Applications are invited for a postdoc position at the group of Dr Elton Santos at Queen's University Belfast, to work in the area of 2D materials and energy efficient processes. The group has been actively working on the forefront of several research topics including organic-inorganic perovskites, strongly correlated phenomena, including magnetism and spin-properties, and light-matter interactions. See some of the research activities at our group website.

The research focus will be on simulations and method development on advanced approaches on the electronic, thermal and optical properties of layered materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides, and their van der Waals heterostructures. The theory will guide, complement and support the experimental work performed at several world-class groups including the National Graphene Institute (Manchester), Columbia University (New York), Deakin University (Australia), and Guangdong University of Technology (China). Several trips and research visits to these labs will be a crucial part of the project.

Access to first-class computational facilities at Queen's University, University College London (Thomas supercomputer) and the Cirrus UK National Tier-2 HPC Service at EPCC (http://www.cirrus.ac.uk) funded by the University of Edinburgh and EPSRC will be available during this project.

Qualifications and skills

We are looking for a motivated candidate with a solid background in condensed matter physics/chemistry, interested in computational methods, materials informatics, with good command of written and spoken English. Previous experience is necessary on:

• Monte Carlo techniques and model Hamiltonians
• Machine learning techniques 
• Coding languages (e.g. Fortran, C/C++, Python, shell, etc.)
• Background in electronic structure methods (e.g. DFT, DFT+U, Hartree-Fock, magnetism, Hubbard model, etc.)
• Open-source first-principle methods (e.g. VASP, Quantum-Espresso, LAMMPs, etc.).

Eligibility

The position is shared with Guangdong University of Technology. Priority will be given to Chinese nationals due to visa requirements. The start date is negotiable. 

Contract 

The position is initially for 2 years with potential extensions. The salary is in the range of £33,910 - 49,800 per year according to his/her education and research experience. The candidate will expend few weeks (3-4/year) at Guangdong University of Technology to complete his enrolment. The rest of the time, he/she will expend at Queen's University for developing the research. 

How to apply

Interested applicants should send: 1) an up-to-date CV, including publication list; 2) a letter of motivation; and 3) the names and contact details of at least three academic referees to Dr Elton Santos at [email protected].