Experimental Physics Research Co-Op (Spring 2027)

About Acceleron Fusion:

Acceleron Fusion is developing muon‑catalyzed fusion—a path to clean, abundant energy. Founded to commercialize Department of Energy-funded research, we recently completed our Series A funding round. We're working with leading research institutions like the Paul Scherrer Institute and Brookhaven National Laboratory at the forefront of fusion energy innovation. Based in Cambridge, MA, our 20-person team offers hands-on experience in groundbreaking fusion research and development.

About the role:

This is a hands-on position, working with particle beams, vacuum, cryogenics, scintillation detectors, compressed gasses, waveform digitizers, and electronics. You'll work alongside our team to analyze experimental data in real-time, write analysis code, and compare detector readings with Monte Carlo simulations.

In addition to working alongside our team at our lab in Cambridge, you'll spend several weeks traveling to our partner facilities in the United States and abroad. You'll gain hands-on experience operating our muon-catalyzed fusion apparatus on one of the world's most powerful proton accelerators, conducting real experiments that directly advance fusion technology.

Your day-to-day will include:

• Working with high-vacuum and cryogenic equipment
• Working with scintillation and ionization detectors
• Collaboration with mechanical, electrical, chemical, software engineers, and physicists
• Development of particle physics simulations using GEANT4
• Calibrating detectors, setting thresholds and gains
• Data analysis; writing scripts to analyze and plot data collected at the beamline
• Collaborating on writing physics publications

What we’re looking for:

• Currently pursuing a degree in Physics (ideally particle, nuclear, or plasma), or a related field
• Experience coding in Python, C++, or MATLAB; experience with tools for scientific computing
• Hands-on lab skills; ability to use electronic test equipment
• Experience with data analysis and statistics
• Strong problem-solving and debugging skills
• Ability to communicate and collaborate effectively as part of a team

Co-Op Details:

• Location: Onsite/in person, working from our lab in Cambridge, MA
• Duration: Spring 2027
• Hours: Full-time (40 hours/week)
• Salary: $24-28/hr