Postdoc in the field of soft matter physics applied in robotics

The University | About us...

The University of Luxembourg is an international research university with a distinctly multilingual and interdisciplinary character. The University was founded in 2003 and counts more than 6,700 students and more than 2,000 employees from around the world. The University's faculties and interdisciplinary centres focus on research in the areas of Computer Science and ICT Security, Materials Science, European and International Law, Finance and Financial Innovation, Education, Contemporary and Digital History. In addition, the University focuses on cross-disciplinary research in the areas of Data Modelling and Simulation as well as Health and System Biomedicine. Times Higher Education ranks the University of Luxembourg #3 worldwide for its "international outlook," #20 in the Young University Ranking 2021 and among the top 250 universities worldwide.

The Faculty of Science, Technology and Medicine (FSTM) contributes multidisciplinary expertise in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Engineering, Computer Science, Life Sciences and Medicine. Through its dual mission of teaching and research, the FSTM seeks to generate and disseminate knowledge and train new generations of responsible citizens, in order to better understand, explain and advance society and environment we live in.

Your Role...

The position focuses on the materials science and optics aspect of an interdisciplinary project exploring a new generation of fiducial markers (used in robotics and Augmented Reality to encode information about objects on which the markers are applied) designed to be invisible to humans, yet easily readable using suitable machine vision, and carrying encrypted messages interpretable only by authorized parties. The markers are made using polymerized Cholesteric liquid crystal Spherical selective Retroreflectors (CSRs), which you will be producing in our labs, also refining their design and analyzing their optical properties. This is a strongly multidisciplinary project, carried out in collaboration with Prof. Holger Voos, head of the Automation & Robotics Group (ARG), and Prof. Gabriele Lenzini, head of the Interdisciplinary Research group in Sociotechnical Cybersecurity (IRiSC), both at the UL Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust (SnT). You will be a member of the ESMP group at DPhyMS, FSTM, working under the supervision of the group leader Prof. Jan Lagerwall, and you will be working closely together with a PhD candidate of the ARG group and a post-doc of the IRiSC group. While being rooted in soft matter physics/chemistry and photonics, the teamwork will expose you to challenges within computer science, encryption, and robotics engineering.

You will be adapting our methods for making CSR-based fiducial markers with the explicit aims to maximize signal strength over large distances without compromising angle-independent detectability and invisibility to humans, test and improve robustness against physical wear and varying weather conditions, and take part in the design and realization of optimized portable read-out equipment that includes both tailor-made illuminators and machine vision operating in the invisible UV/IR ranges.

Activities

• Participate actively in the research project as described above
• Write manuscripts for articles to be published in leading international scientific journals
• Contribute to interdisciplinary research intersecting materials physics, computer science and robotic engineering, as well as to teaching and public outreach activities

What we expect from you…

This project calls for an open character with curiosity across discipline boundaries, combining the problem-solving mindset of an engineer, the materials optimization strategies of a chemist, with a physicist's fascination for science and desire for in-depth understanding. We do not expect any single person to be an expert across all fields, but you must be open to learn about and embrace challenges in fields you may not yet have been working with. We thus warmly encourage you to apply even if you feel that you only partially meet the criteria in terms of background and expertise, as you will have the opportunity to acquire the missing knowledge while working on the project.

• This project requires that you have a nationality from a NATO country
• PhD in physics, chemistry or materials science/engineering
• Experience in quantitative research methods and practical work in physics/engineering labs
• Curiosity, a genuine passion for scientific research and a desire to go beyond the state of the art
• Good knowledge and understanding of materials physics and chemistry, especially polarized light optics, light-matter interaction, and the thermodynamics of phases and phase transitions. We consider knowledge in and experience of soft matter physics and chemistry, especially in polymers and liquid crystals, as strong assets
• Openness to interdisciplinary research and commitment to teamwork
• Commitment and capacity to critical thinking and good research ethics
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English

How to apply...

Applications should include:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Motivation letter answering the following questions:
  • Why do you want to work as a postdoctoral researcher?
  • Why do you want to work at the University of Luxembourg?
  • Why do you want to work in the Experimental Soft Matter Physics group?
  • Why do you want to work on this project?
• PDF version of your PhD thesis (file should be no larger than 20MB; compress images if necessary)
• List of publications with a paragraph explaining your main contributions
• Digital copies of diplomas and complete course grade transcripts (Ph.D., M.Sc. (if available) and B.Sc.)

Early application is highly encouraged, as the applications will be processed upon reception. Please apply ONLINE formally through the HR system. Applications by email will not be considered.

The University of Luxembourg embraces inclusion and diversity as key values. We are fully committed to removing any discriminatory barrier related to gender, and not only, in recruitment and career progression of our staff.

General information:

• Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract 12 Month
• Work Hours: Full Time 40.0 Hours per Week
• Location: Campus Limpertsberg
• Job Reference: UOL06548

The yearly gross salary for every Postdoctoral Researcher at the UL is EUR 83099 (full time)

For further information please see the website of the ESMP group, www.lcsoftmatter.com, or contact its leader, Prof. Jan Lagerwall,