peer-reviewed journals
Who should apply
Applicants should hold, or be close to completing, a Master’s degree in physics or a related field. Experience in one or more of the following areas is considered advantageous, but not required:
- Experimental atomic, nuclear or particle physics
- Laser systems and laser spectroscopy
- Ion trapping and charged-particle manipulation
- Mass spectrometry
- Vacuum technology and instrumentation
- Electronics, data acquisition and/or scientific programming (e.g. Python)
- Simulations (e.g. SimIon or Comsol) and/or data analysis
Strong motivation for experimental research, excellent problem-solving skills, the ability to work effectively in an international research environment, and good written and spoken English skills are essential.
The tasks of a Doctoral Researcher focus on research aiming at the completion of a doctoral thesis, doctoral studies, assisting teaching tasks, and other related tasks to these. The duties, qualification requirements, and the language skills of Doctoral Researchers are stipulated by the University of Jyväskylä Regulations and language skills guidelines (Doctoral Students). The eligible candidate has, or is about to obtain, a suitable Master's degree. In addition, the Doctoral Researcher must have a permission for post-graduate studies at the University of Jyväskylä. After selection, the selected person must apply for postgraduate study rights through a separate application procedure from the Faculty of Mathematics and Science.
