18 PhD positions in optoelectronic semiconductors

About

University of Bayreuth
The University of Bayreuth is an interdisciplinary and research-oriented, medium-sized German university. Despite being comparatively young, it is already well represented in all key university rankings, and we are proud of our long-standing close collaboration with the globally leading Australian research universities, the University of Melbourne and Monash University. The International Research Training Group is part of the departments of Physics and Chemistry and is embedded in the Bayreuth Graduate School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (BayNAT).

The University of Bayreuth runs a gateway office in Melbourne to support the exchange of students and researchers by supporting them in administrative tasks.

University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is Australia's second oldest university. It has a strong research focus with a global international network and joint PhD agreements with leading universities in Europe, Asia and North America. The graduate school is connected to the school of chemistry and the ARC Centre of Excellence in Exciton Science.

Monash University
Monash University at Melbourne is younger than the University of Melbourne, yet similarly research-oriented. Our international research focus has led not only to joint PhDs but also to us setting up research campuses in Europe and Asia as well as joint graduate centres. The graduate school is connected to the school of chemistry, the department of chemical engineering, and the Department of Materials Science and Engineering.

Positions

Semiconductor materials are the cornerstone of modern electronic and photonic technology, and central to sustainable economic growth. So far, the functions of semiconductors are mainly defined by chemical and physical properties of their components, and organic and inorganic semiconductors are treated as separate research areas. We want to overcome the divide in material systems and tailor unprecedented optoelectronic properties by the

International German-Australian Research Training Group: 

Optical excitations in organic and inorganic semiconductors (OPTEXC) -

Understanding and control through external stimuli

The University of Bayreuth (Germany), the University of Melbourne (Australia) and Monash University (Australia) together have constituted an interdisciplinary International Research Training Group in the areas of experimental and theoretical physics, synthetic, physical and computational chemistry, electrical engineering, material sciences and related areas. 

We are looking for highly talented, passionate graduate students (m/f/d) with excellent track records interested in pushing forward our understanding of nature and its application in technology. The project builds on our established, supportive scientific network and includes research stays at a German and an Australian partner, leading to Joint PhDs with degrees from two universities. The topic areas are

·       Controlling decoherence in the singlet fission process.

·       Exciton delocalization and dissociation in non-entangled conjugated bottlebrushes and polyelectrolytes.

·       Control exciton delocalization by shear-induced alignment.

·       Controlling anisotropy in lead-free perovskite analogues by pressure treatments for efficient sustainable solar cells. 

·       Photoswitchable quantum dot–dye arrays for exciton logic gates. 

·       Nearfield-control of excited state dynamics. 

·       Unravelling Light-Matter Interactions in nano- and micro-patterned perovskite films and devices. 

If you are excited about excitons, further information on the International Research Training Group, the underlying scientific projects and the application process are available on our website www.optexc.uni-bayreuth.de. Application deadline 31th January 2023.

How to apply

Interested candidates (m/f/d) need to hold a MSc or equivalent at the intended time of starting the PhD, and must not already have completed a PhD elsewhere.

Please send your application as one single file of less than 10 MB to optexc@uni-bayreuth.de by 31st January 2023.

Indicate in the subject line the number of the project area and the name of the intended supervisor!

You can indicate interest for up to three projects. Note that applications without such indication in the subject line will not be considered.

Please attach the following documents:

Motivation letter
Curriculum Vitae
Copy of your Master’s certificate or equivalent. In case you are still studying for your Master’s degree, we need a document showing the examination marks already obtained.
Copy of your final high school certificate or equivalent
Names of two possible referees
The indented supervisors will contact you to arrange the details of the online interviews. The documents will be deleted after the position has been filled in accordance with data protection requirements.

Your profile

We are looking for highly talented, passionate graduate students (m/f/d) with excellent track records interested in pushing forward our understanding of nature and its application in technology.

Your benefits

An opportunity to be part of an interdisciplinary and international consortium with mutual research visits. We support you by providing a structured training program that includes scientific and personal development opportunities as well as a mentoring program. You will be able to work closely with leading experts in the field, participate at international conferences and take part in globally leading research. The majority of the PhD projects will be carried out as a joint PhD, where one year is spent at the respective partner institution, i.e. one year at Melbourne or Monash for Bayreuth as home institution and vice versa. This leads to a degree from both, the Australian and the German institution.

The salary/ scholarship is competitive to national standards.
In Germany, the salary is 75% E13 TV-L.
In Australia, the scholarship is up to about $33,000 per annum (tax-free) (2023 rate) (Australian Dollar).
Tuition fees are waived for international students.

Your application

The OPTEXC consortium (the universities of Bayreuth, Melbourne and Monash) values the divesity of its members as an enrichment and is expressly committed to the goal of equal opportunities for the sexes. Women are strongly encouraged to apply. Applicants with children are very welcome. The University of Bayreuth is a member of the Best Practice Club "Familie in der Hochschule e.V." (Family in Higher Education) and has successfully participated in the HRK audit "Internationalisation of Higher Education". At the University of Bayreuth, persons with severe disabilities will be given preferential consideration if they are equally qualified.