DEADLINE: Tomorrow (August 25) at 13:00

Applications are invited for a fully-funded PhD fellowship in Theory and Numerical Simulation of Condensed Matter at the International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA) in Trieste, Italy (https://www.cm.sissa.it/), in collaboration with the National Council for Research – Institute of Materials (https://www.iom.cnr.it/) and the energy company ENI (https://www.eni.com/).

Short description of the project

In the field of nuclear fusion there is a strong need to develop novel materials for Plasma Facing Components (PFC) that can withstand the extreme conditions of particles and heat fluxes in future fusion reactors. In this project we will explore the properties of nanostructured boron- and carbon-based ceramics, in comparison with more traditional metals such as tungsten, as candidate materials for PFC. The goal of the project is to use first-principles numerical modeling based on  density functional theory (DFT) to investigate the interaction of particles released by plasma (H isotopes, He) with PFC, in particular the phenomena of implantation and erosion. 

This activity will be carried out in collaboration with leading experimental groups active in the field as well as other theoretical groups who will model PFC materials at the mesoscale, and in partnership with the energy company ENI.   

About the program

The Theory Unit of CNR-IOM and the Condensed Matter group at SISSA feature a wide spectrum of activities including the development of the Quantum Espresso project (http://www.quantum-espresso.org), new methods to treat electronic correlation in Density-Functional Theory, Dynamical Mean-Field Theory and extensions for correlated materials, Quantum Monte-Carlo simulations of model systems and materials, the investigation of physical and chemical properties of surfaces, interfaces and nanostructured materials, and non-equilibrium quantum systems.

How to apply

The call for the PhD fellowship can be found at this website:

https://pica.cineca.it/sissa/phd-cmp-iomcnr/

The deadline to submit your application is August 25 at 13:00.

For further information please contact the supervisors of the project, Dr. Simone Piccinin (CNR-IOM, [email protected]) and Dr. Stefano Fabris (CNR-IOM, [email protected]), to discuss your application.

Start date for PhD fellowship: enrollment in September 2020.