Laboratory

Electronic States Microscopy Research Team
RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science
(Team Director: Xiuzhen Yu)

Outline of Laboratory

Our team is working on the real-space observation of electron structures or topological electron-spin textures and their dynamics in strong-correlation systems by means of atomic resolution electron microscopy. We use various microscopy techniques, such as electron tomography, in-situ imaging under electric bias, differential phase contrast microscopy, 4D-STEM, electron energy-loss spectroscopy, and energy dispersive spectroscopy to explore the electron structures and their dynamical phase transition or phase separation. We also use these powerful tools to quantitatively characterize the nanometric magnetic and electric fields in topological materials to exploit emergent phenomena.

Job title and job descriptions

Job title

Postdoctoral Researcher or Research Scientist: 1 position

Postdoctoral Researcher is defined as those with a doctoral degree of less than 5 years.
Research Scientist is defined as those with a doctoral degree more than 5 years.

Job description

Microfabrication by using focused-ion-beam system, transmission electron microscopy, electron tomography, in-situ electron microscopy, data mining, Python programing.

Research Scientist

Carry out research and other work following the research themes of the team.

Postdoctoral Researcher

Carry out research and other work following laboratory research themes under the mentorship and supervisor’s training.

The job description may be changed during the contract period or upon contract renewal to the extent described above.

Qualifications

• The candidate should possess a doctoral degree in electron microscopy, or the candidate will be able to obtain a doctoral degree in the field of electron microscopy before the work start date.
• The candidate must be able to communicate and work efficiently with collaborators both inside and outside the team to promote their research.

Work location

Electronic States Microscopy Research Team, RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science (2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198)

RIKEN may order the employee to change work locations, if necessary.

Salary and benefits

• 1.A one-year fixed-term of employment contract, renewable based on evaluation, up to a maximum of 31 March,2031.
• 2.RIKEN may adjust the above maximum period of renewability based on a) the employee’s abilities, workload at the time of contract completion, performance and work attitude and b) the continuation of the employee’s center, laboratory or project and RIKEN’s management situation and budget at the time. In principle, employment contracts will not be renewed for individuals older than 70 years.

In principle, the first two months of employment are considered a trial period.

Salary will be an annual salary based on experience, ability, and performance, and will consist of a base salary and a variable salary. The variable salary will be determined each fiscal year based on experience, ability, and performance.
Discretionary work, commuting and housing allowances will be provided. Social insurance will be applied.

The approximate amount of salary at the time of employment:
The monthly salary including discretionary work allowance at the time of employment will be 368,090 JPY or more for Postdoctoral Researchers and 432,000 JPY or more for Research Scientists.

RIKEN has a telecommuting system, but this position requires attendance at the work location. Therefore, the telecommuting system is not available for this position, in principle.

This position falls under the specialized duties discretionary work system; one working day will be calculated as 7 hours and 30 minutes.
Days off include public holidays, New Year's holidays (Dec. 29 - Jan 3), and RIKEN Foundation Day.
Paid leave includes annual paid leave (up to 20 days depending on the month of employment), special paid leave (caring for a sick child, family nursing care, etc.), and work-life balance holidays (up to 7 days depending on the month of employment).
There are also additional leave systems such as maternity leave, childcare leave, and family nursing care leave.
Smoking is entirely prohibited on site.
These and other provisions are in accordance with RIKEN regulations.
Mandatory membership in the RIKEN Mutual Benefit Society (RIKEN Kyosaikai).

*Eligible to apply for the MEXT Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (Kakenhi).

RIKEN is actively undertaking initiatives to promote gender equality and diversity, and moving forward with the establishment of a diverse and vibrant research environment. If multiple candidates are found to have the same aptitude following a fair assessment, active efforts will be made to recruit female candidates.

The Wako Campus has an on-site daycare, RIKEN Kids Wako. For details, please send an email to kids@riken.jp.

Application and required documents

Required documents

• 1.Complete CV
  • *Write the RIKEN job ad number “25-2242”, indicated in the parentheses next to the job title, in the RIKEN job ad number section in the upper right corner of your CV.
• 2.List of research achievement and publications
  (including ResearcherID or Google Scholar ID, if available)
• 3.A letter of recommendation from the current supervisor
  • *Please specify the referee’s contact information (name, affiliation, job title, phone number, and email address)
  • *A letter of recommendation should be addressed to “Dr. Takahisa Arima, Center Director of CEMS”
    (If it is not possible to provide a letter from the current supervisor, please have a third party write one regarding your current position.)
• 4.A set of copies of your 5 major papers
• 5.Summary of major achievements to date and research proposal in future (about 5 pages of A4 sized paper in total.)
• 6.Consent form for handling personal information based on GDPR/UK GDPR
  If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA) or the UK, you are required to sign and submit the document, “Consent form for handling personal information based on Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) and the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation.”
  • *For residents of the EEA, you will find detailed information about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on the following website:
    Data protection | European Commission
  • *For residents of the UK, you will find detailed information about Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation) on the following website:
    The UK GDPR | Information Commissioner’s Office

  How to apply

  Please submit the documents as PDF files to the address in Contact Information below.

  • Write "Application Documents; (25-2242) Electronic States Microscopy Research Team (Research Scientist or Postdoctoral Researcher) " in the subject line.
    • *Note: If the submission requirements are unmet, your application will not be received.
  • Recommendation letter must be emailed directly from the reference to the contact address.
    • *Please name it "Recommendation letter of Electronic States Microscopy Research Team (Research Scientist or Postdoctoral Researcher) applicant name" and specify the referee's contact information (Name, affiliation, job title, phone number, and email address) in the body of the email.
    • *Subject of the email should be "Recommendation letter; (25-2242) Research Scientist or Postdoctoral Researcher applicant name".
    • *If the submission requirements are unmet, your application will not be received.
    • *If a confirmation email is not received within 7 days after submission, please contact: yu_x@riken.jp.

  Note: None of the submitted documents will be returned.

  Deadline

  Open until the position is filled

  Handling Personal Data

  Submitted documents are strictly protected under the RIKEN Privacy Policy and will be used only for the purpose of applicant screening at RIKEN. Personal information will not be disclosed, transferred, or loaned to a third party under any circumstances without just cause.

  Selection process

  Application screening, interview and oral presentation by selected applicants

  Notification of hiring decision

  The notification of hiring decision (conditional offer of employment) regarding this selection shall be carried out through the presentation of an Employment Contract or a Conditional Offer of Employment issued by RIKEN.

  Start of Employment

  April 1, 2026 (Negotiable)

  Contact Information

  Electronic States Microscopy Research Team, RIKEN Center for Emergent Matter Science
  Email: yu_x@riken.jp
  For inquiries, please send an email.