This project aims at studying the structural transformations induced by irradiation in the infrared range in chalcogenides by means of excited states path-integral and classical molecular dynamics simulations with machine learning potentials and by first principles electronic structure calculations.

Irradiation with infrared light in these materials induces structural transitions that are practically impossible in conditions of thermodynamic equilibrium. A typical phenomenon of this kind is the non-thermal melting of materials and the successive amorphization via fast quenching. This phenomenon is crucial for the development of all optical memories.

The postdoc will join the theory group at University of Trento headed by Matteo Calandra in a very friendly environment of research with excellent computational facilities (the group owns a cluster made of thousands of processors and routinely access PRACE and supercomputing facilities). Moreover, recently the group won several competitive grants from private companies (Google), foundations and European Community (ERC advanced grant).

The group is a member of the National Center for High Performance Computing recently funded by the Italian government.

Ideally, the postdoc should start in January/February 2023 for a duration of two years. Longer contracts are also possible.

The project will be carried out in tight collaboration with the experimental group at University of Padova headed by Giulio Monaco. The group in Padova will carry out experimental measurements at synchrotron and X-ray free electron laser to be directly compared with the results of the post-doc simulations.

The University of Trento offers competitive salaries and has recently been evaluated among the top two Italian universities in research. Geographically, the University of Trento is ideally situated in the heart of the dolomites, in a region protected by UNESCO world heritage.

Interested candidates should apply by sending a CV, publication list and motivation letters at [email protected]

Relevant Publications of the PI related to the subject can be found at:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=8EJhV9wAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao