Post-doctoral position : GRADES / Edge Computing / AI

Located on the Paris-Saclay plateau, about 20 kilometers from the capital, the SOLEIL synchrotron is one of France's leading research facilities. Since it began operating in 2008, it has served the national and international scientific communities. Research conducted at SOLEIL covers a wide range of scientific and industrial fields — including physics, biology, chemistry, materials science, environmental science, Earth sciences, and cultural and natural heritage — all connected to current societal challenges. Experiments carried out on the beamlines rely on the use of synchrotron light emitted by electrons accelerated to nearly the speed of light within a storage ring. SOLEIL is jointly supervised by the CNRS and the CEA and offers its staff a dynamic, innovative, multidisciplinary, and international working environment.

At the forefront of technology, SOLEIL II is an ambitious project designed to provide new opportunities for scientific and industrial research. SOLEIL II consists of a major upgrade of the existing infrastructure and aims to significantly improve the performance of electron accelerators and beamlines. It is designed to address major current and future societal challenges, particularly in areas such as advanced materials research, energy and sustainable development, health and well-being, and the environment.

Construction work on the SOLEIL II project began in 2024, marking the start of a phase of development and technological innovation. In parallel, the existing facility will remain operational until the fall of 2028. SOLEIL II is scheduled to start operations in 2030, with a gradual ramp-up phase continuing until 2035.

The Experimental Data Reduction and Analysis Group at SOLEIL (GRADES) [1] deploys numerous scientific software for processing massive data. The group also provides a computing infrastructure for scientists and users of the SOLEIL synchrotron. The SOLEIL synchrotron is a partner of the PEPR DIADEME project [2] as a platform for characterizing the materials of the future. In this context, GRADES is experimenting with the use of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms to automate the interpretation of data from detectors on beamlines.

In this context, we propose that you join GRADES to contribute to the prototyping and deployment of "AI" applications on beamlines.

Context and missions

You will prototype an automatic diffraction data reduction application based on artificial intelligence algorithms.

This application will be developed on an "edge computing" device such as NVIDIA Jetson, then deployed on several beamlines (MARS, DIFFABS) [3] in collaboration with the Detectors and Control-Acquisition groups.

The scope of the study will then be extended to small-angle data for the SWING beamline. Finally, a portability study of the approach to other beamlines involved in the PEPR DIADEME will be undertaken. You will participate in PEPR meetings and present the results obtained.

You will also contribute to the operational maintenance of GRADES' software, computing tools, and simulation tools.

Profile 

We are looking for a candidate passionate about scientific computing, open-source software and systems (particularly Debian/Ubuntu). The candidate must hold a PhD in physics or scientific computing. Knowledge and/or experience in one or more of the following areas will be appreciated: data science, instrumentation, physics, AI, statistics, machine learning/deep learning.

The mission also requires the following qualities:

• Teamwork and networking; Autonomy, priority management; Adaptability; Good interpersonal skills and service orientation; Being attentive to users and understanding their needs.

Working conditions

This offer corresponds to a Post Doc contract of 24 months, starting from September 1, 2024. You will benefit from the company's advantages (health insurance, 75% reimbursement of public transport costs, cultural activities, housing assistance, telework). The workplace is Saint-Aubin (Essonne), and the position is open to people with disabilities. The position is open to CNRS and CEA staff, or universities, or other civil servants as part of a secondment.

[1] https://www.synchrotron-soleil.fr/fr/savoir-faire/supports-aux-utilisateurs/analyse-de-donnees-scientifiques

[2] https://www.pepr-diadem.fr/projet/soleil/

[3] https://www.synchrotron-soleil.fr/fr/lignes-de-lumiere

Benefits :

• 26 days of paid vacation + up to 2 extra days + 23 RTT days per full working year, based on a 40-hour workweek.
• Mandatory health insurance (basic plan) costs 19.35 euros per month for the employee (174.15 euros cost for the employer, covering 90% of the contribution), including family members (spouse + children).
• We offer optional supplementary health insurance for your family (partner + children) at 26,69 euros.
• Benefit from a welfare system that supplements mandatory Social Security benefits, often insufficient. It compensates for lost income in case of inability to work, ensuring the standard of living for the insured and their family in difficult circumstances: death, incapacity to work, or disability due to illness or accident.
• Possibility to open a Time Savings Account (CET) after one year of seniority: The CET allows you to accumulate earned rest days in view of compensating for leave, buying back retirement insurance quarters, funding an enterprise savings plan (PEE) and/or a collective retirement savings plan (PERCO), and monetizing acquired days. Employer’s complementary contribution to the retirement savings plan (PERCO).
• On-site company restaurant at SOLEIL, with subsidized meals (cost for the employee ranges from approximately 3.30 euros to 6.75 euros, depending on salary scale).
• Family benefits according to different situations: family bonus, additional leave in certain situations, wedding, and birth bonuses...
• Social and cultural activities offered by SOLEIL's Social and Economic Committee (CSE).