Postdoc: “NanoXUV” - Nonlinear Metaphotonics for UV Semiconductor Metrology

Postdoc: “NanoXUV” - Nonlinear Metaphotonics for UV Semiconductor Metrology

Institute AMOLF

Amsterdam, Netherlands

From € 4.552 per month gross

Work Activities

In the “NanoXUV” research program the Resonant Nanophotonics team at AMOLF (lead: Femius Koenderink) and the High-Harmonic Generation and EUV Science team at ARCNL (lead: Peter Kraus) develop nanophotonic structures that convert infrared wavelengths to light of very short wavelength, in the UV and even extreme ultraviolet. The need for such a technology comes from the the extreme miniaturisation of micro-electronics, which places extreme demands not just on nanofabrication, but also on inspection methods that visualize the manufactured devices. While optical inspection methods have the advantage of being fast and non-destructive, they typically face the challenge that features that are to be resolved are much smaller than the diffraction limit associated with the usual visible or infrared wavelengths. In this program we envision optical metasurfaces pumped by femtosecond infrared pulses that emit XUV light for metrology.

How do you design optical metasurfaces that efficiently radiate UV light by nonlinear frequency conversion through 3rd, 5th and high-harmonic generation? How do the geometry of meta-atoms and their arrangement in the metasurface translate into bright sources, and how do you generate that emit beams that are structured in amplitude, phase and polarization for super-resolution metrology? We offer a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship to tackling these questions, working in both groups and with PhD students engaged in metasurfaces, metrology, and solid-state HHG. The research targets both academic and applied breakthroughs, for which we will frequently interact with industry partners at ASML. Our team has everything required for this project available in house, including electromagnetic design and theory, the cleanroom nanofabrication facilities to realize optical metasurfaces, and ultrafast laser setups for THG and HHG generation and microscopy.

Qualifications

Mandatory:

You have (or will receive in the near future) a PhD degree in nanophotonics and /or ultrafast light-matter interaction. You enjoy performing experiments and analysis to stepwise build a deeper understanding of complex physical mechanisms. For this position, we are particularly looking for a candidate who is eager to span disciplines, combining state-of-the-art ultrafast laser optics with design, fabrication, and spectroscopy of metasurfaces. A solid background in both optics/optics engineering and condensed matter physics would be ideal.

Experience in one or more of the following topics is expected:

• Nanophotonics of e.g. metasurfaces, photonic crystals, or plasmonic structures;
• Ultrafast lasers and optics and /or advanced microscopy of nanophotonic systems;
• Condensed matter physics & fundamental optical processes in solids.

Additionally proficiency with data analysis (Python, MATLAB), an interest in electromagnetic simulation and nanofabrication, as well as very good verbal and written communication skills in English are expected.