The phD offer is part of an European project gathering theoreticians and experimentalists, all experts in nanoscale thermal and electronic transport. This project tackles innovative non-equilibrium energy management technologies for ultra sensitive infrared detectors, efficient harvesters and compact coolers for information and communication technologies (ICT). At the limits of heat management, the performance of electrothermal energy devices are limited
by near field heat flux and electronic and thermal energy fluxes at the molecular length scales. A theoretical understanding of the individual non-equilibrium energy/particle channels and inter-channel couplings is essential to imagine new and efficient thermal management devices. We plan to address non-linear transport in molecular junctions starting from state-of-the-art theoretical modelling. This project combines synergies in theory, experiment and technology-development covering different fields from chemistry to physics and electronics.

The successful candidate will investigate the electro-thermal transport properties of molecular junctions, in relation with the experimentalist partners of the project, in Germany, United Kingdom and Switzerland. Interactions with researchers working at the CETHIL, INSA Lyon will also be conducted all along the project.

Molecular dynamics (MD), which offers the possibility to probe phonon thermal transport across the molecule, as a function of the junction length. We will also quantify the importance of non-equilibrium effects and compare the out-of-equilibrium conditions to Landauer-Büttiker estimations. Inelastic transport and non-linear response will be included on different levels, in systematic and consistent way using non-equilibrium MD.

The successfull candidate should hold a Master degree in Physics, Chemistry or Material Science. He/she should have a pronounced taste for theoretical modelling, good knowledge of basic programming and very good communication skills in English (oral and written). The successfull candidate will work at the Institute Lumière Matière in Lyon, in the team «Modélisation de la matière Condensée et Interfaces».

Interested candidates should send a resume, marks and ranking in the Master degree, a letter of motivation, at least one letter of recommendation and the names and contact of two scientific referents in a single pdf document to Thomas Niehaus (thomas.niehaus [at] univ-lyon1.fr) and Samy Merabia (samy.merabia [at] univ-lyon1.fr ). Inquiries about the post are welcome. This fully funded position is intended to start early 2018. The consideration of candidates starts immediately until the position is filled.