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Assistant Physicist - Coherent X-ray Scattering
Posted Aug 27, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026
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Likely interview questions for this role
Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.
About your past
Tell me about a collaboration you started that grew into a lasting research partnership.
What they are checking: Whether they can build the user community the posting says this role should foster.
Describe a time an experiment gave results you did not expect. What did you do next?
What they are checking: Whether they follow surprising data with careful checks before drawing conclusions.
What would you do
This is a joint hire supporting both 8-ID and 28-ID. How would you split your time and keep both groups satisfied?
What they are checking: Whether they can serve two groups fairly without letting one beamline's needs crowd out the other.
The position requires daily on-site presence to support beamline operations. How do you see that fitting into your work?
What they are checking: Whether they understand the hands-on commitment that running user operations requires.
How do you help a new user who has never done a coherent scattering experiment get good data?
What they are checking: Whether they can guide users through a demanding technique and set realistic expectations.
About the work
Explain x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy and what it tells you about dynamics in condensed matter.
What they are checking: Whether they understand the coherent scattering methods central to the 8-ID beamline.
How does the APS Upgrade change what is possible with coherent x-ray scattering?
What they are checking: Whether they can identify the new science that higher coherent flux makes possible.
What research program would you build using coherence to study structure and dynamics?
What they are checking: Whether they arrive with a clear and ambitious research direction that fits both groups.
How would you study the real-time evolution of a surface or thin film during growth using x-rays?
What they are checking: Whether they connect to the in situ surface scattering focus of the SSM group.
How do you handle the data rates from fast area detectors in coherent scattering experiments?
What they are checking: Whether they understand the computing side of modern coherent scattering, including correlation analysis at scale.
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Practice this out loudThe full job description
As published by Argonne National Laboratory.