Apr 14, 2008

Strong field control of molecular dynamics with tailored femtosecond pulses - Institute of Physics, University of Kassel, Germany

With the advent of ultrashort femtosecond laser pulses the temporal aspect of the interplay of light and molecular dynamics came to the fore and became experimentally accessible. The beauty of femtochemistry lies in our ability to observe (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 1999 to A.H. Zewail) and to manipulate ultrafast processes as they occur.

It turns out that tailored femtosecond optical laser pulses (i.e. appropriately shaped fs light fields in phase, amplitude and polarization) are the suitable tools to exert microscopic control on molecular dynamics at the quantum level.
A detailed understanding of the physical processes especially in strong laser fields is quite important in order to improve the selectivity and efficiency of reaction control with tailored light fields. To that end we combine femtosecond laser techniques with atomic-/ molecular beam techniques and photoelectron-/ ion detection techniques.

In this area we offer this attractive PhD project in a state-of-the-art laser laboratory at the forefront of current laser technology, international co-operations, considerable research funds, lively atmosphere and team spirit, and a competitive salary based on the Marie-Curie regulations.

Kassel is located in the middle of Germany. It is placed in a region with old and long history, plenty of options for culture and leisure activities, and a nice landscape (woodlands).

For an application, besides the funding notes (see below), please consider our requirements : (1) You should have an experimental background in at least one of the following fields : laser physics, ultra-short laser pulses, pulse shaping, nonlinear optics (frequency conversion processes),quantum optics, coherent interactions between light and matter, molecular beam techniques, photoelectron- and ion- detection techniques. (2) You should have good communication skills. (3) Fluent English.

Please include the following documents in your application : (i) Statement of interest (please let us know, why you are interested in the announced position - and why do you think, you are an appropriate candidate for us ?); (ii) CV (also including a recent picture); (iii) Two letters of recommendation; (iv) Publication list & list of talks at conferences; (v) Please provide us with a phone number, so we can get in touch with you prior to a possible invitation.

If you meet the above criteria, we are very much looking forward to your application (preference : submitted as a pdf-file by email to Baumert@physik.uni-kassel.de)


Funding Notes
This project is funded by the Marie-Curie Initial Training Network (ITN) Ultrafast control of quantum dynamics by strong laser fields (FASTQUAST; http://icb.u-bourgogne.fr/fastquast/).
Citizens of EEC or of any other country, but not citizens of the host country (in this case Germany). Applicants must not have resided or carried out their main activity in the host country (in this case Germany) for more than 12 months in the three years immediately prior to their recruitment. Master degree obtained within the past four years (2008 included).

For a full record of our publications please visit our web-site at:
http://www.physik.uni-kassel.de/index.php?id=380&L=0
Here only some examples related to the PhD position are listed:

M. Wollenhaupt, D. Liese, A. Präkelt, C. Sarpe-Tudoran and T. Baumert
"Quantum control by ultrafast dressed states tailoring“
Chemical Physics Letters, 2006, 419, 184 - 190

T. Brixner, G. Krampert, T. Pfeiffer, R. Selle, G. Gerber, M. Wollenhaupt, O. Gräfe, C. Horn, D. Liese and T. Baumert
"Quantum Control by Ultrafast Polarization Shaping"
Phys. Rev. Lett. Vol. 92, No. 20, 2004, 208301-1-208301-4

M. Wollenhaupt, V. Engel and T. Baumert
"Femtosecond Laser Photoelectron Spectroscopy on Atoms and Small Molecules: Prototype Studies in Quantum Control"
Annual Review of Physical Chemistry, Vol. 56, 2005, 25 - 56

T. Brixner, T. Pfeifer, G. Gerber, M. Wollenhaupt and T. Baumert
"Optimal Control of Atomic, Molecular and Electron Dynamics with Tailored Femtosecond Laser Pulses"
in "Femtosecond Laser Spectroscopy" Editor: P. Hannaford, Springer Verlag , Chapter 9, 2005, 225-266.

M. Wollenhaupt, A. Assion and T. Baumert
"Femtosecond Laser Pulses: Linear Properties, Manipulation, Generation and Measurement"
in "Springer Handbook of Lasers and Optics" Editor: F. Träger, Springer Science and Business Media, LLC New York, 2007, Chapter 12, 937 - 983

A. Assion, T. Baumert, M. Bergt, T. Brixner, B. Kiefer, V. Seyfried, M. Strehle and G. Gerber
“Control of chemical reactions by feedback-optimized phase-shaped femtosecond laser pulses”
Science Vol. 282, 1998, 919-923.

Application Deadline 14 June 2008

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