HiPOVor is an international collaborative effort aiming to overcome the challenges of creating light beams that carry optical angular momentum with both very high peak and average powers. A group of young researchers will explore the entire development chain of these beams, including the devices used to generate them, their physical properties, their amplification, their behavior during propagation, and their practical uses. The project will train 15 doctoral candidates to become the first specialists able to produce powerful light beams carrying optical angular momentum and to advance their use in both academic and industrial settings. The work is supported by an interdisciplinary consortium of eight leading universities and nine industry partners. The academic partners are Tampere University in Finland, the University of Stuttgart in Germany, the University of Warsaw in Poland, the University of Glasgow in the United Kingdom, the University of Bucharest in Romania, Université libre de Bruxelles in Belgium, Université Paris Saclay in France, and the CNRS center known as Femto ST in France. The project partners from industry, together with academic institutions, will support research expected to strengthen European scientific excellence, enable new optical technologies, improve methods for producing nanometre-scale structures, and contribute to more sustainable and energy-efficient solutions.

The project will develop two approaches based on hot-embossing and nanostructurization.

1. Hot-embossing

High power vortex components for Mid IR with hot embossing technology Hot-embossed optical elements are widely used in commercial applications to produce low-cost optics of arbitrary shape. However, polymer components have limited applications in high-power optics and have low infrared transmission. Hot-embossing is used to mass-fabricate CD player lenses, camera lenses, and aspherical lenses for the visible and near-infrared wavelength ranges. The main advantage of hot-embossing is the ability to create free-form components without the constraints of rotational symmetry as with typical machined lenses. Hot-embossing is a fast technique well suited to mass production and can be used as a continuous process, unlike conventional mechanical shaping of individual components. The aim of using hot-embossing is to fabricate optical components for high-power optical vortex generation.

2. Nanostructurization

High-power all-fiber vortex beam generators for mid-IR A technique to fabricate optical components with a gradient refractive index distribution - GRIN - compatible with fiber optics. In this method, the micro-optical components consist of a set of nanorods made from a pair of thermally matched glasses arranged in a pre-calculated binary pattern. According to the Maxwell-Garnett effective medium model, the binary patterns mimic a continuous gradient index distribution for wavelengths much larger than the
size of a single nano-rod. This allows the fabrication of flat-surface GRIN micro-optical components with any two-dimensional refractive index distribution. The capabilities of this method have previously been demonstrated in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range by fabricating parabolic and elliptical GRIN microlenses, axicons, diffractive optical elements (DOEs), and birefringent artificial glass materials. The aim of using nanostructurisation technology is to fabricate a phase element that generates
an optical vortex in the mid-infrared range, and integrate it into an optical fiber, and fabricate an optical fiber that guides the vortex mode.

Basic remuneration equivalent PLN 2971,41 EUR gross gross/month. The net salary will result from deducting all compulsory (employer/employee) national social security contributions as well as direct taxes.

Benefits:
equivalent 710 EUR Mobility Allowance per month (8520 EUR / year)
equivalent 495 EUR Family Allowance per month (5940 EUR / year) -
Applicable only when the recruited doctoral candidate has family obligations according to the Marie Skłodowska-Curie rules, i.e., when the recruited Doctoral candidate has persons linked to him/her by:
1. marriage, or
2. a relationship with equivalent status to a marriage recognised by the legislation of the country or region where this relationship was formalised;
or
3. dependent children who are actually being maintained by the doctoral candidate

More information: link

Workplace: Institute of Geophysics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw.
Career opportunities:
– Work in a dynamic research group;
– The opportunity to gain unique professional experience;
– Stable employment under an employment contract;
– The necessary tools for work;
– Opportunities for professional development: training with foreign
partners, research internships with foreign partners.

• Conducting research related to the project;
• Numerical modelling;
• Construction of experimental systems;
• Designing and performing experiments;
• Disseminating research results in the form of publications;
• Preparing technical reports on the work carried out;
• Cooperation with foreign partners.

More information: Scope of responsibilities of the academic teacher

• Fulfilment of the requirements set out in Article 113 of the Law on Higher Education and Science (Journal of Laws of 2024, item 1571, consolidated
• Master's degree in physics, photonics, materials engineering, or related sciences;
• The candidate must not hold a doctoral degree on the date of employment;
• Fundamentals of research techniques;
• Fundamentals of physical modelling techniques;
• Proficiency in spoken and written English at least at the B2 level;
• The candidate will undertake doctoral studies;
• MSCA Mobility Rule: at the time of recruitment by the host organization, the researcher must not have resided or carried out his/her main activity (work, studies, etc.) in the country of his/her employer (Warsaw University, Poland) for more than 12 months in the 3 years immediately prior to his/her recruitment. Compulsory national service and/or short stays such as holidays and time spent as part of a procedure for obtaining refugee status under the Geneva Convention are not considered.

• Knowledge of optical issues;
• Knowledge of software for modelling physical experiments;
• Knowledge of software such as Comsol, Lumerical, Optical Studio;
• Knowledge of programming languages: Matlab, Python;
• Ability to solve technical problems;
• Creativity and communication skills;
• Manual skills enabling experimental work, including work with small elements under an optical microscope.

If hired, we expect the University of Warsaw to be the primary workplace for the successful candidate.

1. Scientific achievements (publications, projects, presentations)
– The number and quality of scientific publications (including those in JCR-listed journals), assessed in the context of the length of the candidate’s academic career;
– Participation in research projects (national and international);
– Presentations at scientific conferences.
2. Research experience and competencies
– Consistency of experience with the project’s subject matter;
– Knowledge of tools, methods, and techniques relevant to the given project.
3. Soft and organizational skills
– Communication skills and ability to work in a team;
– Independence in planning and conducting research

– Ability to present results (both orally and in writing).

In total, a maximum of 100 points can be awarded by each member of the selection committee. The candidate who meets the eligibility requirements for the competition and obtains the highest number of points provided that this score is not lower than 60% of the total possible number of points shall be declared the winner.

– Candidate’s questionnaire link
– CV containing a detailed description of qualifications and experience confirming that the requirements and abilities to perform the duties specified in this announcement are met;
– Copies of documents confirming education, course of study to date, employment, and qualifications;
– A list of publications and conference presentations with a description of your contribution;
– A list of projects in which you have participated, with a description of your contribution;
– Letter(s) of recommendation from at least two academic teachers sent by the authors directly to sekretariat.IGF@fuw.edu.pl.

Please ensure your application is complete and submitted by the indicated deadline!

The Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw is one of the largest and most renowned physics centers in Poland and Central and Eastern Europe. t conducts world-class research across almost all classical and modern fields of physics – from theoretical physics and elementary particles, through astrophysics and cosmology, to condensed matter physics, optics and photonics, statistical physics, biophysics, and nanotechnology and quantum physics.

The Photonics Department is one of the strongest and most active units of the Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw in the field of optics and photonics. It specializes in: special optical fibers (nanostructured, antiresonant, all-solid, micro-optofluidic, free-form), generation and propagation of structured beams, nonlinear optics and supercontinuum, fiber lasers and amplifiers, optical sensors, micro- and nano-optics, phase elements produced by nanostructuring and hot extrusion methods.

The Photonics Department conducts both basic and applied research (sensors, MIR lasers, medical imaging, free-space communication). It cooperates closely with industry and implements numerous international and national projects (NCN, FNP, Horizon Europe, NCBR)

The Faculty of Physics at the University of Warsaw offers one of the most comprehensive and recognized physics programs in Poland. It educates students at three levels (bachelor's, master's, and doctoral) in several specializations, combining classical theoretical and experimental physics with modern applied fields.

The main fields of study are:
– Physics,
– Technical Physics,
– Medical Physics,
– Nanotechnology,
– Astrophysics and Cosmology (in English),
– Quantum Information (in English),
– Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology (in English).

Lectures and classes are conducted by active scientists, many of whom are recipients of ERC, NCN MAESTRO, and FNP grants, as well as authors of publications in renowned journals. As a result, students often co-author publications in high IF journals while still in their master's programmes.

The Department of Photonics plays a key role in educating specialists in the field of optics, photonics, and fiber optic technologies:

– Fundamentals of optics and photonics,
– Special fiber optics and its applications,
– Optoelectronics and fiber optic lasers,
– Optical spectroscopy and optical sensors,
– Nonlinear optics and supercontinuum generation,
– Micro- and nano-optics, metamaterials,
– Antiresonant and hollow-core optical fibers,
– Generation and propagation of structured beams,
– Technologies for manufacturing photonic components (nanostructuring, hot embossing).