The Nanoscience Cooperative Research Center CIC nanoGUNE, created with the mission of conducting world-class nanoscience research for the competitive growth of the Basque Country and recognized as a «María de Maeztu» Excellence Unit (2017-2021), is currently looking for

5 PhD STUDENTS

to work on

 

1)    CHARACTERIZATION BY IR S-SNOM AND NANO-FTIR SPECTROSCOPY
The candidate will work on infrared nanoimaging and nanospectroscopy based on scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscopy (s-SNOM) and nanoscale Fourier transform infrared (nano-FTIR) spectroscopy. The project aims to demonstrate their capabilities and develop methods for the characterization of complex samples ranging from 2D materials or polymeric nanocomposites, relevant for different applications. This project will be developed in the Nanooptics group under supervision of Prof. R. Hillenbrand, one of the pioneers of IR s-SNOM and nano-FTIR spectroscopy, and in strong collaboration with industry and with neighboring research and university institutes, such as CFM and DIPC.
The successful candidate should have a Master (or equivalent) degree in Physics, Physical Chemistry, Chemistry or Materials Sciences/Engineering. Experience in Scanning Probe Microscopies and/or knowledge in optics, particularly near-field and nanooptics, would be appreciated.

2)    MAGNETISM OF NON-PLANAR FILMS AND MULTILAYERS
Recent scientific studies, in particular recent theoretical predictions show that magnetic properties of materials that are non-planar or curved on the nanoscale lead to most significantly altered behavior due to the suppression or loss of symmetry. This can generate or enhance quantum mechanical interactions that are otherwise prohibited in symmetric crystal lattices, so that fundamentally changed magnetic states or properties can occur. This project aims at experimentally exploring and quantifying such effects, as well as utilizing it toward the design of novel magnetic materials and devices. The research will be supervised by Dr. Andreas Berger of the Nanomagnetism groups in collaboration with other research groups at nanoGUNE, in particular the Nanodevices group.
The selected candidate should have a Master (or equivalent) degree in Physics, Materials Science or Engineering, and will be responsible for the design and fabrication of non-planar substrates / templates together with magnetic materials deposition, as well as structural, microscopic and magnetic sample characterization.

3)    TUNABLE MAGNETO-PHOTONIC NANOSTRUCTURED METASURFACES    
In the last decade, there has been an increased interest in the study of the optical properties of metallic nanostructures and their ability to control and manipulate light at the nanoscale. A current focal point of research is the development of novel nanostructured composite materials (metamaterials) with designed and tunable optical properties. These novel metamaterials exploit the capability of metallic nanoparticles to confine the electromagnetic (EM) field beyond the diffraction limit when a plasmon resonance, i.e. a coherent oscillation of charged free electrons inside the material, is excited by the EM field. This property enables the concentration of EM field beyond the light diffraction limit and opens a path towards subwavelength optics to be used to transport and process information at the nanoscale in novel high-tech ultra-thin optical devices. Equivalently interesting, is the strong dependence of this EM field confinement effect on the environment that offers a clear pathway to the development of ultrasensitive sensors for environmental and biological applications.
The focus of the research proposed here, are hybrid metamaterials comprising ferromagnetic nanoelements because they combine the plasmonic behavior with intertwined optical and magnetic properties. The underlying idea is to use such hybrid metamaterials to design new types of nano-photonic devices with enhanced performances that can be remotely controlled by external magnetic fields.
The ideal candidate should have a Master (or equivalent degree) in Physics or related fields (e.g., Engineering), with a background and interest in solid state phenomena.
The research will be performed in the state-of-art nanofabrication, synthesis, and optical/magneto-optical spectroscopy facilities of the Nanomagnetism research group under the supervision of Prof. Paolo Vavassori, and in collaboration with the Nanodevices,   Nanooptics,  and Electron Microscopygroups at nanoGUNE
4) NOVEL SUPERCONDUCTING STATES MODELLED BY ATOMIC-SCALE STRUCTURES

The fundamental properties of quantum materials are based on complex electronic phenomenology emerging at the atomic scale. For example, while magnetism is known to destroy superconductivity, a single magnetic atom simply modifies the superconducting properties locally, trapping Cooper pairs, and perturbing the material in short length scales.  The research project of this PhD aims at fabricating predesigned atomic-scale structures of magnetic atoms/molecules on a superconductor using the atom-by-atom manipulation technique of a scanning tunneling microscope, envisioning the creation novel superconducting states of matter.
The ideal candidate should have a Master (or equivalent degree) in Physics or related fields, with a background and interest in solid state phenomena.
The research will be performed in the state-of-art low-temperature SPM facilities of the Nanoimaging research group under the supervision of Prof. Nacho Pascual, and in collaboration with the group of Dr. Celia Rogero at the nearby institute Materials Physics Center.

5) SPIN ORBITRONICS
Spin orbitronics is at the base of the some of the most promising post-CMOS alternatives for the development of electronic devices. This research topic commonly encompasses the generation and transport of spin currents in novel materials and interfaces. Promising methods that exploit the spin-orbit coupling to create pure spin currents will be studied, such as the spin Hall effect in heavy metals, the Rashba-Edelstein effect at interfaces or the spin-momentum locking at topological insulators. The research will require the nanofabrication of devices (thin film deposition, electron beam lithography, etching), together with their magnetotransport measurements (high magnetic fields and low temperatures).
The selected candidate should have a Master (or equivalent) degree in Physics, Materials Science or Engineering, and will be responsible for the design, preparation and electrical measurement of nanostructures. Experience in electron-beam lithography and UHV metal deposition will be welcome.
The research will be led by Prof. F. Casanova of the Nanodevices group in collaboration with the Nanomagnetism and Nanooptics groups.

An international and competitive environment is offered, state-of-the-art equipment, and the possibility of performing research at the highest level. The PhD students will be enrolled at the University of the Basque Country Doctorate Program.

The candidates should apply by completing the form below, attaching:

a) A complete CV

b) A cover letter inindicating clearly which position they are interested in

c) Academic qualifications

d) At least one reference letter grouped in a single PDF file.


* Applications that do not follow the instructions indicated above will not be considered further.

* The deadline for applications is 6th September 2019

* Please note that due to the large number of submissions expected, we cannot provide individual feedback.

Further information:

https://www.nanogune.eu/open-positions/op-1036-phd-positions-mdm-2019