Post-doctoral researcher on Development of crystalline coating for future gravitational wave detectors - Metrology of mirror thermal noise (M/F)

  • Annecy, Haute-Savoie
  • CDD
  • Temps-plein
  • Il y a 21 jours
Offer DescriptionThe CNRS LAPP (Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique des Particules) institute is opening a postdoc position to work on a research and development program aiming at improving the sensitivity of laser interferometer gravitational wave detectors by reducing the effect of coating thermal noise. Indeed, the thermal noise due to the mirror coatings is the main limitation to the sensitivity of gravitational wave detectors like Virgo or LIGO and needs a breakthrough to achieve the very promising science that these detectors can deliver in the future. The solution pursued by the proposed research foresees the use of crystalline coatings made of GaAs/GaAlAs stacks grown via molecular beam epitaxy. The program is funded by the Agence Nationale de la Recherche and it is a collaboration between two laboratories at CNRS, a laboratory at CEA Grenoble and two companies in Paris. This activity is part of the research and development program pursued by the Virgo collaboration to improve the sensitivity of the Virgo detector. Therefore, the postdoc will be a member of the Virgo collaboration.The successful candidate will develop a table-top optical system aiming at the measurement of coating thermal noise by combining a high finesse cavity with a low noise laser. The system uses the difference between the coating thermal noises sensed by different Hermite-Gauss modes to measure the coating thermal noise while minimizing the effect from concurrent noises. The postdoc will setup the experiment and make the first measurements on crystalline coatings produced during the execution of the project. In addition, the postdoc will contribute to the optical and morphological characterizations of the samples. These characterisations will be done in the different labs participating to the project: LAPP, CNRS/LMA in Lyon and CEA Grenoble. The postdoc will follow all the phases of the project. In particular, he/she will contribute to a design study aiming at extending this technology over 300 mm diameters and at preparing the transfer on large substrates (40 kg to 100 kg) as the ones used in Virgo. The results of this research will be regularly discussed within the Virgo collaboration and within the larger LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration.LAPP is a laboratory of the Institute of Nuclear Physics and Particle Physics (IN2P3), an institute of the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), which coordinates programs in these fields. LAPP is a joint research unit (UMR 5814) of the CNRS and the University of Savoie Mont-Blanc (USMB). More than 150 researchers, teacher-researchers, engineers, technicians, administrators, students and foreign visitors work there. The research carried out at LAPP aims to study the physics of elementary particles and their fundamental interactions, as well as to explore their links with the great structures of the Universe. The work of the LAPP teams aims, among other things, to understand the origin of the mass of particles, to unravel the mystery of dark matter or to determine what happened to the anti-matter present in our universe at the time of the Big Bang.The work will be performed within the Virgo group. The Virgo group at LAPP is one of the largest of the Virgo collaboration. Nine researchers, a dozen of engineers and five students and postdocs, compose the team. The group receives support in the field of mechanical engineering, electronics engineering and computer science. Thanks to this support the group manages the detection system of the Virgo experiment i.e. all the optics, detectors and electronics necessary to extract, filter and readout the beams at the various outputs of the interferometer. An optics laboratory is devoted to these developments at LAPP. Moreover, the groups maintain and develops the data acquisition system, the interferometer global control system and the detector calibration. In this context, it contributes to the commissioning of the Virgo detector and in particular to the interferometer noise characterization and reduction. The group also contributes to the data analysis activities, in particular those devoted to the search of coalescing binaries and stochastic background. This activity is done within the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration.Candidates should apply via the CNRS Job Portal with a cover letter explaining their interest in the position and a detailed curriculum vitae containing a description of their research experience with a list of publications highlighting their personal contributions.
If you would like to send us references and letters of recommendation, please send them to . Further information can also be obtained from the same e-mail address.RequirementsResearch Field Physics Education Level PhD or equivalentLanguages FRENCH Level BasicResearch Field Physics Years of Research Experience 1 - 4Additional InformationEligibility criteriaPostdoctoral researcher at the start of their career who is interested in continuing to develop their skills by working on a large-scale international project.
PhD in Physics and in particular in experimental physics.
Good knowledge of optics.
Expertise in laboratory work.
Prior experiences with lasers will be a plus.
Ability to work in team.
Ability to present clearly its own work.
Good English skills (C1 min).Website for additional job detailsWork Location(s)Number of offers available 1 Company/Institute Laboratoire d'Annecy de Physique des Particules Country France City ANNECY GeofieldWhere to apply WebsiteContact CityANNECY WebsiteSTATUS: EXPIRED

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