Vacant job

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is consistently ranked among the world's leading universities. We have approximately 46,000 students and 8,500 employees in Lund, Helsingborg, and Malmö. We are united in our strive to understand, explain, and improve our world and people's conditions.

Your Team

The project is a collaboration between MAX IV (specifically the beamline DanMAX), the BatMAX hub, and Chalmers University of Technology. This position offers an exciting opportunity for a candidate who wishes to work in an environment characterized by close collaboration among many tightly interconnected teams.

DanMAX, part of the Hard X-ray Group at MAX IV, is a beamline within materials science specializing in X-ray diffraction and full-field imaging techniques. The beamline has a broad user base ranging from physics and chemistry to medical science. A significant portion of the user base conducts research on batteries and battery materials.

This postdoctoral position in X-ray diffraction and computed tomography (XRD-CT) is attached to the Division of Solid Mechanics at Lund University. Research in solid mechanics at Lund University focuses particularly on theoretical, numerical, and experimental aspects of material mechanics. The department conducts extensive activities in the development and application of X-ray and neutron methods for materials research, including research to understand the coupled electrochemical-mechanical processes in solid-state batteries; this research is linked to the broader battery research community in Lund.

The Project

The project will be carried out within the BatMAX hub at MAX IV, which is a consortium consisting of four universities (Chalmers, Lund, Uppsala, and Aarhus). These institutions will collaborate closely to address challenges related to solid-state sodium-ion batteries through six weeks of beamtime per year distributed across six different beamlines. The BatMAX hub is connected to the Battery Matrix, an internal group at MAX IV that facilitates collaboration across the entire laboratory in battery research. This postdoctoral position will play an active role in activities spanning multiple beamlines, both through the BatMAX hub and the Battery Matrix.

The position is one of three postdoctoral positions linked to the BatMAX consortium, each with a different focus, connecting university groups with MAX IV. The positions are funded through the national strategic initiative COMPEL, aimed at strengthening battery research and education in Sweden.

DanMAX has offered XRD-CT experiments as part of the user program for some time, but the methodology has not yet been optimized. In this project, we will optimize the scanning method, hardware, and analysis software to make this powerful method more accessible and usable. Recently, new diamond CRLs (Compound Refractive Lenses) have been acquired for DanMAX, enabling beam focusing to approximately 1–2 µm and significantly improving the achievable resolution. Combined with our fast tomography tables and improved scanning sequencing, significant improvements in temporal and spatial resolution will become possible, enabling an expansion of the application area for this type of experiment in battery research, as well as in many other research fields. The project will also include the development of algorithms for iterative reconstruction and noise reduction to improve the quality of spatially resolved XRD data.

MAX IV and the BatMAX consortium are looking for a postdoc who will:

• Lead the development of X-ray diffraction and computed tomography (XRD-CT) at the DanMAX beamline in close collaboration with the Solid Mechanics group at LU.
• Participate scientifically and technically in the BatMAX project in collaboration with the consortium.
• Participate in the MAX IV Battery Matrix, particularly in projects spanning multiple beamlines.

Your main tasks will include:

• Working at the DanMAX beamline. Specifically, leading the development of XRD-CT, including the development of hardware, scanning algorithms, and reconstruction software.
• Participating in the operation of the beamline, i.e., user support, hardware maintenance, and software development, with a focus on battery research and the application of XRD-CT.
• Conducting experimental research utilizing XRD-CT for battery research.
• Participating in the BatMAX consortium, including planning beamtime, conducting experiments, analyzing results, and authoring scientific articles.

To succeed in the role, you must have the following qualifications:

• A PhD in chemistry, physics, engineering, or a related field.
• Documented experience with X-ray imaging/diffraction techniques, e.g., XRD-CT, 3D-XRD, µ/nanoCT, STXM, or similar.
• Experience with computer programming for data analysis, e.g., Python.
• Documented ability to work both independently and in a team.
• Excellent command of English, as well as good communication and collaboration skills.

The following are considered merits:

• Knowledge of tomographic reconstruction techniques.
• Experience with experiments at synchrotron and/or neutron sources.
• Experience with and a good understanding of electrochemistry, including batteries.
• Knowledge of solid-state and/or sodium-ion battery chemistry.
• Experience with user support at user facilities.

Qualifications

To be appointed to a postdoctoral position, the applicant must have a PhD or an international degree considered equivalent to a PhD within the field of the position, and this degree must have been awarded no more than three years before the application deadline. Under special circumstances, the PhD may have been awarded prior to the aforementioned three-year period.

For the full advertisement and application, visit: https://lu.varbi.com/se/what:job/jobID:943545/ (https://lu.varbi.com/se/what:job/jobID:943545/)