Project description:
We are looking for a highly motivated and ambitious Ph.D. student to work on the development and application of first-principles theory to topological materials. In topological materials the overall structure, or topology, of the band structure guarantees the existence of metallic edge states. These materials have lately generated a lot of attention, ranging from fundamental theory development to future technological applications. The focus of the work will be on novel materials with topological properties, especially in connection to superconductivity and magnetic impurities. Interactions with magnetic impurities cause a plethora of effects in topological materials, ranging from gap opening in the topological insulator edge states to the creation of Majorana fermions in topological superconductors, of which few have so far been investigated using first-principles methods. The Ph.D. student is expected to extensively use first-principles density functional methods to calculate materials properties and to connect the results with effective model descriptions. The project fits within a larger project on effective model descriptions on topological materials, where the first-principles results will be used to achieve better models.

Research environment:
The division of Materials theory at Uppsala University offers a world-class environment for materials theory research, with interests spanning from strongly correlated and topological states of matter to atomistic spin simulations and first-principles calculations of a very broad range of functional materials. The division currently consists of approximately 90 researchers, of which about half are Ph.D. students. The work will be carried out in the group of Assoc. Prof. Annica Black-Schaffer in close collaboration with Assoc. Prof. Biplab Sanyal.

Employment:
Starting date for the position is August 2016, or on a date mutually agreed upon. A Ph.D. position is a full-time four-year appointment. Further information is available at http://www.physics.uu.se.

Application:
The applicant should have a Master’s degree in physics, or equivalent, with a strong background in condensed matter or solid state physics. Prior experience in ab-initio calculations is a clear advantage. Fluency in both written and spoken English is a prerequisite. The application should include a personal letter carefully explaining scientific interests and motivation for pursuing a Ph.D. degree, CV, and a verified list of course grades. If available, a Master’s thesis (finished or in draft form) can be included. Also, two letters of recommendation should be included in the application.

Uppsala University aims for gender balance and diversity in all activities in order to achieve a higher quality at all levels of the organization. We therefore welcome applicants of any gender and with different birth background, functionality and life experience.

Pay: Individual salaries

Starting: August 2016

Working hours: 100 %

For more information, please contact:
Annica Black-Schaffer, Ph: +46-(0)76-795 06 49, email: [email protected]
Biplab Sanyal, Ph: +46-(0)18-471 3624, email: [email protected].

You are welcome to submit your application no later than 31 May, 2016, UFV-PA 2016/1167

Please visit http://www.uu.se/en/about-uu/join-us/details/?positionId=99850 for details.