Netherlands - Delft University of Technology PhD Position in Switchable Materials » Get Scholarship

Netherlands - Delft University of Technology PhD Position in Switchable Materials

September 27th, 2007

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The section Radiation Detection & Matter has a PhD student vacancy in the field of switchable materials.

Project and job description
Materials that switch from a semiconductor (transparent) to a metal (reflective) by a single pulse of laser light can be used as building blocks for fast optical switches. Such all-optical switches, in which light pulses are controlled by other light pulses, are needed to avoid slow electrical switching in optical data communication networks and may be applied in future optical computers. Several binary lanthanide materials display a heat or pressure induced reversible semiconductor-to-metal (SM) phase transition with spectacular reflectivity changes at the regular telecommunication wavelength. So far, the dynamical aspects of this switching process have not yet been addressed.

The PhD candidate will study this unique reversible SM phase transition in a new class of switchable lanthanide materials. She or he will use optical techniques to characterize the materials and trigger the phase transition by applying pressure, changing temperature or varying material composition. In addition, the PhD candidate will study the dynamics of the phase transition by triggering it with ultrashort pulses of laser light. The goal is to gain a fundamental understanding of this photo-induced phase transition and to study its potential for fast photo switches.

The project will be carried out in collaboration with several national and international university groups in Bern, Gent, Eindhoven and Paris specializing in material synthesis. Besides the experimental facilities of the RDM section, the PhD student will have the opportunity to perform measurements at other Dutch university groups in Eindhoven, Delft, and Groningen.

Requirements
Applicants should preferably be experimental physicists with a background in solid-state physics and/or photonics. Experience with lasers or laser-induced processes is an advantage.
Delft University of Technology is a bilingual organization; a good command of English (written and oral) is essential.

Conditions of employment
This position is based on an employment contract of four years (48 months) and is for a maximum of 38 hours per week (1 FTE). The estimated monthly salary is based on scale 10 with a maximum of € 2,502 gross per month based on a full-time appointment. Secondary benefits and other employment conditions are in accordance with the Collective Labour Agreement for Dutch Universities.

The successful candidate will be employed by Delft University of Technology for a period of four years during which time he/she is expected to write a dissertation leading to the PhD title.

Information and application
For further details on the position you are welcome to contact Dr Erik van der Kolk, telephone: +31(0)15 -27 83464; e-mail: e.vanderkolk@tudelft.nl or Dr P. Dorenbos, telephone: +31(0)15 -27 81336; email: p.dorenbos@tudelft.nl.

To apply, please send your application letter together with a curriculum vitae as soon as possible, but in any case before October 15, 2007 to:

Delft University of Technology
attn. of Dr E. van der Kolk
Mekelweg 15
2629 JB Delft
the Netherlands

or apply online: e.vanderkolk@tudelft.nl.

Foreign students are advised to mention their GRE (physics) and TOEFL scores in the application letter.

When applying for this position please mention the vacancy number: TNWRRR07-043.

For more information about Delft University of Technology, please visit www.tudelft.nl.

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