PhD in experimental physics: how do you make the first antimatter molecule?

PhD in experimental physics: how do you make the first antimatter molecule? Help make the first measurement of how a proton and a hydrogen atom bind into a molecule. With extreme-UV lasers and ion traps, you will study the most fundamental atomic collisions and find out how the first antimatter molecules could be made.

• W&N Gebouw
• Amsterdam
• Faculty of Science

Your function

When a proton meets a hydrogen atom, the pair can emit a photon and stay together as H₂⁺. This is how the first molecules formed after the Big Bang, and it is one of the proposed routes to the first antimatter molecule, yet it has never been measured. In the NWO Vidi project SAMURAI, you will study these collisions one quantum state at a time: instead of colliding atoms, we use lasers to prepare a hydrogen molecule at the moment of a collision and watch it fall apart. You will be part of a small group in which experiment and theory go hand in hand.

Your duties

• excite H₂ with two tunable extreme-ultraviolet lasers (60–205 nm), built in our lab and unique in the Netherlands, and image the fragments with velocity-map imaging
• aim for the first spectroscopic observation of the excited electronic states of H₂⁺, calculated by Edward Teller in his PhD thesis in 1930 and never seen since
• trap H₂⁺ ions and use millimetre waves and magnetic fields to control how they come apart
• work towards the first measurement of radiative association: joining a cold proton and a cold hydrogen atom with light, next to a crystal of laser-cooled Be⁺ ions
• compare your data with multichannel quantum-defect theory and scattering calculations, and contribute to the theory yourself if you like
• develop your skills in lasers and nonlinear optics, ultrahigh vacuum, electronics, CAD design and scientific programming
• present your results at international conferences and publish them in peer-reviewed journals

Your profile

• an MSc degree (or close to completing one) in physics, physical chemistry or a related field
• affinity with quantum mechanics and atomic, molecular and optical physics, and an interest in lasers and electronics
• good command of spoken and written English
• most important: you are curious, enjoy building things that work, like working in a team, and want to spend four years on a question nobody has answered yet

What do we offer?

A challenging position in a socially engaged organisation. At VU Amsterdam, you contribute to education, research and service for a better world. And that is valuable. So in return for your efforts, we offer you:

• a salary of minimum € 3.204,00 (PhD) and maximum € 4.051,00 (PhD) gross per month, on a full-time basis. This is based on UFO profile PhD candidate. The exact salary depends on your education and experience.
• a position for at least 0.8 FTE. Your employment contract will initially last 1 year. Afterwards, the possibility of expansion exists.

We also offer you attractive fringe benefits and regulations. Some examples:

• A full-time 38-hour working week comes with a holiday leave entitlement of 232 hours per year. If you choose to work 40 hours, you have 96 extra holiday leave hours on an annual basis. For part-timers, this is calculated pro rata.
• 8% holiday allowance and 8.3% end-of-year bonus
• contribution to commuting expenses
• group insured for partial disability with employer contribution of 50% of the premium
• optional model for designing a personalized benefits package

About us

Quantum Metrology and Laser Applications (QMLA), LaserLaB Amsterdam
The Quantum Metrology and Laser Applications group in the Department of Physics and Astronomy is a very international group of some 20 strongly collaborating senior and junior scientists. The group carries out precision measurements on atoms and molecules, using advanced laser techniques and methods to cool their motion. It shares the infrastructure of LaserLaB Amsterdam, with lasers ranging from ultrastable to ultrafast, connected to atomic clocks and frequency combs. The aims are to test fundamental theories such as quantum electrodynamics, to determine fundamental constants such as the proton-to-electron mass ratio, and to search for physics beyond the Standard Model.

Molecular Ions group
Within QMLA, the Molecular Ions group led by Dr. Max Beyer studies the simplest molecules there are, with one, two, three and four electrons: H₂⁺, H₂, He₂⁺ and He₂. These systems are simple enough to be calculated with extreme precision, so every measurement is a direct test of theory, and we do both: experiments and ab initio, quantum-defect and scattering calculations. In the lab we laser-cool molecules, trap ions and use light from across the electromagnetic spectrum, from the extreme ultraviolet through the visible and infrared to millimetre waves.

Faculty of Science
Working at the Faculty of Science means collaborating with students, lecturers and researchers who are focused on their field, yet have a broad view of the world. We are proud of a positive and inclusive workplace culture within the faculty, where we work together with great energy and a pragmatic attitude to tackle social challenges. At the Faculty of Science, scientists and students work on fundamental and complex societal issues for a sustainable, healthy and just future.

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam stands for values-driven education and research. We are open-minded experts with the ability to think freely - a broader mind. Maintaining an entrepreneurial perspective and concentrating on diversity, significance and humanity, we work on sustainable solutions with social impact. By joining forces, across the boundaries of disciplines, we work towards a better world for people and planet. Together we create a safe and respectful working and study climate, and an inspiring environment for education and research.

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.