Two postdoctoral positions are available at the University of Warwick as part of the Leverhulme Trust funded project “The Nature of Interatomic Forces in Metallic Systems” to assist the investigators, Prof. Christoph Ortner (Mathematics) and Dr James Kermode (Warwick Centre for Predictive Modelling/School of Engineering) in the successful execution of the project. Key objectives are (i) to characterise the locality of forces and energy in metals, (ii) to develop novel interatomic potentials and (iii) to apply these to prototype applications including the interaction between dislocations and point defects and the brittle-ductile transition in metals.

 

Two linked postdoc positions are available, one in Mathematics and one in Engineering and close collaboration between mathematics (random matrices, approximation theory, numerical analysis) and materials modelling (density functional theory, tight binding, interatomic potentials) will be required to achieve these objectives.

 

For the mathematics position experience in one or more of the following areas is required: (1) approximation theory and numerical analysis; (2) random matrix theory, weak localisation, Anderson localisation; (3) electronic structure models. Some scientific computing skills and/or exposure to machine learning will be beneficial.

 

For the engineering position experience with first principles calculations at the level of density functional theory and proven scientific software development skills using C, Fortran, Python or Julia is required. Experience with machine learning approaches, development of interatomic potentials (e.g. bond order potentials) and/or tight binding models would be an advantage.

 

3 years of funding is available for both positions, with an anticipated start date of 1 April 2018. The closing date for applications is 7 Jan 2018.

 

For more information see http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BFL211/research-fellow-80976-117/ (Mathematics position) or http://www.jobs.ac.uk/job/BFL210/research-fellow-80991-117 (Engineering position).