The Swiss Nanoscience Institute (SNI) at the University of Basel invites highly motivated
scientists to apply for the SNI PhD program in Nanoscience.

Your position

Multiferroic Rashba semiconductors (MUFERS) are promising materials for future information technology since their magnetic, electric and elastic response to an applied external field are coupled. This property could be used, for example, to switch a spin-polarized current in a field-effect transistor by applying a gate voltage. The development of viable device prototypes, however, requires a detailed understanding of the structure and morphology of the surface.
In this project, the local electronic and magnetic structure of thin films of multiferroic MnxGe1-xTe shall be studied by scanning probe and photoelectron spectroscopy methods. In particular, the student will conduct experiments to polarize individual surface domains and read out their local spin density of states by spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscopy and spectroscopy (SP-STM/STS). For a complementary view on the atomic and electronic structure, she/he will also carry out synchrotron-based photoelectron spectroscopy (ARPES) and diffraction (XPD) measurements.
The experimental work will be done at the Nanolab at the Universität Basel, the PEARL beamline at the Paul Scherrer Institut and in collaboration with European partners.

Your profile

We are looking for a highly motivated individual who enjoys working in a small team of scientists with different backgrounds. The candidate must have a master’s degree in nanoscience, materials science, physics, physical chemistry or a related field. An interdisciplinary background is of advantage. Ideally, he/she has experience in one of the above mentioned methods and enjoys working with complex scientific instrumentation. Fluent English is essential, basic knowledge of German is desirable.

We offer you

• Excellent scientific and social environment
• Very competitive employment conditions
• Membership in a very supportive and recognised community

The successful candidate will join an attractive interdisciplinary programme together with the ~30 currently supported scientists. The SNI covers a wide variety of topics, including cutting edge quantum physics and chemistry, material science, nanotechnology, biochemistry, cell biology, or medical research.

Application / Contact

More information and the online application platform can be found at www.phd.nanoscience.ch. For questions please contact the head of the SNI PhD programme, Dr. Andreas Baumgartner (andreas.baumgartner@unibas.ch), or directly the respective project leaders. The complete application has to be submitted before 31 December 2020. Please note that the decision to fill a given vacancy can be taken at any time from now.