Post-Doctoral Fellow in Imaging experiments SEATBELT Project

Context of the mission
This post-doctoral position is being offered within the framework of the groundbreaking five-year SEATBELT Horizon project, involving 14 high-profile partners from academia and industry across Europe (https://seatbelt-project.eu/).

As of 2025, new generations of Li batteries based on Li metal (Gen. 4b) anodes, where flammable liquid electrolyte is replaced by a non-flammable solid electrolyte, will take over the current Li-ion technology. Only all-solid-state Gen. 4b Li batteries are expected to fulfil the cell gravimetric energy density specifications required by electromobility (as well as stationary applications) while ensuring passenger safety through increased crashworthiness. The ambition of the SEATBELT project, therefore, is to generate, by 2026, a local EU industry based on a cost-effective and robust all-solid-state Li battery comprising sustainable materials.

ILL, a world leader in neutron science and technologies, is a partner of the SEATBELT consortium and participates in the work package ensuring the safety of the final device. The successful candidate will work in the Large Scale Structures (LSS) group, which comprises a range of instruments designed to carry out studies on the structure of matter on a scale of one to hundreds of nanometres. The range of science covered is very broad, from polymer and colloid science through structural molecular biology to materials science and magnetic phenomena.

This post-doctoral position focuses on performing tests on lithium batteries in extreme conditions (mechanical compression/thermal runaway) while acquiring neutron and X-ray images in operando conditions, neutrons being particularly sensitive to lithium and X-rays sensitive to minute changes to the microstructure. These experiments will be performed at the NeXT instrument, ILL's recently upgraded neutron/X-ray tomography station at ILL (https://next-grenoble.fr/) with the highest cold neutron flux available worldwide.

Your tasks
The goal of the mission is to help with finalising/optimising the all-solid state batteries for safety testing under extreme conditions with a dedicated sample environment, and finally with performing the tests. Depending on your abilities, you will be responsible for performing data analysis to extract the main observables from the experiments. You will work in a multidisciplinary, international environment and interact with our SEATBELT partners, in particular the nearby CEA and Université Grenoble-Alpes.

Your profile
-PhD in physics, material science, or physical chemistry
-Highly motivated candidate with a strong interest in imaging and data analysis
-Familiarity with software for processing imaging data would be an advantage (e.g. Python)
-Some understanding of mechanics or battery electrochemistry is desirable.

What we offer
Quality of life - A hub for research and technology, the city of Grenoble is ideally located in the heart of the French Alps (just 3 hours from Paris/Provence by train, 1 hour from Lyon international airport and 1 ½ hours from Geneva). It is important for us that our staff achieve a healthy work-life balance. We therefore offer home working (under certain conditions), generous annual paid leave entitlement and a host of other benefits that you will discover when you arrive!
Prospects - We guarantee you a secure 18-month post-doctoral contract. Only candidates holding a PhD obtained within the last 4 years are eligible for post-doctoral positions at ILL.
Benefits - We offer generous social benefits (expatriation allowance, excellent health cover), moving and relocation assistance (under certain conditions) and an annual productivity bonus. We also offer language courses for you and your partner and subsidies for the use of public transport and the staff canteen, as well as for holidays and a variety of cultural and sports activities.

Sounds interesting?
Then why not take your next career step with us by applying online - preferably in English - via our career portal by 22.10.2023, quoting reference number 23/37, with a list of publications and the names of 3 referees, including one from your present work place. Please note that all applicants are subject to administrative screening. For this post, medical fitness for work under ionising radiation is required.
We are committed to equal opportunities and diversity and therefore welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates.

The Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL) is based in Grenoble (France) and operates Europe's leading
research facility for basic research with neutrons. United by our passion for progress and
technology, we drive science and research forward every day. Together, we can pave the way
for discoveries that will help to make our world a better place.