The UK’s national synchrotron science facility, Diamond Light Source, conducts world-class research in virtually all fields of science. Located 20 minutes from Oxford, it sits in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and offers rewarding career opportunities.

Beamline I16 (Materials & Magnetism) has been operational for six years and provides a World-class single crystal diffraction facility that is optimised for resonant and magnetic x-ray scattering in the 3-15 keV energy range. It provides variable photon polarization, a six-circle kappa diffractometer and a range  of sample environments and advanced detectors, to support a vibrant UK and international research community and in-house team, focusing on electronic ordering in materials that are of topical interest in condensed matter physics.
We have a vacancy for a PDRA to develop plans for the development of beamline I16 (including development of the x-ray phase retarder), assist users with their experiments and contribute to the I16 in-house research programme in the field of x-ay studies of magnetism.

To develop plans for beamline development, assist users with their experiments and participate in the beamline’s in-house research activities in x-ray studies of magnetism.

Work in the team in the following areas:

• Provide expert advice in specific areas including x-ray phase retarding optics and sample cryogenics;
• Prepare detailed proposals for beamline development;
• Develop instrumentation for applying an electric field to a sample within a pulsed-tube cryostat;
• Assist users with their experiments, offer expert advice and act as ‘local contact’ for specific experiments;
• Participate in the I16 in-house research programme by providing expert advice on future projects, collecting and analysing data from the beamline;
• Assist with the development of off-line laboratory facilities.

• Appropriate First Degree;
• PhD;
• Good knowledge of x-ray diffraction and crystallography;
• Good knowledge of condensed matter physics, including magnetism;
• Experience with magnetic x-ray diffraction experiments;
• Experience of, and expertise in, x-ray phase-retarding optics;
• Experience of developing sample environment equipment, including high voltages with low temperatures;
• Ability and initiative to get to the heart of the problem and take it effectively through to completion;
• Good interpersonal, communication and presentational skills;
• Good organisational and planning skills;
• Ability to interact effectively with staff at all levels;
• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team;
• Self motivation;
• Must be available to travel occasionally within the UK and abroad, including overnight absences;
• Ability to work flexibly with occasional weekend and out-of hours working.

• Experience with Windows/Linux/Unix;
• Skilled in computer programming, ideally Python. 

• Must be available to travel occasionally within the UK and abroad, including overnight absences;
• Ability to work flexibly with occasional weekend and out-of hours working.