Postdoctoral position in spintronics for neuromorphic computing (M/F)

CNRS - National Center for Scientific Research; France; On-site; EUR 42,000 - 54,000; Full time

Job summary

CNRS's Spintec laboratory in Grenoble offers an experimental postdoctoral position in neuromorphic spintronics, focusing on manipulating magnetic solitons and spin waves for unconventional computing. The project aims to develop nanomagnetic neural-network hardware capable of rapid, energy-efficient machine learning tasks.

The successful candidate will bridge materials science, magnetization dynamics, and computing, developing new material systems and leveraging state-of-the-art microscopy to

Qualifications

• Ph.D. in nanoscience, materials science or condensed matter physics.
• Experience with spintronics, neuromorphic approaches or related quantum/condensed matter systems.
• Familiarity with advanced microscopy and characterization techniques.

Responsibilities

• Develop novel material systems to stabilize and excite spin excitations (solitons, spin waves).
• Study dynamics with high-frequency electrical and magnetic microscopy techniques.
• Develop physical models and training algorithms for hardware-based machine learning tasks.
• Implement and validate hardware-based machine learning tasks such as pattern recognition.

Skills

Spintronics

Neuromorphic computing

Magnetization dynamics

Education

Ph.D. in nanoscience

Ph.D. in materials science

Ph.D. in condensed matter physics

Tools

Kerr effect microscopy

High-frequency microscopy

Job description

Organisation/Company CNRS Department Spintronique et technologie des composants Research Field Physics Physics » Solid state physics Physics » Surface physics Researcher Profile First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 11 Nov 2026 - 23:59 (UTC) Country France Type of Contract Temporary Job Status Full-time Hours Per Week 35 Offer Starting Date 1 Mar 2027 Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The rising energy demand of artificial intelligence and large-scale data processing has led to a search for alternative low-power computing solutions beyond von Neumann architecture. Non-conventional computing approaches such as brain-inspired neuromorphic computing, wave-based computing, and reservoir computing, offer promising routes toward faster and more energy-efficient information processing. Spintronic devices are particularly attractive for non-conventional computing owing to their intrinsic non-volatility, high endurance, fast dynamics and potential for ultra-low-power operation. Recent advances have highlighted the potential of magnetic excitations, including chiral solitons and propagating spin waves, as physical building blocks for unconventional computing architectures. These magnetic excitations can be used to emulate neural networks and perform complex machine learning tasks with ultra low energy using reservoir computing and physical neural networks paradigm.

Spintec proposes an experimental postdoctoral position in neuromorphic spintronics focusing on the manipulation of magnetic solitons, such as skyrmions, and spin waves for unconventional computing. The objective is to develop and investigate nanomagnetic neural-network hardwares capable of performing fast, energy-efficient machine learning tasks.

The successful candidate will work at the intersection of materials science, magnetization dynamics, and computing. The activities will include the development of novel material systems to stabilize and excite the desired spin excitation, to investigate their dynamics using high frequency electrical and magnetic microscopy techniques, to develop physical models and training algorithms, to implement and experimentally validate hardware based machine learning tasks, such as pattern recognition and predictions tasks.

The position is located at the Spintec laboratory in Grenoble. The laboratory is equipped with all the necessary tools for the fabrication and characterization of spintronic devices: a sputtering system, equipment for characterizing magnetic properties using variable-temperature magnetometry (VSM, SQUID, AHE, MOKE), a nanofabrication platform (e-beam, IBE, RIE, optical lithography, SEM …), a microwave measurement bench, and a Kerr effect optical magnetic microscope.

The candidate must hold a Ph.D. in nanoscience, materials science, condensed matter physics, or an equivalent field.