We invite applications for a fully funded computational PhD position in the group of Cesare Franchini (https://homepage.univie.ac.at/cesare.franchini/) at the University of Vienna (https://www.univie.ac.at/en/).

The PhD position is embedded within the Doctoral College Advanced Functional Materials (https://dcafm.univie.ac.at/), the Vienna Doctoral School in Physics (https://vds-physics.univie.ac.at/) and the doctoral training programs at the Faculties of Physics (https://physik.univie.ac.at/en/) of the University of Vienna.

Focus of PhD research is the first principles study of "Spin-orbit effects in defective van der Waals heterostructures", including (but not limited to) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs).
This is a category of very promising 2D materials potentially exploitable in nanoelectronics, spintronics and valleytronics. Many of the interesting properties of TMDs arise from the strong spin-orbit coupling which causes (controllable) splitting in the electronic bands and can lead to the formation of non-collinear spin textures and topological phases. TMDs can contain different types of structural defects which can alter their properties. The objective of this research project is the ab-initio description of relativistic effects in defective TMDs-based vdW heterostructures, aiming to clarify how structural, chemical and electronic defects perturb the spin-orbit related phases. The research work will developed in the Quantum Materials Modelling group of Prof. Cesare Franchini and conducted in close collaboration with the experimental group of Prof. Jani Kotakowski and the computational physics group of Prof. Christoph Dellago (https://comp-phys.univie.ac.at/dellago/).

The selected candidates will be employed at the University of Vienna for 3-4 years with a planned starting date in October 2020. Applicants are expected to have completed a master’s degree in physics, materials science or chemistry by the time of joining. Employment is for 30h/week as usual for doctoral students and the salary corresponds to the collective bargaining agreement of the University of Vienna (https://personalwesen.univie.ac.at/en/jobs-recruiting/job-center/salary-scheme/).

To apply, please visit the VDSP website: https://vds-physics.univie.ac.at/how-to-apply/.
The application deadline is 28 May 2020.