PhD student position on “Topological materials at the nanoscale”

We are seeking an enthusiastic PhD candidate to join our topological materials team at IBM Research – Zurich. The candidate will enroll in the PhD programme of ETH, Switzerland, while doing their PhD work at IBM. This is a fully funded position.

The successful candidate will be part of our Quantum and Information Technologies Team comprising world-leading experts in nanoscience and nanotechnology, and can benefit from leading-edge infrastructure and enjoy work with collaborative and creative groups in an international research environment at the IBM Zurich laboratory.

Topological conductors include many different materials with exotic transport properties, such as Weyl and Dirac semimetals. The existence of topologically protected surface in these materials entails low-dissipation electronic transport, with highly promising potential applications for state-of-the-art CMOS technology and other applications. In this project, the successful candidate will explore and develop topological conductors – materials, devices and test structures – with the goal of understanding their properties at length scales relevant to future electronics.

The PhD project will investigate the physics of quantum transport in these materials, and includes nanofabrication of novel devices, synthesis of thin-films via physical vapor deposition, and various device and material characterization methods. The project will be adapted to the interests of the successful candidate. The work will be a part of a large European project, with many exciting opportunities for international collaboration.

• A master’s degree in physics, material science, nanoscience or related fields
• Very good communication and English language skills
• Prior experience with projects in solid-state physics, material science or nanoscience is beneficial
• Driven and motivated to explore new frontiers in science and technology