PhD Student in Laser-Plasma Physics

Selection procedure of the Faculty of Nuclear and Physical Engineering,

CTU in Prague for two fully funded PhD positions at the Department of Laser Physics and Photonics (PhD Student in Laser-Plasma Physics)

Offer Description

Two fully funded PhD student researcher positions starting in March 2026 and terminating in December 2029 are offered within a research project “Light Utilization for Matter Emergence” (GM25-16662M) funded by the Czech Science Foundation. The applicants will enroll as PhD students at the Czech Technical University in Prague from March 2026. Their work will be focused on the theoretical and computational study of matter-antimatter creation from light.

The project addresses one of the most direct manifestations of Einstein’s mass-energy equivalence — the conversion of photon energy into matter via the multiphoton Breit-Wheeler process, enabled by the advent of multi-petawatt laser technologies. The primary objective of the project is to exploit the theory and large-scale numerical simulations to design a laser-based optical system capable of efficiently generating electron-positron pairs through the collision of structured laser pulses. As a PhD student, you will work at the interface of plasma physics, quantum electrodynamics, and computational modeling.

Your qualifications

• MSc degree (or equivalent) in physics
• Knowledge of plasma physics is a plus
• Experience in programming languages (e.g. Python, C++)
• Proficiency in English, both written and spoken

We offer

• 1.0 FTE fixed-term contract from March 2026 till December 2029
• Gross salary 40,000 CZK/month (approx. 1,630 EUR/month at current exchange rate) plus PhD scholarship 13,000 CZK/month (approx. 530 EUR/month at current exchange rate)
• six weeks of vacation per year
• Travel funds to attend conferences and workshops

Application

To apply, please send your motivation letter, CV and contact for at least 1 referee to

Dr. Martin Jirka (Tato e-mailová adresa je chráněna před spamboty. Pro její zobrazení musíte mít povolen Javascript.).

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis till October 10, 2025.

For more information, please contact Dr. Martin Jirka (Tato e-mailová adresa je chráněna před spamboty. Pro její zobrazení musíte mít povolen Javascript.).