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 the human condition.

Your Team

The project is a collaboration between MAX IV and the DanMAX beamline, 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 coupled 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 NanoCT service is linked to the Division of Materials Physics (Prof. A. Matic) at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Chalmers University of Technology, which has a strong research focus on next-generation chemical compositions and operando characterization of batteries using X-ray imaging and spectroscopy. Batteries@Chalmers brings together over 99 researchers across six departments to develop education, research, and infrastructure within battery technology. Extensive research is conducted on materials, cell concepts, manufacturing, battery management, monitoring, aging, life cycle analysis, and recycling.

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 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 Battery Matrix.

The position is one of three postdoctoral roles 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. NanoCT has been demonstrated at DanMAX but remains in a development stage not yet ready for users without expert knowledge. The goal of the project is to develop both the previously demonstrated X-ray microscopy mode and the holographic tomography mode. This includes the development of software for experimental control, phase retrieval, and reconstruction. It will also involve developing best practices for nanoCT on batteries, with a particular focus on minimizing radiation damage and enabling in operando nanoCT.

MAX IV and the BatMAX consortium are seeking a postdoctoral researcher who will:

• lead the development of nanocomputed tomography (nanoCT) at the DanMAX beamline in close collaboration with the Matic group at Chalmers.
• participate scientifically and technically in the BatMAX project in collaboration with the consortium.
• participate in Battery Matrix, particularly in projects spanning multiple beamlines.

Your main responsibilities will be to:

• work at the DanMAX beamline. Specifically, to lead the development of nanoCT as a practically usable technique at DanMAX.
• participate in the operation of the beamline, i.e., user support as well as maintenance of hardware and software.
• develop experimental research utilizing nanoCT for battery research.
• participate in the BatMAX consortium, including planning beamtimes, conducting experiments, analyzing results, and writing scientific articles.

To be successful in this role, you must have the following qualifications:

• A PhD in chemistry, physics, or a related field.
• Documented experience with X-ray imaging techniques, such as µCT, nanoCT, TXM, or similar.
• Experience in computer programming for data analysis, e.g., Python.
• Proven ability to work both independently and in a team.
• Excellent command of English, as well as strong communication and collaboration skills.

The following are considered meritorious:

• Experience with X-ray optics for imaging.
• Experience with experiments at synchrotron and/or neutron sources.
• Experience with and good understanding of electrochemical processes, including batteries.
• Knowledge of solid-state and/or sodium-ion battery chemistry.
• Experience with user support at user facilities.

For the full advertisement and application, please visit: https://lu.varbi.com/se/what:job/jobID:943542/ (https://lu.varbi.com/se/what:job/jobID:943542/)