Argonne National Laboratory

Visiting Student - ASD - Perez, Alex - 7/7/26

Argonne National Laboratory  •  Lemont, IL (Onsite)  •  6 hours ago
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Job Description

Project Title: Machine-Learning Control for Photocathode Laser Pulse Shaping
In 2025, APS commissioned a new photocathode drive laser to generate high-charge or high-brightness electron bunches. Precise control of the photocathode laser pulse is essential for controlling the initial electron beam distribution and, ultimately, the beam quality delivered by the accelerator. In this project, the student will explore model-based laser pulse shaping using differentiable simulation and machine-learning control. The project will focus on modeling the transverse laser transport from the oscillator, through harmonic generation and optical transport, to the photocathode. The student will help operate and characterize the laser system, implement selected optical elements in a differentiable simulation framework, model the existing laser setup, and demonstrate initial model-based feedback control of the transverse laser profile using gradient-based optimization.
This project can be extended into a one-year master thesis focused on end-to-end laser and beam phase-space control. In the extended project, the student would implement additional optical elements for longitudinal pulse shaping, including components such as spatial light modulators, and integrate them into the differentiable laser optics model. The goal would be to demonstrate the generation of user-defined longitudinal laser profiles and combine the laser optics simulation with differentiable beam dynamics simulation. This would enable an end-to-end differentiable framework from laser shaping to electron beam generation, with potential applications in online electron phase-space manipulation and advanced beam optimization

Education and Experience Requirements

• The entirety of the appointment must be conducted within the United States.
• Must be 18 years or older at the time the appointment begins.
• Applicants must be:

  • o Currently enrolled in undergraduate or graduate studies at an accredited institution.
  • o Graduated from an accredited institution within the past 3 months; or
  • o Actively enrolled in a graduate program at an accredited institution.

Job Family

Visiting Student Graduate

Job Profile

Visiting Student - Graduate

Worker Type

Contingent Worker

Time Type

Full time

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

EEO Information

As an equal employment opportunity employer, and in accordance with our core values of impact, safety, respect, integrity and teamwork, Argonne National Laboratory is committed to a safe and welcoming workplace that fosters collaborative scientific discovery and innovation. Argonne encourages everyone to apply for employment. Argonne is committed to nondiscrimination and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by law.

Argonne employees, and certain guest researchers and contractors, are subject to particular restrictions related to participation in Foreign Government Sponsored or Affiliated Activities, as defined and detailed in United States Department of Energy Order 486.1A. You will be asked to disclose any such participation in the application phase for review by Argonne's Legal Department.

Argonne National Laboratory

About Argonne National Laboratory

Argonne National Laboratory, one of the U.S. Department of Energy's national laboratories for science and engineering research, employs 3,400 employees, including 1,400 scientists and engineers, three-quarters of whom hold doctoral degrees. Argonne's annual operating budget of around $1 billion supports upwards of 200 research projects. Since 1990, Argonne has worked with more than 600 companies and numerous federal agencies and other organizations.

Argonne's mission is to apply a unique mix of world-class science, engineering and user facilities to deliver innovative research and technologies. We create new knowledge that addresses the most important scientific and societal needs of our nation.

We actively seek opportunities to work with industry to transfer our technologies to the marketplace through licensing, joint research and many other collaborative relationships.

Argonne is managed by UChicago Argonne, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. We are located on 1,500 acres (6.9 sq. km) in southwest DuPage County, Illinois 25 miles (40 km) southwest of Chicago. The site is completely encircled by the beautiful Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve.

Industry
Biotech & Life Sciences
Company Size
1,001-5,000 employees
Headquarters
Lemont, IL
Year Founded
1946
Website
anl.gov
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