Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), Natural Sciences and Engineering

Karlstad University; Joensuu; On-site; EUR 30,000 - 32,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible multi-location work

Extensive occupational health care

Staff training

Lunch discounts

Job summary

The University of Eastern Finland invites applications for a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) in Natural Sciences and Engineering at Joensuu Campus. The fixed-term appointment runs from 1 November 2026 to 31 August 2030, with a start date as agreed.

The position focuses on diamond synthesis, colour centres, and their optical, quantum, and sensing properties within the ICONIQ project. Candidates should hold a Master’s degree in physics, photonics or related field and have strong English; the

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in physics, photonics, materials science or related field
• Strong command of written and spoken English

Responsibilities

• Conduct research aligned with ICONIQ project goals
• Extensive optimization of synthesis and processing parameters
• Characterize morphological, optical, and quantum properties of materials
• Contribute to optical setup design (confocal photoluminescence) and Python software
• Data analysis, reports, publications, conference presentations, grant applications
• Possibly undertake international research visits up to 10 months

Skills

Analytical skills

Research experience

Laboratory work

Optics and electronics

Data analysis

Python

Education

Master’s degree in physics/phot onics/material science

Tools

Python

Job description

Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), Natural Sciences and Engineering

The University of Eastern Finland is inviting applications for a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) position in the field of Natural Sciences and Engineering at the Department of Physics and Mathematics on the Joensuu Campus. The position will be filled for a fixed term from 1 November 2026 (or as agreed) to 31 August 2030.

Please find more information below and submit your application by 1 October 2026.

Role and salary

We are seeking a motivated Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) to join the Diamond subgroup of Nanomaterials for THz and Biophotonics Group (website). The subgroup focuses on diamond synthesis, the formation of different types of colour centres, and the investigation of their optical, quantum, and sensing properties. The Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) position is part of the Academy Research Fellow project Interaction of Color Centers in Diamond: Towards Next-Generation Quantum Sensors (ICONIQ).

Quantum optics has provided efficient, robust, and reproducible tools for manipulating photons, enabling breakthroughs beyond the sensing limits of classical photonics. One of the most promising approaches in this field involves diamonds with fluorescent point defects, known as colour centres. It boosts life science applications that require real‑time measurements of physical quantities with submicron lateral resolution. ICONIQ project aims to explore the fundamental and technical limitations of sensing, spatial, and temporal resolution and develop practical solutions for next‑generation sensing platforms with unprecedented performance.

The project benefits from a modern fabrication facility capable of synthesizing diamond needles with nanoscale tips containing various types and concentrations of promising colour centres. These structures are precisely engineered during chemical vapor deposition, leveraging years of expertise and cutting‑edge measurement setups. ICONIQ aspires to achieve precise nanoscale formation of tailored colour centre combinations in diamond during synthesis and investigate their interactions to identify factors limiting multifunctional quantum sensing.

As our new Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), your responsibilities will include

• conducting research in accordance with the aims of the project
• extensive optimization of synthesis and processing parameters
• comprehensive characterization of the morphological, optical, and quantum properties of the obtained materials
• contributing to the design and development of the optical setup (confocal photoluminescence system for quantum sensing), as well as software development, primarily in Python.

The Doctoral Researcher’s (PhD Student’s) tasks will include data analysis, preparation of research reports, writing and submission of scientific publications, presentation of research results at conferences, and preparation of grant applications. Tasks will also include research visits with project collaborators in Finland (Espoo and Tampere) and abroad (Germany, Poland, and Spain), with a total expected duration of up to 10 months.

The main duty of the Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student) is to conduct research for their doctoral dissertation on the topic of the ICONIQ project and to complete postgraduate studies. During the PhD, the researcher will gain expertise in solid‑state quantum sensing and quantum technologies, with hands‑on experience in diamond synthesis, optical and quantum characterization, quantum sensing, and advanced optical instrumentation. The position will also develop skills in Python-based data analysis, experimental design, scientific writing, and international research collaboration.

The position will be filled for a fixed term from 1 November 2026 (or as agreed) to 31 August 2030. The position will be filled for a fixed term due to the Doctoral Researcher’s (PhD Student’s) own doctoral dissertation work and studies. A trial period is applied to all new members of the staff.

The salary of the position is determined in accordance with the salary system for Finnish universities. The salary comprises two components: a job‑related salary element and a personal salary element. For a Doctoral Researcher (PhD Student), the job‑related salary element is based on levels 2–4 of the job requirement level chart for teaching and research staff depending on the stage of the applicant’s doctoral research and postgraduate studies. The personal salary element is 6–50% of the job‑related salary element. At the beginning of the employment, the total salary will be approximately EUR 2,710–2,845 /month.

Our requirements and expectations

• be eligible for postgraduate studies; i.e., to hold a Master’s degree in physics, photonics, material science or a related field, awarded by a university or by a university of applied sciences, or to have completed an applicable study programme abroad which in the awarding country gives eligibility for corresponding postgraduate education
• have a good command of written and spoken English.

Students in the final stages of their Master’s degree may also apply, provided that they complete their degree and deliver a copy of their degree certificate to the faculty by 15 October 2026.

Applicants who do not yet have the right to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Eastern Finland are not required to apply for study rights at the application stage. If the applicant is selected for the position and applies for postgraduate study rights, the selection will be conditional until the right to pursue postgraduate studies in the faculty’s doctoral programme has been granted. The application for postgraduate study rights is submitted through the Studyinfo (Opintopolku) service.

The following will be considered an advantage

• strong analytical skills
• research experience
• laboratory work experience
• experimental experience in optics and electronics
• data analysis experience

You will have access to the university’s staff benefits, including

• the opportunity for flexible multi-location work
• extensive occupational health care
• a broad selection of staff training
• staff discount on lunch in our campus restaurants, as well as on a range of other services

You will have an opportunity to work in a meaningful role as part of our international, creative, participatory and inclusive academic community.

Enjoy your life in Finland! Known for its cleanliness, welfare know‑how, modern technology and superb education system, Finland is an exotic and safe country to work in. Please visit the Life in Finland section on our website to learn more.

Questions?

For further information on the position, please contact Academy Research Fellow Sergei Malykhin, e‑mail: [emailprotected], tel. [phone].

The Faculty of Science, Forestry and Technology operates on the Kuopio and Joensuu campuses of the University of Eastern Finland. The mission of the faculty is to carry out internationally recognised scientific research and to offer research‑education in the fields of natural sciences, forestry and technology. The faculty invests in all of the strategic research areas of the university. The faculty’s environments for research and learning are international, modern and multidisciplinary. The faculty has approximately 2,650 Bachelor’s and Master’s degree students and some 440 postgraduate students. The number of staff amounts to