PHD

21 Jul 2026

ARCNL Research Field

Physics » Applied physics Physics » Optics Researcher Profile

First Stage Researcher (R1)

Application Deadline 31 Aug 2026 - 21:59 (UTC)

Country

Netherlands

Type of Contract

Temporary

Job Status

Not Applicable

Hours Per Week

40.0

Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme?

Not funded by a EU programme

Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure?

No

Offer Description

Work Activities

This fully funded PhD position lies at the interface between fundamental physics and industrial application. It is part of activities in ARCNL's Source Department. The research activities of the Source Department aim at an atomic- and molecular-level understanding of the fundamental dynamics in the operation of contemporary and future plasma-based sources of extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) and beyond-EUV light for nanolithography.

In our group's research we, for example, uncovered the quantum origins of the generated EUV light [Torretti, Nature Comms. Nature Commun. 11 , (2020)], found a universal law for expanding plasma [Sheil, Phys. Rev. Lett. 133 , (2024)], and found that less than half the initial droplet volume is present on thin tin sheet targets as used in EUV sources [Liu, Phys. Rev. Appl. 20 , (2023)], and work on an alternative EUV source solution [Mostafa, Appl. Phys. Lett. 123 , (2023)].

Background

The revolutionary introduction of EUV lithography was the culmination of several decades of collaborative work between industry and science - a Project Apollo of the digital age. The short, 13.5-nm EUV wavelength enables patterning the smallest, smartest, and most energy-efficient features on chips. The required 13.5-nm radiation is generated from plasma that is produced from tiny tin droplets that are heated by powerful laser pulses. At ARCNL, we are now thinking about light sources that radiate at even shorter wavelengths below 13.5...