Doctoral student in condensed matter physics

Doctoral Student In Condensed Matter Physics

Lund University, Science Faculty, Department of Physics

Lund University was founded in 1666 and is repeatedly ranked among the world's top universities. The University has around 46,000 students and 8,500 staff based in Lund, Helsingborg and Malmö. We are united in our efforts to understand, explain and improve our world and the human condition.

The Division of Synchrotron Radiation Research is a part of the Department of Physics and has more than 50 employees. The focus of the research is on experimental studies of electronic, structural, and chemical properties of materials. The Division is developing its activities focusing on magnetic properties. At the Division we use and develop a wide range of synchrotron-, neutron- and lab-based techniques.

We are additionally engaged in the development of the MAX IV Laboratory in the fields of beamlines, experimental stations, techniques for synchrotron radiation and the accelerator systems, as well as engagement with the European Spallation Source. MAX IV is a national large-scale synchrotron facility hosted by Lund University and situated within biking distance from the Department of Physics.

A large part of this project will be carried out at the Institut Laue-Langevin, Grenoble, France, which is Europe's leading research facility for science using neutrons. Every year, ILL hosts over 2000 visits by scientists, which are using a state-of-the-art suite of neutron scattering instruments for research in a variety of fields and in particular for fundamental material science and condensed matter.

More specifically and most relevant for this project, neutron spectroscopy probes the dynamics of materials which hold the key for understanding quantum phenomena.

As a doctoral student, you are both admitted as a student and employed at Lund University. As a doctoral student, you will be trained in a scientific approach. In short, you will be trained to think critically and analytically, to solve problems independently using the right methods, and to develop an awareness of research ethics. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work on projects, to develop your leadership and pedagogical skills.

Throughout your studies, you will be guided by supervisors. Doctoral studies end with a thesis and a doctoral degree.

The interactions of electrons in materials are a rich and complex source of physical problems, in part due to the problems of dealing with the large number of many-body interactions. These interactions give rise to fundamentally quantum mechanical states such as superconductivity and magnetism. New quantum states of matter are being uncovered on a regular basis. External perturbations are able to drive a magnetic state into a new phase, providing vital information on the internal exchange interactions.

The main research topic of this position is the investigation of how thermal transport in crystals can be affected by the application of magnetic field. This is observed in the thermal Hall effect, which is thermal analogue to the Hall effect. In many materials, when a thermal gradient is applied, and a magnetic field is then applied, an orthogonal thermal gradient develops.

The mechanisms for this are as yet unknown. In this project this will be investigated by focusing on the thermal carriers, using inelastic neutron scattering to identify and characterize potential carriers, with the aim of explaining how they couple to an external magnetic field. With this information, we will be able to test theoretical explanations, and provide clarity on what types of mechanism are permissible in such quantum materials.

You will primarily devote yourself to your doctoral education, which mainly consists of writing a doctoral thesis. You will do experimental work at large-scale facilities (synchrotron and neutron sources) around the world, although primarily in Europe, supplemented by laboratory experiments. You will present your results at seminars and conferences. This experimental work will involve preparing samples, setting up the experimental equipment and collecting data.

You will also be involved in designing…