The Computational Nanoelectronics Group (www.nano-tcad.ethz.ch) at the Integrated Systems Laboratory (www.iis.ee.ethz.ch) of ETH Zurich is developing and applying advanced simulation tools to investigate the properties of nanoscale devices. For a research project on van der Waals heterostructures and their potential application as optoelectronic and photovoltaic components we are looking for a

Ph.D. student in ab-initio modeling of van der Waals heterostructures

Job description: Single- and few-layer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and their stacking into van der Waals heterostructures (vdWHs) are currently attracting a lot of attention from the scientific community due to their unique features such as the possibility to widely tune their band gap or to study light-matter interactions at the ultimate thickness limit. The goal of this project is to optimize the electrical, optical, and photovoltaic behavior of these components through a synergistic approach combining theory and experiments. This Ph.D. position only deals with the modeling part. It will involve ab-initio quantum transport calculations based on density-functional theory (DFT), maximally localized Wannier functions (MLWFs), and the Non-equilibrium Green’s Function (NEGF) formalism in order to obtain the I-V characteristics of single- and multi-junction vdWHs as well as their optical properties. For that purpose, the Computational Nanoelectronics Group has developed a state-of-the-art computer aided design tool that can go beyond the ballistic limit of transport and include electron-phonon/photon interactions at the first-principles level. This is achieved by converting the output of plane-wave DFT codes into a MLWF basis, thus enabling dissipative transport simulations at low computational costs. As part of this project, the chosen Ph.D. student will first validate the aforementioned simulator with the data provided by our experimental partner (WSe2/MoS2 and WSe2/MoSe2 samples are already available), further extend it if necessary, and use it to explore the vdWH design space and help experimentalists fabricate devices with a higher efficiency.

Applicants should have a Diploma or Master degree in electrical engineering, physics, material science, or in a related discipline, good programming skills, interests in physics-based modeling, and knowledge about semiconductor devices. Experience with a density-functional theory tool such as VASP, Quantum ESPRESSO, OpenMX, Siesta, or CP2K is desired.

We offer an exciting and challenging activity in a team of highly motivated physicists and electrical engineers and a salary according to the standard of ETH Zurich. The participation to international conferences and the collaboration with industry and academia is strongly encouraged and supported.

Starting date: February 1st 2016

For further information, please contact Prof. Mathieu Luisier, [email protected]

Please send your application including CV, list of references, university grades, short description of your master/diploma thesis, and statement online at http://www.jobs.ethz.ch.