A full-time postdoctoral research position is available which will be co-advised by Prof. Beth Nowadnick (UC Merced) and Dr. Sinéad Griffin (LBNL).

The control and design of the behavior of single spins in solid-state hosts is key for both next-generation low-power electronics and for quantum information science. An emerging route is to look at the manipulation of single spins in complex oxides, which offer a vast design space through symmetry and ligand-field engineering. This position will focus on ferroelectric oxides doped with dilute concentrations of magnetic impurity atoms as a novel platform for electric-field based manipulation of isolated spins. By exploring magnetocrystalline anisotropy energies experienced by magnetic dopant atoms in perovskite and hexagonal ferroelectrics, this project will aim to determine how the preferred spin directionality changes during electric field- or strain-based polarization manipulation. The position will investigate the fundamental limits of symmetry, chemistry and strain control of single-spin manipulation in oxides.

In the context of this position, the postdoctoral researcher will have the opportunity to experience the vibrant materials research communities both at University California, Merced and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, which are two-hours driving time apart. In addition to co-mentorship between two theory groups, the postdoctoral researcher will have the opportunity to work closely with experimental collaborators who are experts in the synthesis and characterization of ferroelectric oxides.

More details and how to apply for the position can be found here: https://aprecruit.ucmerced.edu/JPF01444.

Beth Nowadnick is an assistant professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at University of California, Merced. She leads a computational materials physics research group, for more information see https://sites.ucmerced.edu/bnowadnick.

Dr. Sinéad Griffin is a staff scientist in the Materials Science Division and the Molecular Foundry at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. For more information on her research group, see https://sineadgriffin.com/