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

• 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

As a university, we strive for equal opportunities for all, recognising that diversity takes many forms. We believe that diversity in all its complexity is invaluable for the quality of our teaching, research and service. We are always looking for talent with diverse backgrounds and experiences. This also means that we are committed to creating an inclusive community so that we can use diversity as an asset.

We realise that each individual brings a unique set of skills, expertise and mindset. Therefore we are happy to invite anyone who recognises themselves in the profile to apply, even if you do not meet all the requirements.

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

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.

• 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

From forest fires to big data, from obesity to malnutrition, from helium to the universe and from genetics to medicine: our education and research cover the full breadth of science, from molecules to mankind. Our academic education and research are highly experimental, technical and interdisciplinary in nature. That is why we collaborate extensively with leading scientific institutes and industry. The faculty has more than 8,000 students studying in one of the 39 programms and employs more than 1,400 staff across 10 scientific departments, making us one of the largest science faculties in the Netherlands.

We are located on one physical campus, in the heart of Amsterdam's Zuidas business district, with excellent location and accessibility.  Over 6,150 staff work at the VU and over 31,000 students attend academic education.

We stand for an inclusive community and believe that diversity and internationalisation contribute to the quality of education, research and our services.

Therefore, we are always searching for people whose backgrounds and experience contribute to the diversity of the VU community.

Do you want to be the one who makes this measurement? Then we look forward to your application. Please include:

• a detailed CV
• a cover letter describing your background, motivation and skills (max. 1 page)
• transcripts with all your grades from your BSc and MSc studies
• your MSc thesis, or a draft if it is not finished yet
• your diploma(s)
• the names and contact details of two references

Applications will be considered until the position is filled. For questions, contact [email protected]. 

More about the project: SAMURAI and www.molecularions.com