The Max Planck Society is Germany's premier research organization. The 83 Max Planck Institutes conduct research at highest levels, in the service of the general public, in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities.

The Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter (MPSD) in Hamburg investigates dynamical phenomena within matter, studying processes on the elementary time- and length-scales of atomic and electronic motions: the femtosecond or attosecond timescale and Ångström length scale.

The Institute is also a partner in the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL), collaborating with the Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY) and the University of Hamburg for the development of science based on the X-ray Free Electron Lasers.

Your position:

The successful candidate will represent the Theory Department in RouTe, a European consortium of six experimental and theoretical groups that collaborate on establishing the foundations of room-temperature quantum technology based on organic materials and strong light-matter coupling. The main contribution of the Theory Department and the main task of the candidate will be to perform and further develop first-principles calculations for strongly-coupled light-matter system in the context of quantum-electrodynamical density-functional theory (QEDFT) and the Cavity-Born-Oppenheimer Approximation (CBOA). The simulations focus on molecular and low-dimensional systems in optical cavities and the influence of strong light-matter coupling on material properties. 

Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of the project, close collaboration with other group members of the Theory Department as well as with members of the RouTe network are pivotal. Furthermore, this position offers the possibility to gain insight in the structure and organization of international cooperatoon projects.

Your qualification:

You must have university degree in a relevant subject plus PhD in physics or related field. You should have a strong record with notable achievements in theoretical physics, experience and ample knowledge in first-principles calculations with density-functional and related methods for molecular or solid-state systems and also with quantum-optical methods and a working knowledge of quantum-chemical methods. We also expect willingness to work in a third-party funded project which implies working in an international environment and complying with obligations towards the funding partners such as dissemination and reporting. 

Furthermore, experience within the following categories is beneficial: 
-Programming and software development for high-performance computing
-Polaritonic Chemistry -Maxwell solvers, e.g., finite-difference time-domain methods -Quantum transport

You must be fluent in English. Proficiency in German is preferred.

Our offer:

We offer an innovative environment, which will give you the opportunity to develop your own ideas embedded in the Center for Free-Electron Laser Science (CFEL). We offer a position according to the German public pay scale (TVöD). The appointment is for two years with possibility for a one year extension.

The Max Planck society is committed to increasing the number of individuals with disabilities in its workforce and therefore encourages applications from such qualified individuals.

Furthermore, the Max Planck Society seeks to increase the number of women in those areas where they are underrepresented and therefore explicitly encourages women to apply.

Your application:

To apply, please complete the online application form and attach your English CV and motivation letter as well as a list of three possible contacts for reference letters latest 30th September, 2018

For further information please contact Dr. Michael Ruggenthaler, phone: +49 40 8998-88319, e-mail: [email protected].

Detailed information about the Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter can be found at http://www.mpsd.mpg.de.