PhD studentship: 4-year studentship in laser-matter interactions

The Physics and Astronomy Department is located in the heart of the historical area of Bloomsbury. Scientific research and study has been a strong feature of UCL since its inception in 1826 and the Department is currently one of the top ranked Physics departments in the country, and indeed the world. We have forged an internationally renowned reputation for being at the forefront of world leading research and providing high class teaching. Those joining us can expect to be part of a dynamic community of Physicists and Astronomers whose enthusiasm for science and innovation is exceptional.

A 4-year PhD position is available in the group of Prof. Agapi Emmanouilidou at University College London as part of the 4-year Leverhulme Trust grant “Ultrafast phenomena instigated by core electron motion in X-ray Free-Electron Lasers (XFEL)-driven molecules”.

Project: The goal will be to significantly advance the state of the art in theoretical and computational techniques in order to investigate coherent excitation and ionization, photoionization time delays in multi-centre molecules driven by ultra-short XFEL pulses as well as to control the interplay of electron and nuclear dynamics during the break-up of XFEL-driven triatomics. FELs are short-wavelength pulses that are orders of magnitude more intense than the pulses provided by conventional light sources, ranging from XUV pulses of a few eV to hard X-rays of a few thousand eV.

The PhD student, with the group of Prof. Emmanouilidou, will investigate largely unexplored ultrafast phenomena in XFEL-driven molecules.

Such ultrafast phenomena are:

• identifying signatures of quantum-interference on ionization spectra due to coherent excitation and ionization, and obtaining the photoionization time delays of inner-shell electrons in multi-centre molecules, with fixed nuclei, driven by ultra-short XFEL-pulses; • controlling the interplay of single-photon ionization and Auger-Meitner processes, the coupling of electron and nuclear motion, and imaging structural dynamics, i.e. the geometry of the nuclei during the break-up of XFEL-driven triatomics.

Studying these ultrafast phenomena is a scientific frontier due to their fundamental nature and the remarkable advances in generating ultra-short XFEL-pulses.

Studentship: The PhD student will focus on developing advanced and state-of-the-art quantum-mechanical techniques in order to address these ultrafast phenomena. The PhD student will develop the theory with the group of Prof. Emmanouilidou in the Physics and Astronomy Department at University College London.

One of the highly exciting aspects of this work is that it involves close collaboration with top experimental groups working on the interaction of molecules with FEL and XFEL pulses at Stanford and the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics.

Candidate profile: The ideal PhD candidate should have strong knowledge of quantum mechanics and mathematics, should have strong skills in analytical derivations and be willing to acquire computational skills.

How to apply: If you are interested in this PhD position please contact Prof. Agapi Emmanouilidou by e-mail at

Start date: Available immediately or 1st October 2026.

Funding: The 4-year position is fully funded (stipend and tuition fees are covered). UK students and EU students with permanent residence can apply. International students can also be considered assuming additional funding is found to cover international tuition fees.

Customer advert reference: B04-07191

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