Doctoral fellow

Job description

ABOUT GHENT UNIVERSITY
Ghent University is a world of its own. Employing more than 15.000 people, it is actively involved in education and research, management and administration, as well as technical and social service provision on a daily basis. It is one of the largest, most exciting employers in the area and offers great career opportunities.
With its 11 faculties and more than 85 departments offering state-of-the-art study programmes grounded in research in a wide range of academic fields, Ghent University is a logical choice for its staff and students.

For the Research group Physics and Chemistry of Nanostructures – Department of Chemistry, we are looking for a m/f/x Doctoral fellow

YOUR JOB: Precision Synthesis of Core and Core/Shell 2D Nanocrystals.
Our group focuses on the synthesis of highly fluorescent 2D nanocrystals. These anisotropic nanocrystals, also called nanoplatelets, are a promising materials class for a wide range of solution-processed photonic devices, such as displays, lasers, quantum emitters or scintillators. Prepared by colloidal chemistry, their thickness is controlled with atomic precision, yielding exceptionally narrow emission lines, and their extended lateral dimensions lead to significantly enhanced emission rates compared to spherical quantum dots.

Despite the progress made in chemical synthesis, 2D nanocrystals still exhibit a variety of lateral aspect ratios and different side facets. This still limits their optical properties, such as the fluorescence quantum efficiency or emission lifetime, or the possibility to efficiently passivate the edge states by growth of a second semiconductor around the nanoplatelet core.

In the SATOMA project, the aim is to obtain full control over the nanoplatelet shape and lateral dimensions. With smart nanocrystal design, guided by machine learning algorithms, you will eliminate specific facets, tune the nanocrystal size and shape, and optimize the overgrowth of the core nanoplatelets by a suitable shell material, in order to obtain the brightest possible 2D nanocrystals, suitable for further exploration of their optical properties at room and cryogenic temperatures.

Job profile

• You hold a Master’s degree in chemistry, physics, nanoscience, or materials science.
• You obtained 45 ECTS credits in chemistry, or 35 ECTS in chemistry + 10 ECTS in courses that specifically deal with the Ph.D. topic above. Note that 60 ECTS credits are the equivalent of a full year of study.
• You show a strong interest in colloidal nanocrystal synthesis and optical spectroscopy.
• You have an understanding of the thermodynamics of nucleation and growth of nanomaterials.
• You have an understanding of absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy.
  
  

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months.
• Your contract will start on September 1st 2024 at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by the Department of Personnel and Organization based on family status and seniority. A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax. Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers. Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits (in Dutch).

How to apply

Send your motivation letter, c.v., overview of bachelor and master courses and grades, summary/abstract of your master thesis, and contact information of 2 references, to iwan.moreels@ugent.be, using the subject line “application SATOMA Ph.D. scholarship”.
Incomplete applications will not be considered. If you have documents in a language other than our national languages (Dutch, French or German) or English, please add a translation in one of the mentioned languages above.
The deadline for application is July 5th 2024, 23h59 CEST. We do not accept late applications.
Selection procedure:
1. Preselection based on the provided documents.
2. Final selection based on interviews.

For more information about this vacancy, please contact Prof. Iwan Moreels (iwan.moreels@UGent.be).
As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.