We have a vacancy for a PhD position in Soft Matter Physics at PoreLab, Department of Physics, NTNU. The appointments have a duration of 3 years with the possibility of until 1-year extension with 25% teaching duties in agreement with the department. The PhD student should start no later than January 2023.
The position is organized at the Department of Physics in close collaboration with the Center of Excellence PoreLab.
Duties of the position
The PhD project will focus on the experimental study of a new class of biomimetic nano-composites made of natural clays and biopolymers. Aqueous mixtures of such binary systems self-assemble, when dried, to form mechanically tough, transparent films (P. Xu et al., Soft Matter 16, 5497 (2020)). The films sub-micron structure resembles that of natural nacre encountered in seashells and other sea animals. In this project the student will explore the fundamental driving forces determining the interactions between biopolymers and the solid interfaces of naturally occurring clays, employing a variety of tools, such as optical and electron microscopy, rheology and x-ray scattering as well as spectroscopy methods. The long-term goal will be the development of sustainable and flexible coatings for a new generation of solar cells. This project will be done in close collaboration with Professor Dag W. Breiby (dag.breiby@ntnu.no, Dept. Physics; Head of the X-ray group) and the Univ. of Cambridge, Prof. Eiser is associated with.
The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant.
Required selection criteria
- You must have a professionally relevant background in physics.
- Your education must correspond to a five-year Norwegian degree programme, where 120 credits are obtained at master’s level
- You must have a strong academic background in physics, or equivalent education, which is equal to B or better compared with NTNU’s grading scale. If you do not have letter grades from previous studies, you must have an equally good academic basis. If you have a weaker grade background, you may be assessed if you can document that you are particularly suitable for a PhD education.
- You must meet the requirements for admission to the faculty’s doctoral program.
- The successful candidate should have an interest in experimental soft matter physics.
- Good written and oral English language skills.
The appointment is to be made in accordance with the regulations in force concerning State Employees and Civil Servants and Regulations concerning the degrees of Philosophiae Doctor (PhD) and Philosodophiae Doctor (PhD) in artistic research national guidelines for appointment as PhD, post doctor and research assistant
Preferred selection criteria
- Knowledge in computational physics and programming skills is welcome and will be needed for the project.
Apply for the position here >>