PhD Position on Chiral Recognition Dynamics, CELIA, France (Deadline: 30.09.2025)

Fully funded PhD position available:  3 years, at the CELIA Laboratory in Bordeaux, France.

PhD Project: Investigating the Dynamics of Chiral Recognition

This position is part of an international collaborative project that combines theoretical and experimental approaches to investigate the fundamental mechanisms of chiral recognition. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain).

Chiral molecules—essential to biological systems—occur in enantiomeric pairs: non-superimposable mirror images that interact differently with chiral environments, such as biological receptors. While this property is widely exploited in pharmacology, the fundamental mechanisms of chiral recognition remain poorly understood.

This project aims to explore these mechanisms from a theoretical perspective. Specifically, it will focus on the dissociation dynamics of hydrogen-bonded chiral dimers. We will study light-induced dissociative excitation and ionization processes, analyzing photoelectron angular distributions as a function of intermolecular distance. The objective is to determine the critical distance at which enantiomers begin to recognize each other.

Theoretical work will be carried out in close collaboration with V. Wanie and colleagues at DESY (Hamburg), who will perform complementary experimental measurements.

Candidate Profile

We are looking for candidates with a strong background in atomic and molecular physics, and a keen interest in light–matter interactions.

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact:

Bernard Pons – bernard.pons@u-bordeaux.fr

Ismanuel Rabadán – ismanuel.rabadan@uam.es

José Luis Pascual – joseluis.pascual@uam.es

For more information about the CELIA laboratory, please visit: www.celia.u-bordeaux.fr