Postdoctoral Position in Plasmonic Crystals for Solar Energy

École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, EPFL; Lausanne; On-site; CHF 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive remuneration

International research environment

State-of-the-art facilities

Job summary

EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, invites applications for a postdoctoral position in plasmonic crystals for solar energy. The project focuses on coupling oscillations in metallic nanostructures and may realize broad frequency bands of extraordinary optical transmission in the UV-VIS-NIR range.

You will work on modelling, fabrication and optical characterization and publish in international journals.

Qualifications

• PhD in Micro-/Nanotechnology, Physics, Optics, Materials Science or related field.
• Strong background in nano-/microfabrication and optical characterization methods.
• Fluency in English; French is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Assume full responsibility for your original research.
• Collaborate with lab members and international partners.
• Design and execute experiments.
• Analyze and interpret experimental results.
• Write scientific articles for publication in peer‑reviewed journals.
• Present at international conferences.
• Coach Master students, advise PhD students and provide teaching support.
• Provide support in teaching activities.

Skills

FDTD simulations

Optical characterization

Nano-/microfabrication

English proficiency

Education

PhD in Micro-/Nanotechnology, Physics, Optics, Materials Science or related field

Tools

FDTD

UV-VIS-NIR ellipsometry

UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometry

STM

XPS/UPS

Electron-beam lithography

Reactive magnetron sputtering

Job description

EPFL, the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, is one of the most dynamic university campuses in Europe and ranks among the top 20 universities worldwide. The EPFL employs more than 6,500 people supporting the three main missions of the institutions: education, research and innovation. The EPFL campus offers an exceptional working environment at the heart of a community of more than 18,500 people, including over 14,000 students and 4,000 researchers from more than 120 different countries.

Postdoctoral Position in Plasmonic Crystals for Solar Energy

Mission

We are seeking a post-doctoral candidate with experience in numerical modelling, preparation and experimental characterization of nanostructured materials to join our SNSF project “Coupled oscillations in plasmonic crystals”.

In this project, we focus on the effects of coupling of plasmonic oscillations in metallic micro-/nanostructures. It might be possible to achieve plasmonic crystals featuring broad frequency bands of extraordinary optical transmission (EOT) in the UV-VIS-NIR spectral range. The insights from this project will have considerable impact on the fields of photovoltaics, flat screens and flexible displays, as well as energy efficient OLED lighting, electrochromic devices and energy-efficient insulating glazing.

In our research group, we develop novel micro- and nanostructured smart materials for active and passive solar energy applications being integrated into the building envelope. We focus on thin films, because these allow covering a large surface area with a small quantity of raw material - and we focus on their electronic and optical properties, because these closely interrelated properties are most important for the use of solar energy.

As a postdoctoral researcher, you will be expected to:

• Assume full responsibility for your original research;
• Perform research in close collaboration with other lab members and international collaborators;
• Design and execute experiments;
• Analyze and interpret experimental results;
• Write scientific articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals;
• Present at international conferences;
• Coach Master students, advice PhD students and provide basic administrative support;
• Provide support in teaching activities.

Profile

• A PhD degree in Micro-/Nanotechnology, Physics, Optics, Materials Science, Energy, or a related quantitative field
• A strong background in several of the following fields: reactive magnetron sputtering, electron-beam lithography, theory of light-matter interaction, computer simulations using the method of Finite Differences in the Time Domain (FDTD), determination of optical material constants by multiangle UV-VIS-NIR ellipsometry, UV-VIS-NIR spectrophotometry, ultra-high vacuum scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), and/or photoelectron spectroscopies (XPS, UPS)
• A sincere interest in micro-/nanostructures, electronic and optical material properties, plasmonics and solar energy
• Proficiency in English (French is a plus)
• Strong motivation for academic research, critical thinking, independence, good self-management skills, and excellent team spirit
• Interest in a career involving research and teaching is an asse

We offer

• Term of employment: One-year contract, renewal subject to organizational needs and availability
• Competitive remuneration
• An international research environment
• An inspiring and stimulating environment within our research group
• EPFL is an international and world-class engineering institution that hosts state-of-the-art experimental facilities and a rich and vibrant scientific and entrepreneurial community Information

Expected start date: May 1st, 2027. An alternative start date may exceptionally be agreed upon by mutual agreement.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.