Postdoctoral Research Fellow (M/F)

Job Description

Missions

The successful candidate will join a research team developing high-pressure quasi-elastic neutron scattering (HP-QENS) methodologies to investigate atomic and molecular dynamics in hydrogen-rich materials under extreme conditions. The project focuses on performing high-pressure QENS experiments using Paris–Edinburgh presses while developing new experimental approaches to extend neutron spectroscopy to increasingly extreme pressure regimes. Experimental work will be carried out primarily at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), making extensive use of the IN5, SHARPER, and PANTHER spectrometers. Scientific applications include high-pressure ices, planetary ice mixtures (H₂O–CH₄–NH₃), dense compressed liquids, hydrogen hydrates, and solid hydrogen.

Activity

Design and perform high-pressure quasi-elastic neutron scattering (HP-QENS) experiments using Paris–Edinburgh presses.
Contribute to the development of HP-QENS methodologies on the IN5 (SHARPER) and PANTHER spectrometers at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL).
Prepare and characterize high-pressure samples, including high-pressure ices, dense liquids, hydrogen hydrates, and other hydrogen-rich materials.
Carry out complementary neutron diffraction, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman, and infrared spectroscopy experiments.
Participate in the development of high-pressure sample environments and neutron instrumentation for extreme-condition experiments.
Analyze neutron scattering data in close collaboration with theoretical partners using molecular dynamics (MD), path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD), and density functional theory (DFT) calculations.
Disseminate research findings through publications in leading international journals and presentations at international conferences.

Your Profil

Skills

Design and perform high-pressure quasi-elastic neutron scattering (HP-QENS) experiments using Paris–Edinburgh presses.
Develop and implement novel HP-QENS methodologies on the IN5 (SHARPER) and PANTHER spectrometers at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL).
Prepare, characterize, and load high-pressure samples, including high-pressure ices, planetary ice mixtures, dense liquids, hydrogen hydrates, and solid hydrogen.
Carry out complementary neutron diffraction, synchrotron X-ray diffraction, Raman, and infrared spectroscopy experiments.
Contribute to the development of advanced high-pressure sample environments and experimental methodologies for neutron spectroscopy under extreme conditions.
Analyze neutron scattering data in close collaboration with theoretical partners using molecular dynamics (MD), path-integral molecular dynamics (PIMD), and density functional theory (DFT).
Publish research results in leading international journals and present findings at major international conferences.
Collaborate closely with scientists at the ILL and partner institutions within an international multidisciplinary research network.

Your Work Environment

The position is funded through a research project dedicated to advancing high-pressure quasi-elastic neutron scattering (HP-QENS) as a unique tool for probing hydrogen dynamics under extreme conditions. The successful candidate will be appointed at the Institut de Minéralogie, de Physique des Matériaux et de Cosmochimie (IMPMC, CNRS–Sorbonne Université, Paris) and will spend a significant fraction of their experimental activity at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL, Grenoble), working in close collaboration with the scientists of the IN5 (SHARPER) and PANTHER spectrometers.

The project combines the development of novel high-pressure neutron spectroscopy methodologies with their application to fundamental questions in condensed matter physics, planetary science, and geoscience. Research will focus on hydrogen dynamics in high-pressure ices, planetary ice mixtures, dense liquids, hydrogen hydrates, and solid hydrogen, contributing to the next generation of neutron spectroscopy under extreme pressure conditions.

Constraints and risks

Regular experimental campaigns at the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL, Grenoble) and other international large-scale research facilities.
Hands-on operation of state-of-the-art high-pressure equipment, including Paris–Edinburgh presses, cryogenic environments, and hydrogen loading systems.
Compliance with safety procedures for high-pressure, cryogenic, and compressed-gas experiments.

Compensation and benefits

Compensation

Gross monthly salary: €3,100–€3,700, depending on experience.

Annual leave and RTT

44 jours

Remote Working practice and compensation

Pratique et indemnisation du TT

Transport

Prise en charge à 75% du coût et forfait mobilité durable jusqu’à 300€

About the offer

About the CNRS

The CNRS is a major player in fundamental research on a global scale. The CNRS is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist allows it to bring together different disciplines to address the most important challenges of the contemporary world, in connection with the actors of change.

CNRS

The research professions