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ARCNL Research Field Physics » Metrology Physics » Optics Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Application Deadline 3 Apr 2027 - 13:02 (UTC) Country Netherlands Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Not Applicable Hours Per Week 40.0 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No Offer Description Work Activities How fast can a material switch its electronic state and what happens within a single optical cycle? Recent work in our group has shown that high-harmonic spectroscopy can track ultrafast phase transitions in solids such as NbO₂1, while High Harmonic Deactivation Microscopy (HADES) opens a path toward label-free nanoscale imaging2. However, resolving the underlying sub-cycle electronic and structural dynamics requires much higher temporal resolution. In this project, you will develop nonlinear pulse compression in gas-filled hollow-capillary fibers , exploiting soliton-like dynamics to generate intense few-cycle laser pulses3. These pulses will provide the temporal resolution needed to bring ultrafast dynamics into HADES and push microscopy toward the combined attosecond-nanometer frontier . Figure 1: Self-phase modulation-based pulse-compression scheme in a gas-filled hollow-capillary fibre. Figure taken from 4. What will you be doing: You will design and optimize a nonlinear pulse-compression scheme based on gas-filled hollow-capillary fibers, combining simulations with hands-on experiments. You will investigate soliton dynamics and nonlinear pulse propagation, characterize spectral broadening and pulse duration, and work toward generating intense few-cycle laser pulses. Ultimately, these pulses will be integrated into HADES microscope to enable access to ultrafast and potentially sub-cycle dynamics in solids. References: 1 Nie, Z., et al. "Following the nonthermal pha...



