Postdoctoral Appointee – Z Machine, Onsite

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Sandia National Laboratories is seeking a creative, driven postdoctoral researcher to join our pulsed power accelerator team at the Z Facility, the world’s largest laboratory pulsed power device. Pulsed power is a broad, multidisciplinary field, so we invite applicants from several disciplines including electrical engineering, physics, and related fields.
On any given day, you may be called to conduct research in one of several topical areas such as:

• Experimental vacuum system design, construction, and operation in pulsed power laboratories
• Mechanical and/or electrical design and assembly of pulsed power equipment
• Measurements of materials outgassing and/or electrode desorption in extreme environments
• Modeling of advanced pulsed power system designs using state-of-the-art circuit and/or particle-in-cell research codes.
• Operate, modify, or design new high power RF transmission systems to drive kW-scale capacitively coupled plasmas
• Development and analysis of conventional and novel plasma diagnostics to understand low temperature plasma phenomena
• Development and analysis of novel plasma diagnostics (optical spectroscopy, laser probing) to understand plasma formation on electrodes in high-current pulsed power accelerators
• Apply physics principles to explore and understand electrode-plasma dynamics and electrical power delivery on large pulsed power accelerators used for inertial confinement fusion, laboratory astrophysics, and other scientific missions
• Develop new experimental testing capabilities in a modern high voltage engineering laboratory dedicated to accelerator materials science
• Lead the design and execution of complex scientific experiments at the Z Pulsed Power Facility, as well as several other pulsed power accelerators and facilities
• Collaborate with computational physicists to develop new electrode physics models for the world’s most advanced plasma simulation codes used for coupling electrical energy to high energy density experiments
  Due to the nature of the work, the selected applicant will be required to work onsite.

• PhD in Electrical engineering, Physics, or related STEM field conferred within 5 years of start date
• Ability to obtain and maintain a DOE Q clearance

• Outstanding academic record
• experience with data acquisition and scientific analysis software such as MATLAB
• Experience analyzing experimental measurements involving visible spectroscopy and/or laser interferometry techniques with a focus on low density plasma measurements
• Experience at state-of-the-art pulsed power, high energy laser, and/or accelerator facilities
• Experience with designing, operating, and simulating high power RF transmission circuitry and systems.
• Experience with designing and implementing RF matching networks to optimally couple power to capacitively coupled plasma
• Experience in high power microwave design and operation.
• Experience working in a team environment to define and solve challenging, complex problems
• Demonstrated experimental, analytical, and data management skills
• Outstanding communication skills as demonstrated in technical publications, reports, and/or technical project presentations
  A strong desire to work in a fast paced and technically challenging research environment

Department 1659, part of the Pulsed Power Science and Technology group (1650), conducts experiments in support of power flow and energy coupling on Z and other small-scale facilities. We advance validated computational modeling for power flow design to simulate plasma formation on electrode surfaces. Our organization develops new systems for Z to provide in-situ electrode cleaning to mitigate or eliminate contaminant plasma formation on electrodes which limit current coupling efficiency. Furthermore, we evaluate advanced power flow coupling elements to provide faster risetimes and/or higher currents.The department also supports a variety of experimental capabilities, and diagnostics in service of the ICF, radiation effects, materials, pulsed power, and fundamental science missions on the Z accelerator. We steward the development of advanced magnetic field coils, fast gas-puff nozzles, and related applied high voltage technologies. We are responsible for the development and operation of advanced optical diagnostic technologies, such as Streak Visible Spectroscopy (SVS) and Z Line VISAR (ZLV), which are fielded on a very large fraction of experiments conducted at the Z Pulsed Power Facility.We also steward the Mykonos linear transformer driver (LTD) that delivers MA class current to a small target chamber in support of pulsed power and HED science. This facility allows for hands-on, pulsed power, experimental training for students and staff along-side senior Sandia scientists in an environment that is more accessible than the Z Facility. Our Mykonos Academic Access Program (MAAP) grants outside University access to the facility as part of the ZNetUS network and is a dynamic driver for exciting science and innovation.

This posting will be open for Application submissions for a minimum of three (3) calendar days, including the ‘posting date’. Sandia reserves the right to extend the posting date at any time.

Sandia is required by DOE to conduct a pre-employment drug test and background review that includes checks of personal references, credit, law enforcement records, and employment/education verifications. Applicants for employment need to be able to obtain and maintain a DOE Q-level security clearance, which requires U.S. citizenship. If you hold more than one citizenship (i.e., of the U.S. and another country), your ability to obtain a security clearance may be impacted.

Applicants offered employment with Sandia are subject to a federal background investigation to meet the requirements for access to classified information or matter if the duties of the position require a DOE security clearance. Substance abuse or illegal drug use, falsification of information, criminal activity, serious misconduct or other indicators of untrustworthiness can cause a clearance to be denied or terminated by DOE, resulting in the inability to perform the duties assigned and subsequent termination of employment.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.

If you have a Medical Portable Electronic Device (MedPED), such as a pacemaker, defibrillator, drug-releasing pump, hearing aids, or diagnostic equipment and other equipment for measuring, monitoring, and recording body functions such as heartbeat and brain waves, if employed by Sandia National Laboratories you may be required to comply with NNSA security requirements for MedPEDs.

If you have a MedPED and you are selected for an on-site interview at Sandia National Laboratories, there may be additional steps necessary to ensure compliance with NNSA security requirements prior to the interview date.

This postdoctoral position is a temporary position for up to one year, which may be renewed at Sandia’s discretion up to five additional years. The PhD must have been conferred within five years prior to employment.

Individuals in postdoctoral positions may bid on regular Sandia positions as internal candidates, and in some cases may be converted to regular career positions during their term if warranted by ongoing operational needs, continuing availability of funds, and satisfactory job performance.