Pulsed Power Physicist

About the role

The is a hands-on technical lead responsible for optimizing the conversion and delivery of stored electromagnetic energy into high-quality electron beams on target. You will analyze and refine system-level parameters to maximize beam efficiency and energy deposition while ensuring reliable operation. A core part of this position involves owning the entire lifecycle of cathode hardware, directing design, fabrication, and testing efforts for explosive emission, thermionic, and photocathode technologies. You will architect and refine hibachi foil and anode grid structures to improve beam transport integrity and reduce losses. This role requires leading experimental campaigns from initial concept through data collection and final reporting, ensuring rigorous methodology and reproducible results. You will translate physical insights into cathode and transport models, balancing analytical approaches, particle-in-cell simulations, and SPICE-style circuit analyses to inform hardware decisions. Collaboration with materials vendors and integration teams will be essential to align subsystem performance with larger diode and laser architectures. Ultimately, you will serve as the technical authority on cathode physics and beam dynamics, driving program progress through analysis, documentation, and execution.

Key facts

What you'll do

• You will Optimize beam efficiency and energy deposition on target by analyzing experimental data and adjusting system parameters.
• Lead design, fabrication, and testing of cathode systems across multiple emitter technologies (explosive emission, thermionic, photocathodes) from initial concept to hardware delivery.
• Design and optimize hibachi foil/anode grid structures for beam transport efficiency using a combination of modeling, simulation, and empirical validation.
• You will Lead experimental campaigns end-to-end, including setup, measurement, troubleshooting, and final analysis of pulsed power experiments.
• Develop and validate cathode and beam transport models (analytical, PIC, SPICE) to guide design decisions; roughly equal balance of modeling and experimental work.
• Operate and maintain UHV vacuum systems (target < 10^-9 Torr) including bakeout, leak checking, pumping cycles, and routine maintenance procedures.
• Survey prior art on emitter technologies, beam transport methods, and cathode physics to identify opportunities for innovation and risk reduction.
• Own experimental program documentation: test reports, design records, operating procedures, and data management practices to ensure traceability and reproducibility.
• Manage hardware procurement, BOM tracking, and vendor relationships for cathode subsystems, including part selection, quoting, and schedule coordination.
• Interface with potential commercial emitter suppliers on procurement, packaging, handling, and quality assurance to ensure compliance with program requirements.
• Support integration of cathode systems into larger diode and laser architectures, aligning electrical, mechanical, and thermal interfaces.
• Analyze diagnostic data from Faraday cups, beam imaging systems, energy analyzers, and calorimeters to correlate beam performance with design intent.
• Implement and refine vacuum-compatible high-voltage feedthroughs, insulators, and support structures that meet pulsed power and UHV constraints.
• Evaluate new materials and coating options for emitters and grids to improve lifetime, emission uniformity, and outgassing behavior.
• You will contribute to cross-functional design reviews, failure mode analysis, and mitigation planning for critical cathode and beam components.

Requirements

• Education: PhD in physics, electrical engineering, or closely related field (MS with exceptional relevant experience considered) with a strong focus on vacuum electronics, beam physics, or high-power pulsed systems.
• Deep expertise in beam diagnostics (Faraday cups, beam imaging, energy analysis, calorimetry) with demonstrated ability to interpret measurements and resolve inconsistencies.
• You need Hands-on experience with vacuum electronics and electron-beam generation, including high-voltage handling and pulsed current conditioning.
• Able to independently design experiments, interpret results, and write up findings clearly in both internal reports and external-facing documentation.
• Experience building and commissioning complex experimental systems end-to-end (mechanical, electrical, vacuum, controls) from bench-scale prototypes to integrated test articles.
• You need Familiarity with high-voltage pulsed power systems (100 kV+) including Marx generators, transmission lines, and fast-switching components.
• You need Proficiency with lab instrumentation (SMUs, oscilloscopes, HV power supplies, high-bandwidth diagnostics) and associated data acquisition and analysis tools.
• Comfortable working across mechanical, electrical, and physics domains in a small team where adaptability, ownership, and cross-disciplinary communication are essential.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum due to ITAR and export control considerations.

Skills & tools

You will use aws for data storage, logging, and infrastructure orchestration where applicable. You will use go for backend services, control software, and automation tools that interface with hardware. You will use rust for performance-critical components, instrumentation drivers, and real-time data processing pipelines. You will use node for web-based interfaces, visualization tools, and front-end logic that supports experiment control and data review.

Practical notes

Note: For , Optimize beam efficiency and energy deposition on target. Lead design, fabrication, and testing of cathode systems across multiple emitter technologies (explosive emission, thermionic, photocathodes). Design and optimize hibachi foil/anode grid structures for beam transport efficiency. For , Lead experimental campaigns end-to-end. Develop and validate cathode and beam transport models (analytical, PIC, SPICE) to guide design decisions; roughly equal balance of modeling and experimental work. Operate and maintain UHV vacuum systems (target < 10^-9 Torr) including bakeout, leak checking, and pumping systems. Survey prior art on emitter technologies, beam transport, and cathode physics. Own experimental program documentation: test reports, design records, operating procedures, and data management. Manage hardware procurement, BOM tracking, and vendor relationships for cathode subsystems. Interface with potential commercial emitter suppliers on procurement, packaging, and quality. Support integration of cathode systems into larger diode and laser architectures.