Doctoral student in chemical physics - Hiring in process/Finished, not possible to apply

NanoLund and GenerationNano

NanoLund, the Center for Nanoscience at Lund University, engages 55 research groups in the faculties of engineering, science and medicine. With more than 130 PhD students and an annual turnover of 19 M€, we are Sweden’s largest research environment for nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Our aim is to use nanoscience and nanotechnology to address societal challenges, and it is our ambition to be a Great Place to do Nanoscience: to be an international, highly visible nanoscience center that offers exceptional scientific opportunities, training, and career development. We do this through a strong culture of openness and by offering access to a wide range of state-of-the-art capabilities within characterization, nanofabrication and modelling.

The open position will be funded by a combination of grants from the Swedish Research Council, as well as the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Cofund project GenerationNano (H2020 Grant Agreement no 945378) hosted by NanoLund: https://www.nano.lu.se/about/career-opportunities/generationnano

The candidate will be engaged in frontline research, and will receive training through courses in scientific as well as in transferable skills. We are offering a highly collaborative research environment, as well as an international network of cooperation partners from industry, academy and public authorities. A secondment in the non-academic sector or abroad will be part of the studies. 

Subject description

Studies of light-induced processes in a variety of the materials, including molecules, biological complexes, polymers, semiconductors and metallic nanostructures, as well as composite materials. Main focus is on fundamental science with potential applications. The subject area includes exploring mechanisms of elementary photophysical and photochemical processes at interfaces and in solution. One of the directions concerns with investigating properties of novel materials for energy conversion and photocatalysis with particular focus to nanomaterials. Development and implementation of new optical instrumentation and spectroscopic methods are parts of the subject. Additionally, computational studies of transport and optical response based on quantum description of dynamics are also covered. 

Work duties

The project is about coherent spectroscopy of new quantum solar energy materials. The weight here is on spectroscopy while the materials will be mainly made in collaboration with other groups. We will apply multi-pulse ultrafast spectroscopy and make use of the coherence between the pulses. We will also investigate the possibilities how to use quantum light (entangled photons) and pulse shaping in spectroscopy. The work will mainly be experimental. We will be using and improving the existing multidimensional ultrafast spectroscopy experimental setup. We will be investigating collective phenomena in nanostructured quantum materials. Also the possibilities to use entanglement of photons as a resource in spectroscopy of the quantum materials. Important part of the work is data analyses and interpretation.

The main duties of doctoral students are to devote themselves to their research studies which includes participating in research projects and third cycle courses. The work duties can also include teaching and other departmental duties (no more than 20%). 

Admission requirements

A person meets the general admission requirements for third-cycle courses and study programmes if he or she:

• has been awarded a second-cycle qualification, or
• has satisfied the requirements for courses comprising at least 240 credits of which at least 60 credits were awarded in the second cycle, or
• has acquired substantially equivalent knowledge in some other way in Sweden or abroad.

A person meets the specific admission requirements for third cycle studies in chemical physics if he or she has:

A minimum of 120 credits from natural science (for example chemistry or physics) and chemical and physical engineering courses, of which at least 30 credits from a second-cycle degree project (or equivalent) in chemical physics, physical chemistry or a related specialisation. The specific admission requirements can also be fulfilled through another equivalent programme, which is assessed in each specific case.

Additional requirements:

• Very good oral and written proficiency in English.
• Good communication skills, collaborative
• High level of independence 

Assessment criteria

Selection for third-cycle studies is based on the student’s potential to profit from such studies. The assessment of potential is made primarily on the basis of academic results from the first and second cycle. Special attention is paid to the following:

Knowledge and skills relevant to the thesis project and the subject of study. An assessment of ability to work independently and to formulate and tackle research problems. Written and oral communication skills. Other experience relevant to the third-cycle studies, e.g. professional experience.

Other assessment criteria:

• Previous experience with using femtosecond laser pulses is a strong merit,
• Experience with computer programming and data analyses are meriting,
• The position is partially funded by the MSCA Cofund project GenerationNano (H2020 GA no 945378) and therefore the candidate must not have lived or worked in Sweden for more than 12 months in the last 3 years,
• The candidate must be an early stage researcher, (i.e. in the first four years of their research careers and not have a doctoral degree).

Consideration will also be given to good collaborative skills, drive and independence, and how the applicant, through his or her experience and skills, is deemed to have the abilities necessary for successfully completing the third cycle programme.

Terms of employment
Only those admitted to third cycle studies may be appointed to a doctoral studentship. Third cycle studies at the Faculty of Science consist of full-time studies for 4 years. A doctoral studentship is a fixed-term employment of a maximum of 5 years (including 20% departmental duties). The minimum gross salary is 28 200 SEK. Doctoral studentships are regulated in the Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100), chapter 5, 1-7 §§. 

Instructions on how to apply

Applications shall be written in English and include a cover letter stating the reasons why you are interested in the position and in what way the research project corresponds to your interests and educational background. The application must also contain a CV, degree certificate or equivalent, and other documents you wish to be considered (grade transcripts, contact information for your references, letters of recommendation, etc.).

You will be asked to answer a number of evaluation questions when submitting the application.