PhD student in laser spectroscopy

Are you interested in working with femtosecond lasers and their application to liquid-phase chemical reactions, with the support of competent and friendly colleagues in an international environment? Are you looking for an employer that invests in sustainable employeeship and offers safe, favourable working conditions? We welcome you to apply for a doctoral position at Uppsala University.

The research conducted at the Department of Physics and Astronomy encompasses a wide range of physics topics, distributed over nine divisions. The department is located in the Ångström laboratory and employs nearly 400 people, 100 of whom are doctoral students. It offers a broad physics curriculum to undergraduate and graduate students, participation in nationally and internationally leading projects for researchers, and opportunities for partnership with industry and various outreach activities. Read more on www.uu.se/physics.

The research will be conducted in the research program for Chemical and Bio-Molecular Physics at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University, which focuses on understanding the fundamental properties and ultrafast processes of matter at the atomic length and time scales of Ångströms and femtoseconds. The program has a leading position in the use of X-rays for probing atoms, molecules and chemical and biomolecular systems. We develop and apply novel X-ray methods and instrumentation and aim at revealing how the properties of a system result from its electronic structure and dynamics with applications in environmental, biophysical and chemical systems.

Duties

The PhD student will perform femtosecond laser spectroscopy experiments in the HELIOS laser laboratory operated by the division of X-ray Photon Science at Uppsala University. The goal is to study the charge dynamics during liquid-phase chemical reactions relevant to fields like light-harvesting and bond activation. The PhD student will contribute to the development of novel femtosecond THz and optical spectroscopy infrastructure and will design, execute, and analyze experiments aimed at understanding how molecular charge distributions drive chemical reactivity in catalysis. Additional responsibilities of the PhD student include the writing of scientific manuscripts, presentation of research findings at internal meetings and international conferences, as well as the active participation in collaborations with other experimental and theoretical groups.

Requirements

To meet the entry requirements for doctoral studies, you must

• hold a Master’s (second-cycle) degree in physics, chemistry (or related subject), or
• have completed at least 240 credits in higher education, with at least 60 credits at Master’s level including an independent project worth at least 15 credits, or
• have acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way.

The position also requires very good oral and written proficiency in English.

Additional qualifications

Very good knowledge of molecular physics and spectroscopy are considered an asset, as well as previous hands-on experience with laser spectroscopy and instrumentation. Experience with quantum chemical simulations is an advantage, but not necessarily required.

Rules governing PhD students are set out in the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5, §§ 1-7 and in Uppsala University's rules and guidelines .

About the employment

The employment is a temporary position according to the Higher Education Ordinance chapter 5 § 7. Scope of employment 100 %. Starting date 01-02-2027 or as agreed. Placement: Uppsala

Information about doctoral education, eligibility requirements and admission rules can be found on the web site of the Faculty of Science and Technology .

For further information about the position, please contact: Dr. Raphael Jay, +46 76-022 67 04, raphael.jay@physics.uu.se.

In this recruitment we have replaced the cover letter with questions that you are asked to answer when making your application. The answers will be used as a part of the selection process.

Please submit your application by 20 November 2026, UFV-PA 2026/2816.

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