Postdoctoral Research Associate in Novel Optical Sources Gas-Filled Hollow-Fibers

Overview

Role: Research Associate in Novel Optical Sources Based on Gas-Filled Hollow-Fibers

Grade and Salary: Grade 7, £37,694 - £47,389 per annum

FTE and working pattern: 1 FTE, 35 hrs per week, Monday – Friday

Contract: 24 Months FTC

Holiday Entitlement: 33 days annual leave plus 9 buildings closed days (and Christmas Eve when it falls on a weekday)

This Research Associate position will support the research and development of a new generation of light source based on gas-filled hollow fibers. Despite the rise of novel nonlinear materials, the generation, control and application of light sources in the ultraviolet spectral region has proven to be a long standing challenge. The goal of this scientific research project is to demonstrate the best in class light source in the deep UV by exploiting the broadband guidance handling capabilities of modern hollow fibers filled with gases.

Such light source will allow exquisite control of key light parameters such as pulse durations, emission wavelengths and repetition rates and it will open new spectroscopy, industrial and healthcare applications.

The project main focus will be on experiments carried out at the LUPO laboratories at Heriot-Watt University. This will provide plenty of opportunities to master state of the art research-grade lasers and develop applied optics skills, instrument control, numerical modelling and demonstrate fundamental physics conundrums.

• Use of CAD design software and waveguide FEM solver
• Working with and testing anti-resonant, capillary and solid-state fibers
• Building and troubleshooting gas-filling system for hollow-core fibers
• Building optical setup for temporal characterization of ultrashort pulses in ultraviolet, visible and near-infrared
• Working with ultrafast optical setups and lasers with high-average and high-peak power
• Building of optical cavities
• Running existing simulation codes in Julia and processing their results. Helping to develop new models and algorithms to simulate pulse propagation, the material response, and other aspects of our experiments. Coding in Python
• Assisting with the filing and generation of intellectual property and technology transfer
• Assisting in the day-to-day maintenance of the experimental facilities, liaising with companies and external collaborators
• Assisting with engagement with industrial partners, and preparation of experimental demonstrations and writing of detailed technical reports

Applications can be submitted up to midnight (UK time) on Tuesday 27th January 2026.

Please submit your CV & covering letter via the Heriot-Watt online recruitment.

We welcome and will consider flexible working patterns e.g., part-time working and job share options.

Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised, and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website  and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers

Use our total rewards calculator:  to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

The laboratory of ultrafast physics and optics (LUPO) uses nonlinear…