Trainee student position in 2D materials growth

Two-dimensional (2D) materials are one or a few atom-thick crystals with high stability and physical properties governed by extreme quantum confinement. With its unique crystalline structure, graphene exhibits a plethora of unconventional electronic phenomena, whose exploration was awarded the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics. We seek to engineer new 2D semiconducting and insulating phases that do not exist in Nature in bulk form. We expect that the new 2D phases, adopting an sp2 hybridization, will have the stability of graphene, but, unlike graphene, they will possess a gap that makes them suitable for digital nano-and optoelectronics.

The experimental work will be performed at a dedicated laboratory located at the ESRF, hosting a CVD reactor with associated in situ characterization tools: emission mode optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and synchrotron X-ray scattering. You will work with the ESRF local team of ID10 beamline in close connection with external partners.

First, you will find the experimental conditions to grow h-BN, SiC, AlN, and GaN on liquid metals. These will be analyzed at different length scales, from nanometric to macroscopic, and over different time scales in relation to experimental conditions (temperature, reactive gas pressure, and fluxes). Then, the results will be interpreted in close collaboration with theoreticians. In a later stage, you will be involved in transferring the 2D layers on other substrates and performing experiments to investigate (in collaboration) some of their physical properties. Please visit the web page of our previous project: https://lmcat.eu/

You should hold a Bachelor's degree in Physics, Chemistry, Materials Science, Nanoscience, Engineering, or a closely related field. You should be motivated by experimental work, data acquisition and analysis, and possibly by developing analysis programs.

In addition, you should have:

• Ability to get to the heart of the problem and take it effectively through to completion;
• Initiative attitude;
• Good interpersonal, communication, and presentational skills;
• Good organizational and planning skills;
• Ability to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team;
• Self-motivation.

Interested applicants should submit:

• -A 1-page letter stating motivation, research experience, goals, and anticipated available date;
• -A curriculum vitae, and
• -Contact information for 3 references (reference letters are not required at this time)

to Dr. Valentina Rein ([email protected])